Things to do after your APs

So, you've just finished your APs and you're bored, because you suddenly have nothing to do after the weeks and weeks of hard studying, assuming you studied hard for the APs in the first place.

Besides preparing for SIMC, if you have any role in that, here's a list of things you can do:

For Year 6s

1. Relax. Duh.
2. Do things that interest you - those that you've been putting off thanks to school. Maybe you've wanted to head to the pool for some splashing watery goodness. Or read a book that was released in March. Whichever... just do it!
3. Obviously, I have an ulterior motive for dishing out such pointers. It's good to discover what you really like and who you really are... for those all-important college essays. So do a little bit of reflection at the same time. You don't have to write daily journals or anything like that, but ask yourself probing questions from time to time. Do online personality tests ("real" ones like the MBTI, DISC or Big Five, not Blogthings or Facebook quizzes!) and ask yourself if the results apply to you. Et cetera.
4. More importantly, start writing those essays, especially if you are applying to Cambridge (deadline: September 20) or Oxford (October 15). But the deadlines for most other universities are still six months away, you say. Well, a US college essay needs a whole lot of drafts, and you'll probably throw the first two or three incarnations away before you even present it to a college counselor, and then he/she will tear right through it to help you make it better.
5. Start asking teachers for recommendations. When you email-invite them on Common App later, all you need to do is stimulate their memory. For UK applications, get them to email the rec to the college counselors, who will help them enter it into UCAS.
6. Have you looked at your graduation testimonial yet?
7. Finish up your research if you haven't. Collate a list of your research achievements, because research transcript review will begin at the end of May.
8. Contact the college counselors to ask about interview classes - they're not very free and it may be difficult to schedule one.
   

For Year 5s

1. Take a breather. These were your first-ever APs and now that they're over, they weren't that bad, right?
   
2. Form a group and pick two choices from the list of 2010 research projects. Apply for your projects by emailing the Office of RIE. This is extremely important as completion of an Advanced Research Project is a graduation requirement... I suppose this has been repeated many times already, but there's no harm in saying it again :)
   
3. Start looking up possible universities and courses/majors, if you haven't already. You'll want all this background knowledge by next year, when you can concentrate on writing your apps, rather than being lost and confused about where you want to go.
4. Consult the college counselors if necessary. Try to do it before August -- that's when the Year 6s desperately need them for essay reviewing and other related uni app stuff.

That's all for now. Cheers.