Next up in our Insider’s Guide to College Admissions series, we’re answering a common question about how to spend your summers in high school — and especially that important summer between junior and senior years. Insider Alyse Levine, top college counselor and founder of Premium Prep, Is here to give you a reassuring answer.

Q: From a college admissions perspective, is it better to have summer jobs, internships, or something else?

A: Summer is a great time to deepen your interests…whatever they may be.

Colleges tend not to have a ranking system of “the best” activities, but instead want to see students being genuine, exploring their interests and developing good character. Summer is a perfect time to do just that.

Personally, I think all work experience, including summer jobs, are a great way to show your work ethic, and commitment to helping your family or yourself financially. But there are lots of options. Keep the following in mind as you make a decision:

Internships: I always caution students that internships need to be a genuine learning experience, not just something you landed through a family connection that doesn’t provide real exposure or experience. If you do want to intern over the summer as a way of diving into a passion or interest, there’s no need to seek out a fancy company or flashy name for your resume; the most important thing is what you do and what you learn, not who you work for.

Volunteering: This is of my favorite ways for students to spend at least part of the summer during high school. What organization wouldn’t want some extra (free!) help? And you can be doing valuable work that supports a cause or fulfills a need that you genuinely care about.

Summer Jobs: Don’t underestimate the value of a real job. I often say the grittier the job, the better! It’s character-building and shows you understand and appreciate the value of a dollar. Whether you want to work for pay over the summer or you need to, colleges will never hold that against you. (This includes providing childcare or elder care that supports your own family, by the way. Even if it’s not “paid,” it’s still a big responsibility that shows so much character and commitment.)

A Combination: The summer is long, so it’s great to do a combination of things if you’re able. Perhaps you have one experience each for a few weeks or divide your time, like working four days a week then spending one to two of the remaining days volunteering for a cause you care about.

Alyse Levine is one of the foremost college counseling experts in the country, and Founder & CEO of our partner for this series, Premium Prep. She was previously Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Washington University in St. Louis,  Associate Director of College Counseling at The Dalton School in New York City, and Associate Director of College Counseling at the Dwight–Englewood School, in Englewood, New Jersey.

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Other questions Alyse has answered:
How do I know if a college will provide a safe environment for me?
How do you know if a college is a good fit? 
What do you do if you have the one tough teacher who gives bad grades? — And other top student questions
How can I help my kids identify and develop their passions?
A grade-by-grade guide to college admissions: What should you be doing and when?

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