These projects weren’t perfect. They weren’t polished marketing campaigns. But they were personal, purposeful, and student-led. And they showed admissions officers exactly what they’re looking for: initiative, alignment, and the ability to follow through on a meaningful idea.



So if you’re wondering what your teen can do this summer to stand out, here’s our answer: help them design and complete a capstone project.

What Is a Capstone Project—and Why Now?

A capstone is a student-driven project that explores an academic interest, tackles a problem, or creates something new. It's more than an activity—it’s a story anchor. And in an admissions landscape that’s more competitive than ever, a summer capstone can be the “wow factor” that ties everything together.

Capstones are powerful because they:

• Show intellectual curiosity and self-motivation.
• Align with a student’s intended major or emerging passions.
• Provide content for college essays, supplemental questions, and interviews.
• Offer a tangible outcome students can reflect on—and be proud of.

We saw this up close this year. Students we supported earned offers from Ivy League schools, top public flagships, and specialized programs by demonstrating the kind of initiative that starts with a single question.

What We Learned from This Year’s Successful Applicants

The students who stood out weren’t always the ones with the most activities. They were the ones who had focus—and who followed their interests beyond the classroom.

Here’s what their capstones looked like:

• A student built a wildfire detection model using machine learning and partnered with a local fire department—admitted to Stanford.
• A student interested in public health recorded interviews with bilingual families navigating care and turned it into a research paper—admitted to Brown.
• A student passionate about education equity started a community tutoring collective, tracked outcomes, and shared the model—admitted to Yale.
• A student interested in environmental policy produced a podcast series amplifying local youth climate activism—admitted to Swarthmore.

These weren’t just side projects. They became the heart of the student’s story—and often the tipping point in a competitive applicant pool.

Why This Summer Is the Right Time

The students who launched strong capstones didn’t start in senior fall. They started the summer before. That’s when they had the time, the space, and the support to think deeply and build something new.

This summer, your teen can:

• Identify a question or issue they care about.
• Design a plan to explore, build, or solve something.
• Create something tangible that aligns with their future goals.
• Reflect on the experience—and begin writing about it.

Whether your student is a rising junior or senior, a capstone can provide clarity, confidence, and content for their application. And it doesn’t have to be huge to be meaningful. It just has to be theirs.

How to Get Started: A 3-Step Framework

1. Define the Focus
What does your student wonder about, care about, or want to explore? That question is the spark. It could be related to a future major, a social issue, or a creative passion.

2. Design the Project
Help your teen sketch out the scope, timeline, and format. That might mean:

• A podcast or video series
• A short research paper or white paper
• A workshop, curriculum, or summer program they design
• A fundraiser or social impact initiative
• A creative production—music, art, design, or writing

3. Determine the Outcome
Every capstone should have a finish line: something your student can complete and share. This doesn’t have to mean publishing—it could mean presenting to a group, submitting to a contest, launching a website, or simply reflecting deeply in a journal or blog.

The Role of a Mentor

One of the most underrated ingredients of a successful summer project is a mentor.

Mentors don’t need to be famous. They just need to care—and be a step or two ahead of your student in experience. The best mentors act as sounding boards, reality-checkers, and creative collaborators.

Here are some ideas for where to find a mentor:

• A teacher, counselor, or coach from school
• A family friend or relative with expertise in your student’s area of interest
• A college student or graduate student studying in a related field
• A local business owner, nonprofit leader, or entrepreneur
• A former program leader from a summer course, internship, or community event

What a mentor can do:

• Help refine the scope of the project
• Offer feedback at key checkpoints
• Connect your student to resources or networks
• Encourage consistency and follow-through

A 30-minute check-in every two weeks can be enough. What matters most is that your student feels supported—but still leads the process themselves.

Real Impact, Not Perfection

Capstones are meant to stretch students, not stress them out. The goal is not to build the next Tesla or publish in The New York Times. It’s to try something ambitious, see it through, and learn from the process.

Admissions officers aren’t looking for flawless projects. They’re looking for students who are curious, self-directed, and ready to lead.