Webinar overview
Most students finish the summer with something to put on an application, but few finish with something an admissions officer will remember. In this webinar, Sam Luby, who has reviewed more than 12,000 college applications, walks students and families through how to build a summer that actually moves an application forward. You'll learn:
- How admissions officers evaluate internships, research, and other summer experiences
- Which summer programs and internships actually carry weight, and which ones are more resume filler than substance
- How to build a realistic summer plan without overcommitting to too many activities
- How a summer experience can shape a personal statement or activities list later in the process
- Live answers to your specific college admissions questions in an interactive Q&A
Meet your webinar host: Sam Luby
Sam has over 13 years of admissions experience and has reviewed more than 12,000 college applications. He helps students turn summer internships and personal interests into standout passion projects, with past students earning admission to schools like the University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Meet your webinar host:
Sam has over 13 years of admissions experience and has reviewed more than 12,000 college applications. He helps students turn summer internships and personal interests into standout passion projects, with past students earning admission to schools like the University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Frequently asked questions about summer plans for college applications
The best summer plans center on one or two experiences done deeply rather than a long list done thinly. Admissions officers look for evidence of genuine interest and initiative: a research project, an internship, independent study, or a part-time job tied to something you care about. What matters is what you built, learned, or contributed, not the name on a brochure. A focused summer also gives you real material for your personal statement and activities list later, since you'll have specific stories and outcomes to write about instead of vague descriptions.
Not on their own. Admissions officers know which programs simply require a fee and an application, and they weigh those differently from experiences built on merit, selectivity, or genuine contribution. A costly summer program can still be worthwhile if you do meaningful work while there, but the price tag itself carries no weight in a file review. Students are often better served by an unpaid research role, a local internship, or a self-directed project that shows initiative, since these tend to produce more authentic essay material and a clearer personal narrative.
Fewer than most students assume. Overcommitting to multiple programs, camps, and internships in a single summer often reads as scattered rather than impressive, and it leaves little time to go deep into any one experience. Admissions officers are more likely to notice a student who spent ten weeks building something real, whether that's a research finding, a small business, or a completed project, than one who sampled five different activities. A realistic plan usually includes one primary commitment and enough downtime to reflect on it and start drafting application materials.
Yes. This session isn't only for students starting from scratch; it's just as valuable for refining a summer that's already in motion. You'll learn how admissions officers actually evaluate the internships, research, and programs students already do, which helps you and your student get more out of an existing commitment rather than add new ones. The webinar also covers how to translate whatever your student is doing this summer into strong material for the personal statement and activities list, so even a packed schedule can be used more strategically.
