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Summer is a well deserved break from the rigors of your academic year, but it is also the perfect opportunity to regroup and make plans for your college application process whether your a rising sophomore, junior or senior.  Take a look at some of the suggestions that Jennifer Gross from NACAC has written about.  There is something for everyone in these ideas:

“Spending three months working on your tan or perfecting your strategy for your favorite video game seems attractive when you’re knee-deep in calculus. But the savvy student knows that the long summer vacation can be an opportunity to try out new things, make money, travel, help the community, or do any of a variety of fun and interesting activities. The key is to start exploring options now, before school is out. Here are some ideas to get you started on planning a fun—and meaningful—summer.

Taking time out

Summer can be a great time to do some thinking and planning for the school year ahead. No matter what else you do this summer, allow yourself some time alone. Think about your hopes and dreams for the future. What activities or academic subjects excite you? What talents do you want to make the most of in the coming months? What careers or college majors are you interested in?

Different people use “alone time” in different ways. Perhaps you like to take walks or ride your bike while you’re thinking and dreaming. Maybe you enjoy writing in a journal or listening to your favorite CD. Do whatever refreshes or inspires you. You may wish to jot down ideas or personal goals that come to you during your time alone, but don’t pressure yourself. There is no goal to alone time except getting to know yourself better.

Getting a job

Summer is a great time to make a little spending money and get experience in the world of work. And choosing a summer job carefully can give you a lot more than just money.

So if you’re interested in becoming a lawyer, try to find a job at a law office. Thinking about medicine? See what jobs are available at the nearest hospital. Even if you end up cleaning floors in the hospital cafeteria, you can observe how a hospital works and look at the kinds of careers are available in the health care field.

Even if you can’t get a job that’s close to your career interests, you can still learn plenty of skills that will serve you well later in life. “[A summer job] teaches students discipline, time management, and how to budget money,” says Charles Purcell, director of guidance at Mater Dei School (CA).

“Having some responsibility is going to go a long way [in] college,” says Joddy Meidinger, director of admissions at Presentation College (SD). Your experience in holding down a job will prepare you for the increased responsibility and independence of being a college student.

Taking a class

High schools and colleges all over the country offer summer courses for high school students. You can brush up on a subject you’re having difficulty with or take a more advanced course in an area that interests you. Check out your local community college or any nearby four-year colleges to find out about summer programs for high school students. Or you may wish to participate in a summer program on a college campus away from home.

Taking a college-level course, whether close to home or farther away, can give you a taste of what to expect in college. You may even be able to earn college credit.

Traveling

Whether it’s a family vacation to the Grand Canyon or an abroad program for high school students, traveling is a fun and educational way to spend a few days or a few months. To make the most of your trip, take a camera and/or a journal. Watch for opportunities to take interesting pictures, not just the standard tourist views. Capture the image of the homeless man asking for change near the Smithsonian in Washington, DC or truckers eating a late meal in a roadside diner. If you’re more a writer than a photographer, each evening, write about what you’ve seen that day. What did you like the best? What stories do you want to jot down before you forget them?

Visiting colleges

The summer can be a good time to make preliminary college visits. Don’t expect to get a good sense of the student body, since many colleges have few or no college students on campus during the summer. But you can take a tour of the campus and have an interview with an admission officer. Try to visit colleges of different sizes. It’s a good time to figure out if big universities excite you or intimidate you, or if small colleges seem welcoming or stifling. Even if you don’t have specific colleges in mind, summer visits can help you get an idea of what types of colleges appeal to you.

Volunteering

Are you passionate about improving the environment, helping children, or building affordable housing for low-income families? Summer vacation gives you the time to volunteer for an organization or cause that’s important to you.

“Find ways to make your community better,” says Boshoven. Ask your family, guidance counselor, or clergyperson for recommendations of local community service organizations. You might be surprised at how many different ways you can help people in your community (and even around the world).

Reading

Don’t let your brain get lazy just because school’s out. Visit the library or bookstore and find books that interest you. Some high schools and colleges have reading lists. You can also find recommendations for good books from your English teacher or librarian.

You don’t have to read Shakespeare (unless you want to!) to get the benefits of an enriched vocabulary and broadened imagination. “It’s always good to read, period!” says Boshoven. Newspapers, magazines, fantasy novels, teen romances–even comic books and Web sites–can all give you some benefits.

Getting creative

Don’t limit yourself. Think about something you’ve always wanted to do. Write a book? Paint? Start your own business? Learn rock-climbing? Now is the time to plan. You can find books on summer opportunities for high school students at the library, or search the Web. Talk to your parents and others about what you’d like to do over the summer. Start lining up possible clients for your own summer lawn-mowing business, or apply to that creative writing workshop. And get ready for a great summer!”

 

As Seniors are finalizing their interview sessions and Juniors are beginning their introductions to the process, more and more the interview is taking center stage for students and colleges that offer this option as part of the application process.

I have signed up for many admissions officer’s blogs around the country to keep myself up on the latest views and opinions of college admissions first hand.  I strongly encourage you to register with these blogs once you have done your research and committed to your “best-fit” list of colleges.

These blogs often share important tips and strategies for navigating the complicated and exciting college application process.  Below is a well crafted perspective on the importance of being prepared for your admissions interview with some great tips on how to edge our your competition and in the process learn something about yourself and your perspective college!

Taken from the Engage blog site of Furman University, posted by Laura Simmons an Admissions officer for Furman:

“This afternoon, in a Panera just a couple of miles away, I spent a few minutes with a student I wish you all could meet.  She could give lessons on the right way to conduct a college search.  As she sipped tea and talked about her personal commitment to more conscious living, she shared her interest in advancing sustainability for all of us.  She wants to trade the hard-driving, high-achieving atmosphere in her very fine magnet program for a place where she can find her calling and follow her passions.  She hopes to sing in college with students whose devotion to music matches her own.  On a pilgrimage to Costa Rica, she opened her eyes to the world and wants to study away in college too.  No wonder she has Furman on her short list!

Most students focus on a few basic criteria in their college search:  size, location, how many people pack the football stadium six Saturdays a year.  I meet those students every day.  Occasionally, like today, I meet those students who have asked themselves what’s important to them and what they want from their college experiences.  They focus on what they will contribute and what they will gain from time on campus.

You can enrich your college search by taking some time to realistically assess your strengths, weaknesses, needs, wants, likes and dislikes.  Ask yourself questions.

Do you have a favorite academic subject?

Are there classes you don’t enjoy?

What do you do well?

How much interaction do you need in a classroom?

Where do you like to go when you have free time?

Are there any careers that interest you?

Think about what you want from your college experience.

Do you want more people like you or new and different people?

Do you want to be one of the stronger students in your classrooms?

Do you want specific career training?

Do you hope to play a sport, sing in a choir, or pursue any particular activity? 

Do you want to be completely on your own or near family?

Do you need one special academic program?

Knowing who you are and what you want will make your college choice easier.  And, by the way, will make you a more desirable candidate for any college.  I can’t wait to get my hands on the application of my new favorite student!”

That new favorite student will be YOU when you have done your homework and prepared well for the admissions interview!

As part of the COLLEGEprep process, we spend lot’s of time discovering your passions, matching them with like colleges and preparing you for your interview to ensure you deliver your “best self” during the admissisons interview!