Things You Can Do This Summer To Help You Get Into College

Whether you are a senior or an incoming freshman, summer is an ideal time to boost your college preparation. Here are some easy (it is summer “break” after all!) things you can do now to increase your chances of getting into college.

Volunteer- Get involved in some community service doing something you love. Volunteering doesn’t need to be a bummer and can actually be really fun and fulfilling. Find an organization, group, or cause you are passionate about, and help them out.  

Read- Find something to read that is not required for school. Reading increases your vocabulary and gives you material to reference in college applications and interviews. Some college applications ask for a list of book that you have read, and, a typical interview question is “tell me about the last book you read?”

Contact Your Dream School- Many colleges track applicants’ “demonstrated interest”; they want to know if you are truly interested in their school. Introduce yourself, talk about your passion and interest in the school, and ask for more information. One little email can go a long way!

Brainstorm Personal Essay Ideas- Your personal essay will be a critical piece in your college applications, and the best essays are started early. Take a few minutes and write down any personal themes, thoughts, challenges, or accomplishments that you might want to include in your essay.

Visit a College- The first step to creating your college list, is to begin researching colleges. What better way than to step foot onto a college campus! Get out there and visit some colleges; take the tour, explore the campus, and ask questions. You will learn valuable information and can begin exploring what factors will make a college the right fit for you.

Teach Someone Something- Everyone has a skill, talent, or hobby, so why not take the opportunity to teach it to someone else. Your family, friends, and neighbors will be happy to learn a new skill, and this is a great experience in leadership.

Travel- Whether your budget allows for trips to Europe or trips to the next city over, travel experience is fantastic for college. Be creative in thinking about trips; some of the best trips are done by car or bus, and take place within 30-50 miles of where you live. Visit some local landmarks or historical sights, go out to the mountains and camp under the stars. Travel experience exposes you to new things and shows college your curious nature.

Summer Jobs for High School Seniors

As students wrap up their Junior year and prepare for their last year of high school, the long summer months may seem like an excellent reprieve from testing and studying. While I recommend that students take time to enjoy their summer vacation, it’s worth noting that these months provide an opportunity to not only earn money for upcoming college expenses, but also to round out your fall college applications. Here are some job ideas that can help you on both fronts:

Tutoring

Tutoring is an excellent way to keep your studying skills fresh and demonstrate that you are committed to education. With three years of high school under your belt, summer may be a good time to offer your help to younger students and make some extra cash. Consider which subjects you’re especially good at (B+ or better) and which you have a passion for (as it can be difficult to teach subjects that you don’t enjoy yourself), and then post your name in your high school guidance office or around the neighborhood to offering tutoring.

Sports Training

Are you a particularly good athlete, or have an interest in kinesiology?  Consider offering sports training or joining a sports league that allows high-school aged coaches or officials. Being involved in sports demonstrates to college officials that you’re a team player and you have demonstrated leadership skills – both positive attributes in a college applicant.

Internships

If you’ve narrowed down your focus to a particular industry or job area, internships are a great way for you to get a true taste of what your future career may look like. Don’t be afraid to approach companies in your community which match your interests and ask about paid summer internships – often businesses are looking for summer students to help cover vacation time taken by full-time employees.

Service Jobs

It may not sound glamorous, but taking a service-oriented job such as retail customer service or waiting on tables can still round out your skills and demonstrate that you can be relied on to be a good worker. Larger corporations such as McDonald’s often have student give-back programs including grants or scholarships that you may be able to apply for as well. Additionally, service jobs are more likely to be able to be carried part-time through your final year of high school (and beyond!) which gives you an additional few months to make money for college.

Summer Programs for High School Juniors and Seniors

Although it’s difficult to believe, summer really is just around the corner! What is your student going to do this summer that will further his or her dream of getting into the ideal college next year?


Aside from relevant extracurricular activities, and perhaps making some money for college expenses, there are a variety of programs in North Carolina that will help your student expand his horizons and add a distinguishing touch to his college application next year.
Here are some suggestions:


1)     NCSU’s Shelton Leadership Challenge – The Shelton Challenge is a six day residential experience to help students expand their knowledge and skills of what it takes to be a leader. Various locations in NC from Jun 19th to July 24th. The application deadline is June 1st. Read more on their site at http://www.ncsu.edu/extension/sheltonleadership/leadership-programs/challenge.php


2) Davidson College July Experience – The July Experience is a pre-college summer enrichment program for rising high school juniors and seniors offered July 3 to 23, 2011. The program is sponsored by the Davidson College Department of Education and offers a preview of college life on one of the most beautiful residential campuses in the southeast. The application deadline is April 4th. Find out more on their website at http://www3.davidson.edu/cms/x3808.xml


3) Engineering Camp at NCSU – Do you have a budding technologist in the family? Each summer, the College of Engineering at NC State University offers rising high school freshmen through seniors the opportunity to experience engineering, science and technology at NC State. The application deadline is April 4th. Read more on their site at http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/theengineeringplace/summerprograms/high-school/


Whatever program you choose, for the best value ensure that the curriculum and subject matter matches your student’s interests and is relevant to what he wants to study in college.