That’s the next question looming large in the minds of high school students. You figured out how to take classes online this spring, you missed some extra-curricular activities and modified others to adapt to Zoom meetings and solo practices. Some of you learned about the new way to take AP exams and are poised to conquer those next week. Now summer is coming. What will you do? Can you get a job? What if your summer camps and vacation plans got canceled? And how will all of that affect your college applications?

I first want to reassure you that you are not alone. Students all over the world are asking the same questions amid what is (remember) an international pandemic. Second, I want you to know that college admissions officers are acutely aware of the current situation and how it is affecting high schoolers. I have attended multiple virtual webinars led by college admissions officers this past month and can summarize each one with a single word: grace. Colleges are extending a lot of grace right now. They acknowledge that many high schools switched their grading systems to pass/fail this spring and are prepared to give students the benefit of the doubt. Many colleges have gone test optional to offer students who did not have the chance to take (or retake) the SAT or ACT a fair shake. And, finally, colleges know that many summer plans have been canceled and assure students they will not use that against them.

But that does not give you a free pass. Colleges may not expect you to have traveled across the country to attend a summer program in neuroscience or across the state to be a camp counselor or even across the street to work at the local snow cone shack. But they will expect you to have done something productive with your time. In fact, some colleges have publicly contemplated adding a question to their applications about what you did during the pandemic.

This is an opportunity to pursue a passion or complete a project you have been putting off because you simply couldn’t find time for it. Are you an artist? Work on your artwork. A musician? Learn a new piece of music. A lover of literature? Get to that reading wish list you’ve been compiling. Feeling ambitious? Train for that marathon, work on that app or start that online business you’ve always thought about. The activities section of your college application does not have to be filled with organized activities sponsored by your high school or a community organization. Anything noteworthy you did outside of the classroom is acceptable.

For those of you who operate better with a little more structure, here are some other ideas.

1. Take an online course in something you’re passionate about. One of my clients is going to study Japanese this summer. Check out your multiple options for courses at the community college, Coursera, Udemy, Masterclass or Duolingo
   
   
2. Look for opportunities to serve the local community. They continue to exist. Get some ideas at givingcityAustincom.
   
   
3. Serve your national and international community virtually. Distinctive College Consulting in Washington, D.C. has put together a great list of opportunities here.

The bottom line is to be intentional with how you spend your time. Colleges want students who seize opportunities. What opportunities will you seize this summer?