It's your last year as a high schooler, and while you definitely want to stay on track toward your college goals, you deserve to have some fun, too. Find the perfect mix of both in this senior year-inspired bucket list.
Join a club. Try your hand at chess. Bust a move in 
the dance club. Swing into an open spot on the golf team. We usually recommend that seniors strive for leadership roles in the clubs or organizations they've been a part of, but that's not to say you shouldn't try something new. If you haven't had the guts to do so in the past, now's the time to experiment with other interests.
Write an essay you're proud of. To wow the admissions team with your personal essay, highlight a recent achievement or personal anecdote that helps tell your life story. As long as it's something you're passionate about, it's bound to be great. Get your creative juices flowing by reading three college essays that worked. Not loving the idea of writing another essay? This option might be for you.
Sign up for an elective. You never know what interests and skills you might develop in classes like creative writing, home economics or music theory. If you have the room in your schedule to add an elective (meet with your guidance counselor to be sure you do), this is a great opportunity to learn something new and demonstrate a broad range of interests on college applications.
Get organized. Balancing schoolwork, extracurriculars and the college search can seem daunting, but with some careful planning, you can meet all of the important deadlines and still enjoy your senior year. Find out why you should create a calendar here.
Spend time with your family. It seems far away now, but you'll be heading off to college before you know it. As excited and busy as you are, set some time aside for your family. This is a big change for them, too, and they'll appreciate getting to spend quality time with you before you leave the nest.
Start a new hobby. Remember what we said about writing an essay you're proud of by focusing on a recent achievement? Teaching yourself to knit, becoming a self-proclaimed Pokemon Go master or winning the top prize at your first cooking competition are all things you could write about (or just tell us about) that demonstrate your commitment to learning and willingness to try new things.
One more must-do: schedule a visit to Siena. We'd love to show you around!
