| It's not unusual for parents to ask me, "What can | | | | see this! Yes, you should have fun this summer. |
| my student do over the summer to give them an | | | | That's what summer is for, so get out there and |
| edge in the college admission process?" So without | | | | enjoy it. Whatever your passion is, my advice would |
| further ado, here's my Top 10 Summertime list for | | | | be to use the extra time you have during the |
| College-Bound Students: | | | | summer months to pursue your passions. |
| #10 - Prepare for the dreaded SAT / ACT tests | | | | # 4 - Volunteer your time to the less fortunate |
| This could be a book, online course or a visit to the | | | | Colleges are looking at this more and more each year. |
| tutoring centers in your area. It will keep your mind | | | | Some require a minimum of 100 hours of community |
| focused and give your extra confidence when you sit | | | | service. Find the time to research different |
| down to take the SAT in October. | | | | organizations within your area that you feel fit your |
| #9 - Don't forget the Essays | | | | personality and get involved. Serving meals at the |
| I find many students procrastinate on this subject, | | | | homeless shelter is great, but if you were able to |
| mainly because they don't realize the difficulty of | | | | show your dedication through organizing an event on |
| writing a solid essay (in 25 minutes on the SAT!) Your | | | | your own that benefited the less fortunate, now |
| best bet is to start on several drafts for the | | | | you're standing out. |
| admissions essay and then have a close friend or | | | | # 3 - Continue to revisit your College Search / Picks |
| relative read it and give you their opinion. Essays can | | | | I listed this twice due to its importance with |
| carry a lot of weight with admission officers. So it's | | | | upcoming seniors. The message here is GET |
| to your advantage to have a well thought-out essay | | | | ORGANIZED! Keep separate folders for each school. |
| prepared for the fall of your senior year. | | | | Make sure you print out the loads of information that |
| #8 - Get a Job- or better yet, an internship! | | | | is available on the internet for each school. If you |
| Don't be the student who plays video games all | | | | have questions, call the admission office, they'll be |
| summer long or becomes a familiar face at the local | | | | glad to answer your question. Remember, they want |
| amusement park by utilizing that season pass like a | | | | your application, so they will do anything to please |
| champ. Take this time to get involved with a | | | | you. |
| company; it will teach you commitment and | | | | # 2 - Be sure to spend time with your loved ones |
| responsibility. Starting your own business can earn | | | | Summer is supposed to be fun, and it can be. The |
| major brownie points with an admission officer. The | | | | items above are not necessarily hard to accomplish; |
| same goes for an internship in a field you are | | | | they're just tedious. If you devote the time |
| interested in. It shows the school that you are | | | | throughout the summer days, it will be time well |
| committed to your field of study. | | | | spent and your stress level will be reduced during |
| #7 - Summer School, here I come! | | | | your senior year. |
| It doesn't sound too exciting, but just like an | | | | # 1 - READ, READ, READ |
| internship, taking a summer class earns those needed | | | | Get a great book that interests you and dive into to |
| brownie points with admission counselors. This can | | | | it. Set a goal to read 2, 3, or 5 books before the |
| give you that needed edge over other students who | | | | summer ends. Take it with you to the beach or just |
| spent their time at the beach. Plus your academic | | | | sit in the air conditioning at home and get lost in one. |
| focus remains constant over the summer months. | | | | Not only can reading be enjoyable, but it's a way to |
| #6 - College Visit schedule / College Picks (For | | | | study for the standardized test and can be much |
| upcoming seniors) | | | | more fun than the standard way to study for these |
| This is the time for upcoming seniors to put their | | | | test. Plus, don't be surprised if you're not asked in a |
| energy into their college picks. Your goal should be to | | | | college interview what was the last book you read. |
| have 6-10 schools decided on by Halloween. In order | | | | (Try Mary Shelly's version of Frankenstein. It's |
| to accomplish this, you need to do a detailed search, | | | | rumored to have "all the SAT vocabulary words |
| and schedule your visits. Your college visit is | | | | included in it." Of course thus isn't true, but there sure |
| extremely important. Do NOT put this off until your | | | | are a lot of those vocabulary words in there!) |
| senior year, or you will be sorry! | | | | Following these tips will help ensure a less stressful |
| #5 - Have fun!! | | | | college admission experience. Enjoy your summer! |
| I bet the students reading this are finally relieved to | | | | |