Summer is quickly approaching. This is the third in a four-part series on how students can make the most of their summers.

• Community service: Find ways to volunteer that match your interests. Check out opportunities at hospitals, emergency shelters or libraries. Work in a literacy program, teach your favorite sport to disadvantaged youth, entertain seniors at a retirement community or work with animals.

Pros: Volunteering is a great way to demonstrate interest in something you care about, give back to your community, explore a career field and grow personally.

Cons: With new federal regulations there may be some restrictions on what teenagers can do and it may be more challenging to find opportunities.

Resources: Contact your favorite nonprofit organizations and ask what their needs are. Initiate suggestions of ways you might be able to help out. Collect needed items, design a flier, help plan a fundraising event, etc.

• Internship/job-shadowing: Investigate a potential career in fields such as law, medicine, government, arts, media, journalism or business. Look into research opportunities at local colleges and universities.

Pros: They can either confirm or deny your suspicions about a certain career and save you a lot of time and money. My son dreamed of becoming an architect but after interning at an architectural firm he knew it wasn't for him. We are thankful he had this experience before applying to architectural programs. Students who perform well in their internships are frequently offered paid positions during the academic year or the following summer.

Cons: It can be challenging to convince employers to bring on a high-school student. Many companies believe internships and job-shadowing require too much hand-holding, and should be reserved for college students with more experience. You might start out washing test tubes or filing documents.

Resources: Lean on friends, neighbors and family members with careers of interest. Work your network to find multiple short-term opportunities to explore future job prospects. Internship Connection, based outside of Boston, (www.internshipconnection.com) is one of a handful of companies where you pay a fee and they research and identify an internship for you.

• Special Interest Programs: For superachieving students — and cost-isn't-a-hurdle families — there are special-interest programs in the United States and abroad that focus on topics such as debate, leadership, computer-game animation, global awareness, sustainability and much more. Many of these programs incorporate equal parts of academic learning, outdoor adventure and community service.

Pros: Students are exposed to a variety of new, often life-changing experiences that typically provide great essay-writing material.

Cons: Price tags top $1,000 a week. Admissions officials often dismiss or diminish the value of these programs because they smack of elitism.

Resources: Putney Student Travel www.goputney.com, Musiker Discovery Programs: www.summerfun.com, Rustic Pathways: www.rusticpathways.com, Student Education Programs: www.studenteducationprograms.com.

Lee Bierer is an independent college adviser based in Charlotte, N.C. For more information, visit www.collegeadmissionsstrategies.com.