What should I do if I don’t get into the summer program I applied for?

First, don’t panic—it’s totally okay. Lots of competitive summer programs get thousands of applications, so not getting in doesn’t say anything bad about you. Instead of dwelling on it, shift your energy toward finding another opportunity. There are so many meaningful things you can do: volunteer locally, work a job, take a free online course, start a passion project, or shadow someone in a career you’re curious about. Remember, summer isn’t about chasing the fanciest program—it’s about growth. As long as you’re doing something you care about and learning from it, you’re on the right track. Colleges want to see effort and curiosity, not perfection.