Happy New Year – Now Think About Summer!
It’s hard to think about summer as you celebrate a bright new year, but we want you to shift your focus as the best summers take planning. But, we want you to shift your focus as the best summers take planning.
As you probably know by now, the Common Application has added a new category called WORK EXPERIENCE with five or so lines of description. Getting a job is as important today to admissions officers as community service was ten years ago. Likewise, many students are more career-oriented than ever before.
Many well-heeled and well-intentioned parents are convinced that it would benefit their children to talk to someone who could arrange an unusual or prestigious internship for summer. Their goal is to pull in a favor or two to acquire fancy internships for their kids. Colleges are not stupid and can usually figure out that someone pulled a string — otherwise, how could a normal 16-year-old with virtually no qualifications end up working in a high-profile law firm or an investment bank? In fact, having this kind of internship often backfires because colleges then hold it against the student because he/she obviously couldn’t find his/her own job or meaningful experience without adult help.
Colleges look for students who create opportunities for themselves, not simply those who have things handed to them on a silver platter. With that in mind, here are some ideas for summer:
- Take classes at a local community college or school to deepen your interest in a particular scholarly area.
- Pursue an activity or hobby on your own to take it to a higher level.
- Get a real job — try bus-ing tables, pouring coffee, bagging groceries — show that you can handle responsibility.
- Do some serious reading and keep track of what you read – some colleges ASK what you’ve read lately.
- Investigate in detail specific departments and programs in colleges you are interested in so you can provide real evidence as to why you are interested in X school.
- Do not sign up for a high priced program that sends you complimentary mailings about how you’ve been “selected.”
- If you are a top level athlete, sign up for elite sports camps where college coaches will be recruiting attendees.
Congratulations Everyone!
Michele’s students had record breaking acceptances in the early round of college admissions results for the Class of 2014.
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Ivy League Admissions Statistics
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Michele Talks About College Admissions on Good Morning America
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