What is the most productive thing one can do over summer?

SheenR
Mon, 19 Apr 2010 23:21:48 +0000

I’d like to know the best thing I can do over the summer (what would look best on an application and what I would like as well).

My goals in life: Get a degree in a pre-med/biology/chemistry at a top-choice university, get into top-choice med school, get into top-choice residency in radiology

To give you an idea of what I am aiming for, here is my list of universities I am interested in (I will narrow them down later).

Harvard
Yale
Princeton
Stanford
MIT
Brown
Cornell
Duke
Northwestern
Rice
Johns Hopkins
Duke
U Penn
U Chicago
Washington U St. Louis
Columbia
Carnegie Mellon
Caltech
Vanderbilt
Amherst
Hamilton
Brandeis
Swarthmore
Northeastern
Emory
Pomona
Wesleyan
Haverford
Bates
Bowdoin
Williams
Harvey Mudd
UC Berkeley
UCLA
U Virginia
U Michigan – Ann Arbor
Georgetown
Tufts
NYU
UNC – Chapel Hill
Dartmouth
USC
Drexel
RPI
UT Austin
NYU
Illinois-Urbana
Middlebury
Vassar
Syracuse
Oberlin
RIT
Claremont McKenna
Washington & Lee
Occidental
Davidson
Grinnell
Boston U
Purdue
William & Mary
Bucknell
Colby
Colgate
Colorado

If the program requires stellar recommendations, I am not very close to my biology teacher but I make my best grades in her class and she often complements me on my high grades.

If it needs an English teacher rec, my English teacher is racist to me and that wouldn’t
work out. (another language like German would do, though)

For math, my greatest grade-trend was in that class (started in the 70-80s first semester, now I am making high 90s)

Currently a freshman, graduating one year early
Taking most rigorous courses possible
A/B avg. first semester, A avg. second semester (large upwards trend since end of first semester)
No standardized tests taken yet
ECs:
JV3 Tennis team
Concert II Orchestra
German National Honors Society (started German 1 year early in 8th grade)
Class that I actually enjoy: Biology

So, what are my options for over the summer? I plan on taking private tennis lessons to ascend the ranks of the team and I also plan on studying for the PSAT so that I can make a high score the first time and make National Merit. I am also taking an Accelerated U.S. History course to aid in my early graduation (doubling up on Chem and Physics in Sophomore year).

Other than those things, there will still be open time. What is the best way to spend that time other than perhaps volunteering at a hospital? I understand that most of the major schools have summer programs but I am not familiar with all of them and would like to know of the best. Most seem to be ploys to make some extra money.