Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' daughter Suri, 18, soaks up the sun in bikini on Fire Island as she enjoys last summer before heading to college in Pittsburgh

Suri Cruise is making the most of her last summer in New York before officially starting her first year as a college freshman in Pittsburgh.

And like a true New Yorker, the 18-year-old has escaped the city and headed east for a beach getaway on Fire Island, where she was snapped soaking up the sun on the sand, exclusive DailyMail.com photos show. 

The daughter of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, who was traveling with friends, enjoyed a weekend of swimming and sunbathing on Ocean Beach, one of the idyllic villages in the popular seaside resort. 

Clad in a brown teeny bikini, she looked relaxed and carefree as she lounged on the sand, reading, tanning, and taking naps. 

She alternated between her beach chair and her towel for tanning sessions and reading, before going for a quick dip in the ocean to cool off.   

Suri was accompanied by a group of girl friends but went largely undetected by fellow beachgoers and island guests. 

One eyewitness told DailyMail.com: 'They came in the early afternoon and stayed for a few hours on the beach. They mostly chatted with each other and then read or took naps on the beach. 

'Suri was the only one of the group who went into the ocean for a swim.' 

The college-bound teen is now well into her summer vacation after graduating high school last month. 

Suri – who now uses her mother's middle name Noelle as a last name – graduated from LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in late June. 

The New York City school, often referred to simply as LaGuardia, which is a public high school specializing in teaching visual and performing arts. 

Earlier that month, DailyMail.com revealed Suri is set to leave her New York City hometown for Pittsburgh for her first year at Carnegie Mellon University this fall. 

She has since been seen enjoying her free time with friends and boyfriend Toby Cohen, her prom date, in New York. 

Cohen is a budding singer and songwriter who is set to attend the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston in the Fall. Suri – who has been studying dance – is reportedly 'leaning towards' studying fashion.

Carnegie Mellon's School of Design is one of the oldest and most highly ranked programs in the country.

Now, with her acceptance into its hallowed halls, a notably chic mother and a wardrobe said to be worth $5million, Suri is off to the best possible start if that is her chosen path.

One insider told DailyMail.com last month: 'She is a smart girl, and she is turning into a very intelligent mature young woman. She has a very close group of loyal friends, and she knows exactly where she comes from.' 

Suri – who was born on April 18, 2006 in Los Angeles – is the child of divorced parents. Her father is Tom Cruise, who was married to Holmes from from 2006 to 2012. 

Sixty-one-year-old Cruise's only input to his daughter's life has been financial and he hasn't been seen with his daughter since 2013, after Holmes quit both the marriage and the Church of Scientology – the religion to which Cruise is so devoted.

When the couple split in 2012, it was reported that Katie had chosen to end the couple's marriage over fears about raising her daughter as a Scientologist.

Her decision to quit the religion, as well as the marriage, caused a major rift between the former spouses, and is believed to have led to Cruise's estrangement from his daughter. 

According to their divorce settlement, Cruise agreed to pay Holmes $400,000 a year until Suri turned 18 and will continue to pay for her college fees as well.

Under the terms of their agreement, though he may be physically absent from his daughter's life, he has and will continue to cover, 'medical, dental, insurance, education, college and other extracurricular costs.'

But despite having little if any relationship with her dad, Suri is, according to sources, a happy and well-adjusted teen who has loved growing up in New York City.

Her mother was seen supporting her at her high school graduation ceremony, which took place at the United Palace Theatre in the Washington Heights. 

The teen wore a long white dress under a bright red graduation robe, open-toed heels and her long hair down.