Summer Boredom Busters The Real College Guide: Authentic Advice for New College Students from Real College Students

From our last few posts, you see we've got a little bit of theme going here... DO SOMETHING! We'll be the first to say that you deserve a summer break. You've worked hard and there's nothing better than a little downtime away from the ol high school halls. However, don't fall into the trap of waking up in August, one week out from school starting up again, and regret that you didn't make more out of your time off. Do something...anything, really is a lot more edifying that sitting around and staring at action figures in a video game. Seriously.

Check out these Boredom Busters from The Real College Guide for a few great ideas that will help you get off the couch (and don't worry, they're student recommended... that bound to be a good thing!).

8 Strategies for Starting Your College Application Process - The College Admissions Insider (usnews.com)

Although it's rather tempting to watch tv all day or spend every second by the pool, summer is actually the perfect time to begin work on your college applications. As we all know (or maybe you don't... but now you do), completing an application takes a lot of work. There's no better time to begin pulling together what you need than in the months when you've got a little less homework and a little more downtime. Consider these 8 tips from The College Admissions Insider to begin your work on admission applications. Believe me, it's well worth your time this summer!

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Winning College Admission Essays

It's time to start thinking about those essays! Although I agree with Lynn O’Shaughnessy in the article below, I also really believe that a good essay is authentic and true to the author, with a little flair. I've heard students say things like, "I wish I had more difficult things going on in my life so I would have something good to write about" or " I wish no one else in my family had gone to college so I could write about being a first-generation college student". The truth is, some of you have had pretty balanced, not-so-bad life in your short 17 or 18 years... AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT! Don't be over dramatic as you think about writing your admission essays; just be yourself and consider what makes you, uniquely you. Check out this article for a few more tips and 10 essay examples from Stanford's 2012 graduating class.

Winning College Admission Essays

Myth #4: Colleges that cost more are of higher quality

Why would this be true?  A college education is expensive even at a state university.  That one college costs double or triple what another school costs says a lot about the size of it state subsidies and its endowment, very little about quality of the undergraduate program, and nothing about whether the college fits you!  Many factors go into determining the fee structure of colleges.  Students should look at how well a school matches their own college selection criteria and make few judgments about quality on the basis of cost.  If you find a college that offers the right environment for you and costs a bit less, hooray!  You are a good researcher of colleges.

Source: "College Match" by Steve Antonoff

Summer Enrichment Opportunities: Do Something!

Sing it with me, "Schoooool's out for Summer!"  For a lot of you, the school year has ended.  For the rest of you, there's only a few more weeks until that final class bell will ring and you can exclaim "FREEDOM!".  The summer months are upon us.  What are your plans for the next few months?

Have you ever thought about building your college profile over the summer?  The truth is, most colleges are looking for students who have participated in a variety of extracurricular activities throughout their high school career.  Rather than sitting at home on facebook all day this summer, consider participating in enrichment activities that will help build your student profile.  Students who participate in summer enrichment programs through their high school career are more likely to increase their chance for college admission.  You don't have to do anything elaborate (although you can, if you'd like).  Simple activities (like the ones listed below) can help boost your profile to colleges. 

• Volunteer.  Consider giving your time to a local library, food bank, homeless shelter or other community organization a few times a week.   The simple act of volunteering can say a lot about you as a person.  By giving 5-10 hours per week, you can help local organizations better serve the community you live in.  Most organizations are very willing to accept volunteer help.  It's good for you and it's good for others. 

• Get an Internship. Not to say that being a coffee barista or babysitting is a bad summer job, but think about pursuing a job or internship in the area that you're possibly interested in pursuing as a career someday.  Work at a law office, a local news station, or at a doctor's office.  Even if you only file papers for the summer, you're still getting great exposure to the career field and learning valuable tools for your future.

• Go to College.  Yes, ou read that correctly.  Consider taking a class at a community college to gain college credit and possibly satisfy one of your high school class requirements (check with your guidance counselor about this).  Not only will taking a college course expose you to the college learning environment, but it will also give you benefit you when you begin your freshman year of classes on a college campus.  

• Join a Summer Campus Program.  There are hundreds of college campuses across the country that provide summer programs for high school students.  Most programs run anywhere from two weeks to two months and allow students to live in supervised dorms and participate in special activities and seminars designed especially for high school students.  You can research opportunities at sites like enrichmentalley.com. 

• Go on a Mission Trip.  It's not too late to join a trip for this summer.  Consider joining a mission trip with your church or school.  Participating in a mission trip often ends up being more life-changing for trip participants than those in the community you visit.  A mission trip allows you to use your passions and gifts to share your faith and learn more about the world around you.  There's also nothing more enriching than spending a week (or more) in an environment that stretches you as an individual.  Go!

•  Spiff Up Your Application Components. There's no better time to begin working on those college essays or studying for the SAT/ACT than during the summer months.  Consider participating in an intensive summer program to help you build you application pieces.  CLC College Prep offers independent sessions for students who want a little more concentrated help in these areas.  Contact us today for more info.  

Regardless of the activities you choose to participate in over the summer, remember to take some time for yourself.  Relax and recuperate.  You've worked hard through the school year and deserve some down-time!  Whether you take a class, participate with a trip, volunteer, or do something else meaningful, remember that the most important thing is that you just do something!

Myth #3: Colleges always choose the "best" students

"Nope, it's not true.  College admission staffs work long and hard to choose students, but no foolproof or magic formula exists.  Furthermore, what does 'best' mean?  Their decisions are human and, hence, open to interpretation and judgment.  Colleges consider so many variables as they decide on admissions: courses taken, scores, grades, extracurricular activities, as well as geography, athletics, kids of faculty members and a host of other variables.  Admission directors often say that in any given year, if they had o go back and make their decisions all over again with the same candidate pool. they would  then choose different students to receive letters of admission.  So students should be certain their final college list is well balanced in terms of admission difficulty.  (In other words, students should apply to some colleges where their admission chances are so-so, and some colleges where their chances are quite good.)"


Source: "College Match" by Steve Antonoff