Make the Most of Summer: College Prep Edition

Webinar Transcription

2024-01-28 – Make the Most of Summer: College Prep Edition

Hi everyone. My name is Lydia Hollon and I am your moderator today. Welcome to “Make the Most of Summer: College Prep Edition.” To orient everyone with the webinar timing. We’ll start off with a presentation and then answer your questions in a live Q&A. On the sidebar, you can download our slides and you can start submitting questions in the Q&A tab, which, as I said earlier, we will get to at the end of our webinar.

Now, let’s meet our panelist. Good evening, everyone. My name is Chelsea Holley, and I serve as an admissions officer here at CollegeAdvisor. Um, I’ve spent around 11 years working in selective college admissions at a number of types of institutions. Um, I’ve also served. So I’m super excited to talk about how you can make the most out of your summer today.

Okay, so to get us started, I’m going to start us off with a poll. So it should be open now. We’re asking what grade are you in?

Give you all a few more seconds to respond.

Alright, closing the polls in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Alright, so the poll has been closed, and we’ve got 11 percent of our participants in 9th grade, 16 percent in 10th. The large mass, uh, 67 percent are in 11th grade, 2 percent in 12, and we’ve got 4 percent who responded other, so maybe some parents. Okay, so let’s go ahead and get started. So, we’ll first discuss the different types of summer opportunities, um, and I’ll talk a little bit about how you can find some of these opportunities, the benefits, specific opportunities and hopefully share some more, um, non traditional or non conventional ways that you can spend your summer that are equally impressive.

Um, so tonight we’ll be talking about summer programs at colleges or on university campuses. We’ll talk about what a part time job looks like, internships, Taking college courses. Um, if you’re interested in doing a passion project or some other self guided endeavor, traveling, volunteering, and research. Um, so let’s talk about summer programs first.

I think that this is probably what most families think of when we talk about what you should do with your summer as a high school student. And there are hundreds of amazing summer programs at Every college campus that you can think of. Um, these are often referred to as pre college programs. They can be for credit or not for credit.

Um, they’re often specific to major or interest. So you can find some really niche summer programs. Um, they are often immersive. So if you were spending two weeks or four weeks, all that you’re doing during that time is immersing yourself in that college campus’s culture. Or in a specific discipline. And then last, they’re often residential.

Um, so you’re actually staying in the dorms and getting a, um, real life college experience. So, as I mentioned, hundreds of these programs are available, but one of the barriers to attendance for a lot of pre college summer programs are the cost. So there’s some that can be affordable, but there’s others that can be wildly expensive.

So it’s really important to see what role finances are going to play and how you spend your summer. Um, and you can also look up scholarships to attend some of these summer programs. So these are two examples of what a summer program in a college or a university might look like. Um, so you may do a five day creative writing program on a college campus.

So again, very specific to your major. Um, but you also get to experience the campus. Um, or a six week program on a college campus with college level courses in psychology. Um, so, A number of different options. They can range from as short as 1 week to as long as 6 weeks. Another reason that these programs are particularly popular is that students want to go to a summer program on a college campus that they are interested in.

And so I want to share that it. Doesn’t matter quite as much as you would think. Um, yes, it looks good to, um, go to a summer program at a school. You’re ultimately going to apply to, but it really looks good to go to a summer program anywhere. And oftentimes, especially if we’re talking about the Ivy leagues.

Plus, those programs are incredibly expensive and just attending a summer program is not what is going to get your foot in the door at a Harvard or Yale or NYU. Um, so they’re great experiences, but you can find these great experiences at all types of colleges. Um, a part time job. So sometimes students are looking for a part time job because they need to help out their family, um, or they are doing a part time job because they want some independence.

Maybe they’re saving up for something ahead of going to college. Um, whatever it is, part time jobs always look great, um, on your college admissions application, um, because it shows discipline. It shows that you have, um, good time management and it shows that you’re mature. Um, it also gives admission committees some confidence that you would adjust to college life well, um, because you have already had some experience.

balancing responsibilities in the classroom as well as outside of the classroom. So, examples of what a part time job could look like, working 40 hours at your family business, um, working 20 hours as a lifeguard at a local pool, um, or working 10 hours at a local restaurant. Um, so again, a lot of range and time commitment, um, but a part time job Always something that looks great on your college application.

So what is the difference between a part time job and an internship? So part time jobs can be just that something that you’re doing for pay. Typically internships are, um, they may be paid or unpaid. Um, but the main feature of an internship is that you’re getting some sort of exposure to a professional setting, um, or some kind of industry that might be of interest to you.

Um, um, Internships for high school students can be hard to come by. Um, and one of the reasons for that is we have college students that are also buying for internships for companies. College students are a lot closer to being able to work at those companies. Um, and so you may not see as many opportunities.

publicized for internships for high school students, but it does not mean that they aren’t out there. Um, one of the first things that I would encourage you to do if you’re looking for an internship is really exhausting your network. Um, talk to your parents, talk to your neighbors, talk to your friends.

Um, this is often the way that high school students find themselves a good internship. So some examples of what that can look like. Um, a 12 week internship at your dad’s friend’s construction company, um, winning a national contest that places you in an eight week finance internship or five hours a week working on the campaign of a local politician.

Um, these are all experiences that you are going to walk away with some deep insight into a specific topic. Um, and it really shows, um. Your dynamic nature on your college application. If it’s tied to a major that you’re interested in, it really shows that you’ve already made strides in the direction of that industry.

Um, so internships are absolutely impressive. Um, but again, don’t feel bad if you cannot secure an internship because they can be difficult, um, to, to gain for high school students.

The next one is taking a college course. This could be part of a residential summer program or independently. It could be a dual enrollment course that’s going to count towards your high school graduation requirements as well as college credit, or it could just be a college course that you are taking to explore a specific topic.

Again, the college you choose to take a course at is not as important as you might think. It is absolutely still impressive to take a course at a college that you may not have any interest in applying to. Um, it is about the course and about the level, um, in which the course is offered, about you challenging yourself, um, and less about trying to take it at a school that is on your Um, and then last standardized testing prep can be considered as a college prep course.

So if you have, um, done your research on test optional policies for your college list, um, then you may be looking at building in some SAT or ACT prep into your summers. Um, so examples of college horses, a summer music technology course at. And why you dual enrollment calculus at your local community college, biology of women at a summer program at a liberal arts college, or an SAT prep class. I’ll also add online courses through websites like Coursera. We see those a lot, particularly for students that are interested in the stem discipline. Those are things that can also look good on your college application.

Passion project or self guided endeavor. Um, so passion projects have gotten quite popular. Um, and I hear from students all the time that are asking, okay, I think I need a passion project. What should it be? Um, so You don’t start out with what should the passion project be? You start out with asking yourself, what are you passionate about?

What is something that you can do on your own that is going to be self guided, self motivated, um, and that you really would enjoy. Um, so again, this is not about strategizing and determining what mixture of summer activities look the best. Um, it’s finding what mixture of summer activities are the most authentic to you based on your interests, based on your strengths and what you might ultimately do when you go to college.

Um, so starting a business or developing a product is absolutely a passion project. These show initiative and the ability for you to work independently and stay on task, and it shows your thought process from ideation to actuality. Um, some examples of this might be developing an app that solves a problem at your high school, um, writing and even publishing a book of young adult short stories, um, or composing contemporary jazz songs.

So these are all things that, um, are rooted in. in your own motivation, um, but really allow admissions committee to see the things that you’re passionate about and that you find most of interest.

So traveling, um, studying abroad, going on an immersion trip, these are all things that, um, can show your interest in learning about other cultures as you are applying to college. So traveling can be familial or cultural as well. So it doesn’t have to be some organized trip through an organization or through your school.

Um, sometimes traveling is going to where your family lives and having some really rich experiences there, um, that you might incorporate into your essay or, um, that are forming you in some other way. A volunteer trip is absolutely something, um, that would be considered a good summer, um, opportunity. And then lastly, a language immersion trip.

Um, some of those examples, a mission trip organized by your church, a two week senior trip to Europe, a language immersion trip to Japan, Or traveling to visit extended family in Mexico for the summer. Um, so traveling similar to internships. Um, this is not something that is accessible to every single student.

Um, I encourage you if you have an interest in. traveling or going on some sort of organized trip. Um, there are funded opportunities that are available. We have students that raise funds, um, through crowdfunding for some of these opportunities. Um, so this is certainly something, if you’re in the ninth grade, that you can kind of plan ahead, um, for junior year, um, if it’s really, really important to you.

Um, and again, Traveling may not be the summer opportunity that you choose, and that’s why we’re covering so many different summer opportunities so that you can have a diverse experience each of your summers.

Volunteering. So volunteer opportunities can sometimes be a part of an organization or they can be completely self guided. Volunteer opportunities should be authentic and relate to your values, aspirations, and interest. Some of these examples might be volunteering as a camp counselor, organizing a community baby shower for mothers in need, or participating in habitat.

The next one is research. Um, again, not necessarily an opportunity, um, that is widely accessible to high school students, but there are ways to find research opportunities. Um, so at your high school, on a college campus, hospital, or an independent research lab, those are all places that you could get some research experience. Research is similar to internships. Again, they may be hard to come by. Um, starting with your network is always most important first. Um, and then after your network, your high school counselor can give you some insight. And then there are certainly national programs that you can apply for, um, that will place you with research opportunities. So two examples of research opportunities for the summer, spending 12 weeks working in the food science lab at your high school, um, or spending four weeks at a highly selective pre med summer program.

So where exactly can you find summer opportunities? Um, so, One place to look is websites of colleges you are interested in. So that is a good place to start. Um, if you have a rough list of schools that, um, you are interested in, or maybe that you’ve just heard of. Maybe family friends went to those institutions. A parent went to those institutions. All you need to do is go to their website and you’re looking for either summer programs. Or pre-college programs. That is how you’ll find programs that are associated with a particular college. Again, if you don’t have any specific schools that you’re interested in, if you’re just starting your college search process, start with what’s near you.

Or start with a state that you have family in that would make sense for you to travel and spend a couple weeks there. But starting with the schools is a great place to look. There are also virtual and in person summer programs fairs, um, and this allows for all of these opportunities that I just mentioned, um, for organizations, for institutions to, um, go to a fair similar to a college fair, um, and learn more about summer programs that way.

Um, so I encourage you to start Search, um, summer program fairs near you. Um, this is about the time that they happen, um, anywhere from January to February. Um, so that is also an opportunity. Your high school counseling office is, um, another great place that you can ask about summer programs. They may have a directory that they keep, um, or be able to point you towards some additional websites and resources.

And then, um, of course there are tons of websites out there that list summer programs. CollegeAdvisor has a few blogs on summer programs. You can check out Teen Life, Big Future, or Summer Search. There’s more than just this list. This is a great place to start to kind of find a directory of summer opportunities.

So what materials do you need to apply for summer? Um, it depends on the program or opportunity that you’re looking at. Um, but the first one is personal information. Um, so just basic information, your address, you may need your social, if it is a job, you may also need documents that show your identity. Um, if you are going to a college campus, you may need copies of your immunization records.

So those are all things you want to have prepared as you’re sitting down to apply for some of these opportunities. The second piece is parent consent. Especially if your opportunity involves you traveling somewhere or being away from your parent for an extended amount of time, then parental or guardian consent will be part of the application process.

your high school transcript. Um, this will either be official or unofficial. Um, the program or opportunity will share exactly, um, what it should be. Um, and this gives them some insight into your grades. Um, and how you are performing in school, um, letters of recommendation may be part of the, uh, application process, or even if you’re going out for a job, um, or an internship, you may need some sort of letter of recommendation or reference. Making relationships with your teachers and letting them know that you’ll be applying for these opportunities is always good because you’ll be able to have some connections when you need a recommendation letter. You may need to put together an essay or series of essay depending on the program. Um, they may be looking at your writing skills for a particular program or maybe Or if it is a summer opportunity that uses a holistic approach, this may just be another material to better understand, um, you as a candidate, um, and then last portfolio.

So, some summer opportunities might ask you for a portfolio. For example, if you are going to, um, an architecture camp, they may want to have a summer. artistic ability, um, or any experience that you’ve had on design software. So the summer opportunity that you are seeking, um, is what is going to dictate the materials that are necessary.

Um, some summer opportunities are highly competitive. Um, some of them you just have to sign up or you just have to pay a fee and you’re able to attend. Um, and so really be prepared for kind of the range of opportunities, whether they are competitive, whether it’s the the price point. Um, there’s enough opportunities out there that you can find something that is accessible to you.

Um, if you need something local or close, that is an option and something that is going to be a financial fit for you or your family.

So summers are just one opportunity to boost your college application. Um, so. Remember, through your four year high school career, you are, um, taking courses, participating in activities outside of class, um, and really, hopefully getting closer to, um, what you’re interested in and what type of college is going to be a fit for you.

And so you’re Final college application is going to be, um, a nice summary or a narrative of all the things that you did for the past four years, um, and using and taking full advantage of your summers gives you an opportunity to add some additional insight, um, add some, uh, skills or, uh, growth, um, all of these things to your college admissions application.

So, summers are great because it gives the admissions committee evidence of you being a well rounded student, especially if what you choose to do for your summer, um, might be very different than what you spend your school year, your academic year doing, um, it can really show your depth. Um, it also allows for career exploration.

Yes, this is attractive to admissions committees, but it’s also a useful exercise for you. This is going to help you narrow down the type of school that you like to attend. It also allows you to develop new skills and perspectives. This 1 is incredibly important. Again, some of it may have, um, direct return on your admissions application through just a really introspective essay, but it But also just allow you to know yourself a bit better in the more aware you are of what you like and what you don’t like and what motivates you, the better position you are to put together a compelling admissions application.

And then last admissions committee sees a fuller picture of your interest in talents. Again, this is all about painting a picture and us feeling like we know you after reading your college admissions application. Um, making the most of your summers are one of those ways you can add additional context.

So let’s talk through each year. What You can expect or aim for when it comes to your summers. So for all of the freshmen on this call, the general goal of that first year is to look for introductory experiences to explore your interest in careers. Again, this looks good to have listed, but it also gives you a compass for the next four years and how you can build on those experiences or explore something that you like.

More, uh, for academics, take enrichment or introductory courses for community service. You can find a focus for your volunteer activities. Um, for college prep, you want to find an initial academic focus and start exploring schools. So what is that major that has you interested? Um, you do not have to stick with that major, but having something at least that you think you’re interested in as a freshman, um, is great because you have, A few years to explore and see if you really are interested in that.

And then lastly, I’m exploring your interest through employment and shadowing the sophomore year is really building upon some of what you, some of the framework that you laid down freshman year. So, developing your interest and finding multiple paths to gain experience. is something you can work on your sophomore year.

Continue academic progress and rigor. Continue your volunteer work if that’s something you started your first year. Seeing if SAT or ACT prep is for you or really researching those test optional policies. Continue employment and seek career mentorship. Um, if you have had some introduction to the industry that you’re interested in, or any industry for that matter, um, junior year begins the time where you are positioned to take advantage of internships.

and research opportunities. Um, and so the goal of junior year is to pursue some advanced opportunities, um, again, internships or research or something that is going to build on what you’ve done the previous two years. Um, continuing your academic rigor and showing learning beyond the school curriculum.

So that could be one of those passion projects. Um, that could be traveling, volunteering, um, you want to find ways to enhance your impact when we talk about community service and volunteering. It is all about impact. So you want to be able to articulate, um, what types of impact Those experiences gave you, um, you can begin planning your application process essays and recommendations.

And then if you have been working, continue employment or find other internship, uh, or research opportunities. And then last your senior year, um, creating a culminating experience to highlight achievements. Um, this could be something again, that builds on the things that you’ve been doing for the past three years.

Find multiple paths to pursue interest. And so it’s not just participating in one summer program, but it may be participating in a summer program in a specific discipline, also getting an internship in that industry. taking a course the next year, um, and then ultimately maybe doing a passion project.

Completing your essays and applications are things that you’re going to be doing on the college prep front, and you’re able to really put all of the things that you learned and experienced in your summers into that essay and into your applications. And then continuing to build employment, internship, and research throughout your senior year.

Um, so these are, um, a general roadmap. This looks different, um, for every student. And if you’re a freshman on the call, um, you do have the benefit of beginning to plan now and starting out early, which is incredibly exciting. Um, if you are a sophomore or junior on the call, um, and you’re just starting to think about your summers, Don’t feel like you’ve missed out.

Um, yes, it is ideal to do something every summer, but that is absolutely not everyone’s reality. Um, so if you can build in a series of meaningful experiences, one summer or two summers, you can absolutely do this. Um, a lot of the examples that I discussed earlier, you could do one in June, another in July, something in August.

Um, and so. Even if you are feeling like you’re coming to the summer strategy session late, it is absolutely not too late to take advantage of the summers that you have left.

Okay, great. Thank you, Chelsea. So that is the end of the presentation part of the webinar. I hope you found that information helpful, and remember that you can download the slides from the link in the handouts tab. Now we’re going to move on to the live Q& A, and I’ll read through some questions that you all submitted in the Q& A tab, paste them into the public chat so you can see, and then read them out loud.

so that our panelists can give you any answer. As a heads up, if your Q&A tab isn’t letting you submit questions, just double check that you joined the webinar through the custom link in your email and not from the webinar landing page. Okay. So, first question we’ll start with is, do you recommend any particular internships or research opportunities for 9th graders?

Um, so again, 9th grade, it’s going to be harder to find those research opportunities and internships. Um, Companies are typically looking at older students when it comes to those types of experiences. So junior year is probably the ideal time for internships and research. But if you can access those opportunities in your network, that is absolutely amazing.

I would say for a ninth grader, um, let’s say you have a general interest in, um, science, um, maybe looking at internships or opportunities that are more broad, um, because you likely do not know exactly what you’re interested in in the ninth grade. So finding exploratory internships or research opportunities is good, um, with the hopes that by the time you get to your junior or senior year, you that you can kind of narrow that down to something specific that you’re interested in.

Um, another question we have for clarification is for that roadmap that you showed on this slide, um, is that referring to the summer before that grade or the summer after? Yeah, so it would be the It would be the summer before for senior, junior, and sophomore. Um, I would say doing something the summer before your freshman year might be difficult and overly ambitious.

Um, but it is still possible, but the critical times I would say are the summer before sophomore, junior, and senior year. Okay. Another question we have is for our pre med students, is there a way that’s most effective to get those sorts of research opportunities or to reach out to doctors to shadow as that that can be as that can be kind of difficult to do?

Yeah, um, so you can always cold reach out. Um, students may have some success with that. That means you are, um, scouring, um, local, um, hospitals to see if they have any internship opportunities and reaching out directly. Um, so that is absolutely an option. Um, I would also think of, um, things that you might have in common, um, or networks that you might be able to access.

So, um, going to your high school counselor and asking them, um, Do you have any connections in this specific industry or with doctors that work at this hospital? Um, can you connect me? Um, going through your parents is a great way to do that. Um, if you are visiting your primary care physician or your dentist, um, just ask them.

Um, those can also be like really organic opportunities to get some experience. Um, one person said, is there a specific website where we can find summer internships or are there websites that you specifically recommend? Um, so I like teen life, um, is a really good one. It’s a pretty exhaustive directory of, um, summer programs and, um, summer search is good as well.

Are there any good, um, internship opportunities that you would recommend for students who are interested in the pre law track? So pre law and, you know, preparing for experiences for law school early, they can be really vast. So you will find some specific pre college So if you search that, you’ll find a number of schools, um, that will have some of those opportunities.

Um, but you also might look into, um, English programs. So programs that are going to elevate your writing, um, or mock trial exams. or debate experiences. Um, those are all great things that, um, while not titled pre law, um, are going to show that you have some interest and understanding of the law discipline.

Okay. Uh, one student asks, is there a limit on extracurriculars that a student can list on their college application and how can they prioritize? So maybe they did something like Duolingo versus a summer internship. How do they decide what to include? Yeah, there absolutely is a limit. Um, if you’re applying on the Common App, it’s either 10 or 12.

Lydia, feel free to correct me. Um, but that is the, the total amount that you can add on the Common App. Um, and a lot of students that are highly involved have more activities than that. So it’s similar to how, um, your resume works as you’re applying to jobs. Um, once you get to a certain point in your career, everything doesn’t fit.

Um, once you turn a certain point in your four year high school career, everything that you’ve done may not fit either. And so what you want to begin doing is prioritizing what is the best reflection of who I am, what I would bring to a college campus, um, and what my interests are. And so you add those things first.

Um, if you had a leadership experience, um, if you did, um, some service projects that were particularly impactful, you add the things that you’re most proud of first. Um, I did this exercise with a student, and one of the last things, um, that we were kind of toying with, whether it would make the activities list or not, um, was a summer program at a wonderful Ivy League institution.

Um, and ultimately. That summer opportunity did not make the list of activities, and one of the reasons it didn’t make the list is because although it was at a very prestigious school, there was not a, um, it’s not a very selective application process. All you had to do is pay money to go, and it was. If all you have to do is pay money to go and you get, you know, a certificate saying I spent two weeks at this school, that is not a very compelling, um, summer experience.

So if you’re looking at summer programs that are on college campuses, let them be tied to your major. Um, if it is at an amazing school, um, you want to make sure it’s something that really makes sense for your interest. Um, and that you have some deeper connection with the program other than just the title of the school that the program is hosted at another question.

We have is that. Are do admissions officers care if you didn’t do something very impressive like an internship But you did do things like volunteering have a job or pursue a passion project. Yeah, great question um, so the four year summer Experiences look different for every student. Um, there’s not an ideal mix and match of what your summer should look like.

Um, so the short answer to that is no. Um, the series of opportunities that you named, um, are no worse than, um, some other opportunities or no better. They’re just opportunities that you had access to or that you chose that made sense for you specifically. And so admissions officers are also really understanding, right?

So we’re looking and trying to get additional context. So, um, maybe one summer you had something, um, that really did not allow you to do an internship or a research opportunity. Um, they’re not going to be asking, well, why didn’t this person do a research project? No, we’re going to instead say, Oh my gosh, I did this really great volunteer opportunity.

They must be passionate about service. Um, something else that you should keep in mind is admissions committees, um, look for different things at different institutions. So while one school might be really interested in, um, you taking a college course and proving that you have the academic ability to succeed on that campus, another institution might be really interested, um, in you having some sort of, you know, intercultural exchange or cross cultural exchange and traveling, um, and another institution might be really interested in leadership.

Um, and so when you think about what’s a good opportunity and what opportunity are the admissions folks going to like, also think about the school. What are the school’s mission, values, and what type of student are they looking for?

So another question that we have is, does community service only count if you do it outside of your home? I do virtual volunteering as a tutor. Would that be something I could include? Absolutely. Um, I would definitely include that. That’s something, um, if you did it all four years or a few of those years, um, that could certainly make your activities list.

Great. So we’re just gonna direct you all here. We’re going to continue with the Q& A, but I just want to remind you that CollegeAdvisors team of over 3,300 former admissions officers and admissions experts is ready to help you and your family navigate the college admissions process and one on one advising sessions. We’ve already helped over 6,000 clients in their college journeys. After analyzing our data since 2021, we have found that CollegeAdvisor students have are 3.6 times more likely to get into Stanford University. 4.1 times more likely to get into Vanderbilt University and 2.7 times more likely to get into Harvard University.

Increase your odds and take the next step in your college admissions journey by signing up for a free 45 to 60 minute strategy session with an admissions specialist on our team using the QR code on the screen. on the screen you see. During this meeting we’ll review your extracurricular list and application strategy, discuss how they align with your college list, and outline tools you need to stand out in a competitive admissions world.

So I’ll give you all just a moment to scan that QR code and then we will return to our Q& A.

Okay, now let’s jump back into it.

So another question we have, it’s a little bit more broad, is how valuable is my essay in the college admissions process and how can it be used to showcase some of the things we talked about tonight? Yeah, so our essay is highly valuable. Um, in fact, I would say that say, the more selective the school that you’re interested in, um, the more important your essay can be.

Um, one of the things that you want to think about when composing your essay, um, is really coming up with something, a topic that is reflective of you. Um, most institutions do not have the capacity to do interviews with their entire applicant pool. Um, so the essay is about as close as you’re going to get to be able to talk.

Through, um, the application to the person that is reading it. Um, and so your essay should absolutely be about you. It should be personal. It should be introspective. Um, and there’s some really great brainstorming activities for you to begin thinking about what’s important to you, what moments have shaped you, um, to get you started on the essay.

And what advice do you have for students who, for logistical reasons or financial reasons, can’t access formal programs or internships over the summer? Yeah, so I would look at, um, some of the, the passion project or self guided endeavor ideas that we talked about. Um, also volunteering. Uh, seems to be a pretty accessible opportunity, um, whether it’s in your community or through your high school or religious institution.

Um, so those are 2 areas that have pretty low barriers to access, um, that you can do. Um, if it is about logistics. You can also look into virtual opportunities. Um, the pandemic, um, certainly, uh, introduced a lot of virtual experiences that have high value. Um, and so there’s even virtual internships now that students participate in.

Um, so that could be a way if you’re unable to leave your city or your town, um, that you can also be involved.

Great. Another question we have is I have spent a lot of time over the summer studying for standardized testing. Is this something that I could mention as a summer experience or should I just let that be reflected in my test score? Yeah, really good question. Um, so, On your college application, I would not list SAT or ACT prep as an activity.

Um, one of the main reasons is you have limited real estate for activities and you don’t wanna waste one of them, um, with SAT or ACT prep because, um, it, your score is going to speak for itself if you choose to submit your score. Great question. Another question is, is touring colleges over the summer, something that looks good in terms of a college application?

So, um, it depends. So similar to SAT or ACT prep, there’s not really a space to talk about the fact that you toured institutions. Um, however, if you’re touring a college that you plan to apply to, um, most colleges have very sophisticated systems. of, um, tracking you through your application, through campus tours, engagement at college fairs.

And so if you ultimately plan to apply to that institution and you tour there, um, the admissions committee will be able to see that you attended a tour or attended an event while they’re reading your application.

And how far in advance should students begin planning and preparing for more prestigious summer programs and internships? So, um, This is around the time, um, so if you’re looking at, uh, formal summer programs, typically dates and applications are announced in December, um, by January or February, most of those applications, um, are live.

Um, if you are looking at summer programs to apply to, I would say anything after. March, um, may be late. You may be late to the party or beginning to miss some deadlines. Um, so now is the perfect time to begin making a list of summer opportunities you’re interested in, um, and begin preparing some of those materials we discussed.

Another student asks, does it matter how long I’ve been doing an extracurricular activity? For example, I’ve been playing piano for only eight months instead of four years. Would that matter? I don’t think so. Um, I think if you took up something like piano your junior year and it’s only been eight months, um, there’s a positive story there.

It shows that you’re being able to play. Um, so I, I would certainly still add that to, um, your list and eight months is a lot longer than two months. Um, so it still shows that you’ve, um, stuck with something, um, that you’ve recently took up. And I would just add to that, that, um, I, I agree that definitely don’t shy away from pursuing things, especially if they’re related to something that you may want to study in college.

If it’s been eight months, like Chelsea said, that’s longer than two months. It’s showing that you’re pursuing something and you’re sticking with it. However, when an admissions officer is looking at your overall application, it is helpful to at least have a thing or two that you have had some consistency with, especially because something that they do look for is signs of leadership.

Um, and just dedication. So if your application looks like you have a tendency to just jump all around or you haven’t really stayed with someone long enough to demonstrate real commitment and leadership to it, that may be a little bit of a cause for concern, but don’t feel like everything on your application has to be something that you’ve been doing since you were in diapers or anything like that.

Um, another question that we have is, Can we use 529 funds to contribute to the pre college expenses? So there’s been mixed reviews on this. Um, I think the cleanest answer is no. Um, the stipulation for 529 funds before college, um, are focused on school tuition. Um, some folks are of the mind that if you are, um, attending something that is granting credits, um, that you’re able to use your 529 plan.

Um, but I would reach out directly to, to learn a little bit more about it.

Another question is, I may have to transfer between my sophomore year and my junior year. Would it be a red flag for me if my extracurriculars suddenly change because I’m attending a different school? Um, no, I don’t think it would be a red flag. Um, also, the sophomore to the junior year, still leaves you a little bit of time to be established and new activities.

Um, it’s enough time to potentially run for office for a club your senior year. Um, and so, no, I wouldn’t say it was a red flag. Um, the admissions committee will be able to see that you moved. You can also call attention to the fact that you moved, um, and the additional information. Based on the common app, you can say I was involved in this, but we changed schools and this was not offered at my new school.

And so you can give them more context about why your activities might look different. And another question that we have is what would you recommend for students who have to prioritize working during the summer rather than pursuing more prestigious opportunities? How can they still reflect dedication to their major of interest?

So, um, similar to folks that might have barriers based on logistics, um, location or finances, um, really focusing on things that can be, um, self guided. Um, also focusing, um, on some virtual opportunities. And I also want to say that there are great students who spend time. Every summer, primarily working, um, and still get into amazing colleges.

Um, part of what college admissions committees are trying to do is understand you in the context in which you exist. And so, if a large part. of your life is that you must prioritize work. Um, that’s something that’s going to be apparent in your application. That’s something that you can talk about in your application, um, and not feel like you are, um, less than because you were not able to, um, participate in some more formal summer experiences.

Another question we have from a student is it seems many colleges are no longer requiring SAT or ACT scores. Is it worth it to still dedicate time to SAT prep? Yeah, so, um, it depends on the colleges that you’re interested in. Overwhelming majority of four year institutions, um, are test optional right now, but there are still some big name schools that have went back to standardized testing.

Um, and there are schools that might potentially go back in the near future. Um, and so you want to look at a group of schools that you think may be schools you’re interested in applying to find out what their testing policies are right now. Um, and I say right now because they can literally change every year.

Um, but you want to find out what they are right now. If they tell you that they are test optional indefinitely, um, then you can plan on, um, test scores, not being a part of your process or being optional, um, if a school is saying they’re doing, you know, a three year pilot, and then they’re going to make a decision, um, that’s a school that is likely

So it is absolutely up to you. I think a good rule of thumb. If you have the time and resources to do so, take the SAT take the ACT and see how you do. Um, that could be step one. Um, if you find that you struggle with testing, you might think to yourself, okay, I want my list to be all test optional schools.

Um, if you find that, um, you tested well and it could be helpful to your application process, um, then you may keep that in your mind as you’re building your list and maybe adding some schools that do require test scores. Another question we have is, is it worth participating in pay to play summer programs?

There seems to be varying opinions on whether these programs are impressive. Yeah, um, my opinion is Um, so they, they’re helpful only if your student is genuinely interested in what the topic of the summer program is. If they’re genuinely interested in the industry, um, or the, uh, major, um, that they’re taking classes in.

I do not think they are helpful just because your student wants to take classes. Ultimately get into that school. Um, I will use Harvard as example. Um, they have so, so many students that are applying to their institution. All the students that apply look wonderful. And I would assume that. I assume that a large chunk of them, um, took their hand at an online Harvard summer school, um, course or an immersive program on campus.

Um, and that is just not what is going to, um, put you ahead of another applicant when you’re talking about highly, highly selective schools. So, um, there’s benefits from those programs, um, but certainly if it’s not something that is affordable for you and your family, I would not make that the one thing that you decide to invest in, um, for your four year summer.

Another question we have is, It feels like all the extracurriculars I do are the same as other students, playing a sport, Volunteering, summer job. How can I stand out? Yeah, so I think the, um, uncomfortable truth is most great students are doing similar things. Um, and the goal of putting together your college admissions is application should be less about I have to do something that no one else is doing, and more about what exactly would make sense for me to do.

What am I interested in? What, um, is representative of me? Where can my skills, um, do best at? Um, and so Standing out, I know, is a question that a lot of students have, and really the answer is you stand out by being most authentically yourself. It is very apparent to admissions readers when you see an application, and it seems like all the right components, but the application has no soul.

You don’t feel like you’re The person who wrote the essay is connected to activity one or activity six. Um, it feels disjointed. And so the way that you stand out is to try and use your essay to, um, really introduce yourself fully, um, to the admissions committee.

Great. Another question that we have is. How should a student decide between taking a traditional summer job, for example, at an ice cream parlor versus a more prestigious position like a summer internship or a summer program? Should they always prioritize the internship or the program or is there a place for traditional summer jobs?

Yeah, so the great thing is you have for summers. Um, and you also have multiple months in that summer. Um, and so you can do multiple things in one summer. You can spend one year working at an ice cream parlor, the next year interning. Um, and so I would say mixing up those experiences and those opportunities can also be really helpful.

Um, if your need to, um, prioritize Um, a part time job, um, as opposed to an internship is financial. Um, that is certainly something again, that you should, um, commit to. And you shouldn’t be shy about, um, kind of talking about that in your college application. Okay, and the last question that we’re going to ask for tonight is for college athletes or current high school athletes, most summers are completely dedicated to preparing for their sport.

Is that something that could be reflected in the essay or in somewhere in the application? How do you weigh that with the other opportunities that it seems are expected of students? Yeah, great question. So, um, similar to some of the other self guided endeavors, let’s say you’re not actually playing your sport, but you’re training for your sport in the summer.

Um, you could add on your activities. training for cross country. Um, the way the common app works, it asks you to actually, um, say how many hours you participated in that sport and how many weeks a year. And so you could document that you trained X amount of hours a week for your sport during the summer.

Um, that is something that is totally appropriate to put on your activities list and shows your commitment to your sport. Okay. Thank you all so much. That was our presenter, Chelsea Holley. Thank you so much for coming out tonight and thank you to our panelists. That is the end of our webinar for tonight.

You can continue to participate with us. We had a really good time telling you about the Make the Most of Summer College Prep Edition. This is our February webinar series for the upcoming month. Feel free to participate with us or take a picture of this so you know when to check in with us again. And as I said earlier, I will go back.

If you have more questions, that you would like to be answered that are a bit more specific. Please feel free to schedule a one on one advising appointment with us. It is free, 45 minutes to 60 minutes, um, for personalized admission support to get a clear idea of the strategies that will work for you or for your student.

Thank you all and have a great night.