There is a lot to love about the humanities, and there are also a lot of humanities majors at most colleges. Whether you hope to study Russian Literature or Sociology, it is never too early to start exploring your academic interests and building a great resume. If you are dreaming of going to an elite college, you can’t waste your freshman summer. These three months are an opportunity to start to set yourself apart from the pack. But how? We are glad you asked; let’s break down what you should be doing freshman summer if you are interested in humanities.

We help Freshmen plan their summers every day. If you need help strategizing, contact us now!

Find Your Niche

Depending on the college, humanities majors include everything from psychology to German to Art History. You need to zero in on a major or area of study that interests you. The more specific, the better. For example, Humanities is far too broad. History is better. World History post-1800? Now we are talking!

Likely, you already have an idea of which classes or areas of study you like or are best at. However, you need to start zeroing in, and our recommendation is to choose a subject and really dive in. This can be scary for some students. “What do you mean I need to choose a major? I’m not even halfway through high school yet!” To that, we say, “Don’t worry.” Part of the wonderful thing about humanities programs is they are pretty flexible when it comes to majors. At most colleges, humanities majors don’t even have to declare a major until their sophomore year of college. However, colleges (especially top universities and elite colleges) want applicants who (at least on paper) know what they want to study and what their academic interests are. Trust us, you can always pivot later, but for now, you want to find your academic niche.

There are a couple of ways to hone your niche, but they all boil down to learning as much as you can and following your academic passions.

Our first easy tip is to start reading. You wouldn’t believe how many high schools don’t read books outside of class. We make all of our students read independently, and summer is a great time to start. Make yourself a reading list. If you hope to study Film Studies, you should read Mark Cousin’s The Story of Film. If you are thinking of Classical Studies, read Beowulf or Medea. If criminology or sociology is more your thing, maybe it's time to read The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. On top of books, you can listen to audiobooks or podcasts. Read newspapers, magazines or journal articles. The more you learn about your intended subject area, the better.

Our second easy recommendation is to take an online course. There are many pretaped, flexible online college courses, many of which can be taken for free on platforms like Coursera. The students we work with tend to take between 1 and 3 of these kinds of classes during their freshmen summers, and you should, too!

Summer Programs

While pre-tapped online classes are great, doing a summer program through a university isn’t only more prestigious but also often more exciting for students. Many colleges offer summer sessions for qualified high school students. In the past, students we have worked with have loved Summer @Brown, NYU’s Summer Offerings, Northwestern Summer Classes, and many more. Many colleges offer similar programs. You can likely find at least one with the right dates, class subjects, and location for you. These programs usually require a short application. Generally, we recommend applying to 2-3 programs, especially if you are looking at highly selective ones.

Depending on which humanities subject you are interested in, there are some specialized programs as well. If you are all about creative writing, there are specific workshops like Bard College at Simon’s Rock Young Writers Workshop or Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship Program that you should look into. If you are considering a music degree, there is Interlochen or Tanglewood. If this seems complicated to navigate, we would love to help!

Intern, Volunteer, Shadow, or Get a Job

We want to be clear: there is nothing wrong with lifeguarding or working at a summer camp. Having any summer job shows that you are a hard worker who is mature enough to handle some responsibilities. However, if you can connect that job to your niche, all the more impressive. For example, if you are fascinated by History, you could intern or regularly volunteer at a history museum, historical society, or historical landmark. If you want to study Political Science, you could intern or volunteer for a campaign or an elected official.

If you don’t know where to start, look for opportunities in your community. Ask your network for job shadowing opportunities. Likely, your parents, friends, or teachers know someone who works in a related field and might be open to letting a motivated high school student shadow their job. If done right, a job shadow can also often be the first step to securing an internship down the road.

We also love it when students commit to volunteering. Many students go on a short voluntourism trip or go to a beach cleanup once. This isn’t impressive to colleges. However, committing to a more long-term volunteer position is excellent. Volunteering at a teen helpline is great for hopefully psychology majors, while museums are perfect for Art Historians. You should try to find a volunteer position that helps build your resume and connects to your interests.

Generally, high schoolers have more time during the summer than the school year, which makes it the perfect time to start establishing a pattern of academic interest and curiosity. Impactful freshman summers require a little planning. Pull out your schedule, do your research, and make sure you start reaching out and applying for opportunities that make sense to you. If that all sounds daunting, we can help you plan a successful freshman summer.

Reach out today to talk to a college counselor.