Summer camps, pre-college programs, jobs, and sports are likely canceled. Now what? We've limped through the end of the school year, and colleges will have some grace given the unique nature of the spring semester, so it may be tempting to throw up your hands and hunker down all summer to work on your Tik Tok fame. And colleges will understand that your plans have been upended, but what they also expect is that you maximized your opportunities within your context. What does that mean? It means that you took your COVID lemons and made lemonade. Here are 5 ideas to make your summer resume-worthy.

1. Learning knows no bounds.

Your pre-college program may have been canceled. It also may have gone online and become more affordable. A quick google search yielded results for Brown, Harvard, Columbia, Wake Forest, and many more, all with online programs. You can find one that suits your particular interests and budget. Also, many top colleges offer free and low-cost courses via MOOC and Coursera.

2. Lose your summer job? Be an entrepreneur.

Put your skills to work. Play the trumpet? Offer online Zoom lessons to beginner band students. Start a tutoring service online to help parents struggling to balance enrichment for their kids with their own jobs.

3. Give back.

There is no shortage of people in need. If your mission trip got scuttled, look for volunteer opportunities in your community at the food bank. Reach out to local nursing homes and see if you can do online Zoom conversations to relieve loneliness for seniors.

4. Use the gift of time and up your game.

Explore your interests and try them on for size. If you've always been interested in photography but never had the time--now you've got it. Dust off that guitar and find a YouTube tutorial on basic chords. Download the Duolingo app and start those Japanese lessons. Are you sidelined for a sports season? Work on conditioning. Whatever it is, if you're committing your time to a passion, that reflects intention and drive.

5. Get a jump on your college search and applications.

Even if everything seems to be in a holding pattern, you will relieve a lot of stress by getting an early start. Sophomores and juniors can start researching schools, taking virtual tours, and assembling a list of prospective schools. Seniors can use the summer to refine their resumes, draft the essays, and narrow down their school lists, setting themselves up for a successful fall application process. Don't know where to start? Let us know if we can help!