Summer provides the best opportunity for future college applicants to separate themselves from the pack. As the number of students applying to colleges continues its upward trajectory, so too does the need for students to make an effort to distinguish themselves.
So how do you get noticed? Doing something meaningful over the summer is one of the most effective ways to stand out. You don’t need to travel the world or cure cancer, but it is important to make sure that whatever experience you choose is substantive. This is a great time for some self-reflection and to identify potential academic and professional aspirations.
Summer is more than a break from homework, tests and the drama of high school relationships; it is an opportunity for students to delve a little deeper into their academic or extracurricular interests. Some suggestions:
Get a Taste of College Close to Home
Private schools and community colleges offer a variety of remedial and advanced classes during the summer. Students can take a prerequisite for a higher-level course or find a class not offered at their high school.
Resources:
Online classes for credit: Check out The Virtual High School, (www.vhslearning.org), a non-profit organization dedicated to online education, which offers 24 AP courses as well as dozens of other classes. Many states also offer online high school classes. Be sure to check with your school counselor to make certain your high school accepts credit for these classes before you sign up and confirm how it will appear on your final high school transcript.
Get a Taste of College Far Away
There are two options if you’d like to spend some time checking out a college by test-driving their academics, staying in the dormitories, eating in the cafeteria and hanging out on campus: Pre-college academic programs – students can study and earn college credits on hundreds of campuses nationwide.
Pre-college enrichment courses – these are special interest courses lasting typically 1-3 weeks.
Resources:
Check out a college’s programs by going to their home page and typing “pre-college” or “summer programs” in their search box.
It’s never too soon to start the conversation about college readiness. The things you can do now to create more choices for college later. To learn more about how Marie can help, schedule a 20 minute discovery call today!
