​Congratulations Class of 2022! Here's to the positive impact you will all have on our world in your future careers in social justice, physics, design, business, bioinformatics, computer science, political science, engineering, mathematics, art, and renewable energy.

When I first started working as a college application coach, I was astounded as I reviewed my students’ lists of activities. They looked like the resumes of my contemporaries at age 30! These teenagers had already performed genomic characterization of novel mycobacteriophages, climbed Machu Picchu, written programs in Python, synthesized nanoparticles, filed patent applications, and started their own non-profits. Amazing.

But when I asked these high achievers what they did for fun, I was almost always met with pauses and nervous laughter as if I were speaking in a foreign language and used a word they did not know.

​And Jack and Jill will be speechless when they start to write their college application essays and come upon essay prompts like, “Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it?” 
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So, while you are busy interning, working or volunteering this summer, make sure you plan some fun, too. Try something new, whether it’s pickleball, ballroom dancing or making your own pizza.

​Do something in or near your hometown that you haven’t done yet. Maybe you can turn an interest into an opportunity. If you love dogs, volunteer at a local shelter or veterinarian’s office, or let neighbors know you’re available for dog sitting and walking.


Enjoy downtime with your friends away from your devices. Get outside and let Mother Nature work her restorative magic: take a hike, go for a swim or have a picnic in the park.

If you have an internship or job, take your lunch break! And don’t forget to put away your phone and engage with people. Ask a co-worker to join you or pop your head in the office of someone down the hall who does something that is of interest to you.  

Get involved, strike up conversations. Not only will you be giving yourself time to destress and breathe, but who knows, you might even find quality content for one of your college application essays! Remember, your best life stories are not a list of your achievements; they are tales of your experiences. 

I had one student who went on a volunteer mission in rural China over his summer break. Did he end up writing about his mission for his essay? No—which would have been cliché anyway. But he did write a memorable essay about the elder man who sat next to him on the plane to China. When my student first walked down the aisle to take his seat, he was not too thrilled about having to sit next to someone “so old” for 13 hours, let alone someone from a culture that was historically at odds with his. Surprise! The two ended up talking for hours.
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Bottom line, be aware of the world and people around you. Make time for fun. Carry a small notebook with you, and write about things that impress you, whether people, places or experiences.