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Notre Dame Now Accepting Summer 2023 Pre-College Program Applications

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Applications for Summer 2023 programming on University of Notre Dame’s campus, online, and abroad are now live – even though it’s only October 2022!

High school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are eligible to apply for these programs, which introduce participants to college life, give students a chance to earn college credit, and provide Notre Dame a valuable revenue stream. With that said, financial aid and grants are also available.

The selection of programs is quite impressive, and now that the shadow of the pandemic has lifted, I encourage students who are interested to take a serious look at Notre Dame’s impressive international offerings in Italy, South Africa, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Yet, the Indiana-based and online programming offerings are intriguing as well since they seem to be taught by Notre Dame faculty. The most important consideration of students making summer plans is to engage in challenging opportunities in which they have real interest. Sometimes that interest is new and can’t be explored during the school year. Other times that interest is ongoing and the opportunity represents a new way to pursue it relative to the way the student has pursued it so far. In either case, the student will get more out of the experience if he or she is truly invested in the content the program is going to explore, and Notre Dame certainly provides a lot of content that would be interesting to a lot of students.

Related: How to Avoid Bad-Pre-College Programs

Often the most selective summer programs fill up by December of January; therefore, if certain summer programs with Notre Dame or other universities are of interest to you, remember the oft-repeated maxim, “the early bird gets the worm,” and don’t wait to apply tomorrow – do it today. Good luck.

5 Smart Summer Tips for Wise Rising Seniors

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It’s summertime, which means that many rising high school seniors are pondering the best way to spend a couple of months away from schoolwork.

For some answers, we turn to college admissions expert and college application coach Craig Meister – on location on the beach – for five important oceanside advice videos for rising high school seniors to ensure that they make the best personal choices for how to make the most of summer break.

1. Best Summer College Application Completion Advice

 

2. Summer Job vs. Summer Internship

 

3. Pre College Programs vs. Local Options

 

4. Is Summer SAT or ACT Prep a Smart Use of Time?

 

5. Don’t Forget to…

Craig is a college admissions coach and founder of CollegeMeister. He previously held university admissions and high school college and career counseling positions in Baltimore, West Palm Beach, and Rio de Janeiro.

Use Winter Break to Make the Most of Summer Break

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Take time in December to apply to the most coveted summer academic programs, internships, jobs, or community service activities if you want to have the best shot at getting them.

Yale Young Global Scholars app now open for Summer 2020

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The Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) application is now open, and YYGS is now actively recruiting interested students in grades ten and eleven (or the international equivalent) from all around the world.

Scholars taking part in YYGS experience life as a university student at Yale’s Old Campus while attending an academic session of their choosing. YYGS offers sessions in the humanities, social sciences, STEM, and a new cross-disciplinary track that incorporates all of the above.

Students taking part are able to meet peers from over 125 countries around the world (including all 50 U.S. states), and join discussions where students offer global perspectives.

YYGS also provides over $3.4 million USD in need-based financial aid equally to both domestic and international students, offered as discounts covering up to 100% of tuition costs. Those students who apply by the YYGS early action deadline receive a reduced application fee. If the fee poses a financial burden, students are able to submit a fee waiver.

The Yale Young Global Scholars Early Action Deadline is November 12, 2019 at 11:59PM ET; the Regular Decision Deadline is January 15, 2020 at 11:59PM ET. Students interested are able to apply at https://globalscholars.yale.edu/how-to-apply. Those with questions are encouraged to contact YYGS.

Washington D.C. Internships Distinguish American University’s Gap Program

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American University Gap Program, also known as AU Gap

Not all college-bound students begin their journey into higher education a few months after high school graduation. Some may be eager for a new, non-classroom experience, or want to explore the working world before settling in for years of study. Others may not have planned to take time off, but were admitted to their top-choice college not for the upcoming fall, but for the following spring; and want to spend their break, or gap semester, productively.

One distinctive possibility for any student interested in a productive gap experience is American University’s School of Professional and Extended Studies Gap Program in Washington, D.C., also known as AU Gap. Leveraging the resources and relationships of its unique location, AU Gap Program offers high school graduates an internship experience in the capital city for one or two semesters, as desired, with up to seven credits per semester.

“One semester can be a great option for students spending part of the year overseas,” says Terrell Austin, AU’s GAP Program Advisor. “It can also be ideal for students admitted to college for spring term.”

Alternatively, students who want to spend the full academic year with AU’s Program can either intern at two distinct sites, or continue with their first semester site. “Most students who choose to stay a second semester — about 20 percent of participants — choose a different internship experience,” says Austin, “just to try another field and gain some different experience and insight.”

AU’s deep and growing database of more than 3000 potential internship sites, actively managed by Amy Morrill Bijeau, Director of Experiential Education, offers job experiences in a student’s career field interest — including business, communications, international affairs, journalism, justice, politics, psychology, and the arts and sciences.

It is important to note that students are not placed into an internship; instead, just like in the real world, they must secure their position themselves, with guidance and support from the AU Gap team, who work closely with the student to get them prepared. “We focus,” says Austin, “on giving students professional development right from the start.”

The process requires some introspection and self-knowledge. “Students first need to articulate who they are and what type of job experience they are looking for,” says Austin. They also get help with their resumes and cover letters, as well as interview preparation and assistance with navigating the internship database.

Once students have selected 10-15 potential sites from the database, they begin the job-hunting process — sending out their resumes, making contacts, scheduling interviews. “In almost all cases,” says Austin, “students find their internship position within two weeks.”

Students work at their job site three days a week, mentored by their site coordinator, and earn up to four college credits. In a few cases, they may also be paid. “It happens occasionally,” says Austin, “as an unexpected bonus.”

Gap Program students also participate in an interactive weekly seminar led by an AU professor, with graded assignments and class presentations; prominent guest speakers; and field visits that could only be possible in D.C. — to embassies, congressional hearings, the Supreme Court, government agencies, non-profit organizations, conferences on a topic they have been studying, and more.

Besides enhancing the internship experience by helping students build communication skills, develop their network, and gain insight on world issues, the three-credit seminar keeps study skills fresh. It is also an exclusive offering that participants share only with their fellow interns (approximately 10-20 students).

“We think it’s important to foster a cohort experience for the AU Gap Program students,” says Austin, “where they are getting encouragement from each other and can also talk out any challenges they may be facing.”

To further facilitate the cohort relationship, AU Gap students live in the same residential hall (among full-time AU students), making it easier to build social relationships. As with all AU students, they have a meal plan, metro pass, and access to all campus facilities. Expenses are estimated at $18,000 per semester.

Who is a good candidate for AU Gap? “High-achievers looking for a real-world work experience before college,” says Austin. Students also need to be enthusiastic about the program, because although there is a lot of support, it requires a lot of initiative, too.

The application is rolling, so students may apply any time during their senior year of high school. A 3.0 GPA is required (exceptions may be made in unusual circumstances), as well as two letters of recommendation, two essays, and a phone interview Austin conducts with both the student and parents.

One further point for any student considering a gap experience with college credit: if you will be applying to college later, you may be regarded as a transfer student at some colleges (rather than as an incoming freshman), depending upon the number of credits you have earned, so it would be wise to inquire about this ahead of time at the specific institutions you are targeting. If you have already been admitted and either plan to ask for a deferral or are starting in the spring, make sure to receive permission for your specific gap program to avoid jeopardizing the original admission decision.

Best Summer Programs in Europe for High School Students

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High school students in Barcelona with Columbia University

For many high school students, summer is a time to disconnect from school year stress. For many parents of high school students, summer is a time fraught with anxiety over whether their teens are “making the most” of their time away from school. How sad! Whether your are a student or a parent, please don’t sweat summer.

Even if you are a student or parent who has no money to your name, there are plenty of ways high school students can stay active and engaged over the summer while developing their interests and building important life skills.

Yet, if you do have some dollars to spare, there are some wonderfully enriching summer programs for high school students out there – and I mean way out there – in Europe. My five favorites are detailed below.

These programs will give curious, adventurous, intellectual, and inquisitive high school students the chance to burst out of the often-banal high school classroom and into the “old world” in order to engage in an amazing experiential learning opportunity that will be both perspective-expanding and a chance to take a deep dive into preexisting interests. This is so important because no matter what a student does over the summer, it should present value added to both the student and to colleges the student may want to apply to later.

Before we start the countdown, an important disclaimer: exploring pre-existing interests deeply over the summer in Europe seems like a win-win to me; however, the following list won’t be for everyone, and it shouldn’t be. The most important thing for students and parents to remember is that students should pursue their passions deeply over the summer. If they can’t afford to take part in the programs below, that’s fine! They still should develop skills and knowledge over the summer that can only come through some sort of immersive summer experience. Again, I detail some closer to home and dirt-cheap options here.

But, without further ado, for the purposes of why we are here today, let’s hop on the plane to Europe!

#5. TASIS: The American School in Switzerland Summer Programs

Student taking part in TASIS summer program in Lugano, Switzerland

In 1956, M. Crist Fleming founded The American School in Switzerland, the first American boarding school in Europe, in order to apply the American independent school tradition to Europe. All these years later, the school has grown leaps and bounds, and other TASIS schools operate in England and Puerto Rico. TASIS’ summer course options in Switzerland really wow me.

Students pick one class from a diversity of options, which means that a diversity of students will be intermingling on this lovely southern Swiss campus for the duration of your stay. Class options offered in 2019 include English as an Additional Language (EAL), EAL Academic Writing (1st session only), Intensive Italian (1st session only), Intensive French, International Baccalaureate Preparation Course (2nd session only), Fine Art Portfolio (new for 2019, 1st session only), Lean Startup Masterclass (1st session only), Musical Theater, Digital Photography, Architecture & Design (1st session only), and Fashion & Textile Design (2nd session only). My favorite option, however, is La Cucina Italiana: Italian Cooking (2nd session only), in which students learn to cook authentic Italian food after choosing ingredients at local Italian markets, touring Italian cheese and meat factories, practicing knife skills, and learning how to perfectly balance spices.

Why I love this program: As a former “undecided” student as I began my college career, TASIS’ diverse offerings speak to the undecided teen in all of us, and the overall program certainlys attract a diverse mix of summer students from all over the world. Students need more opportunities to simply try something new and meet peers with diverse interests, and TASIS’ Switzerland summer program certainly allows for that in a location that can’t be beat. If you can’t get inspired to learn more about yourself and the world around you while on TASIS’ Lugano campus, you can’t get inspired anywhere. Another upshot of this program is that all high school students, no matter their grade level, are able to take part.

Who it’s perfect for: Students taking part in this program should have the desire to immerse themselves in one course and maybe one sport (sports cost extra but include Milan Academy Scuola Calcio, Olimpia Milano Basketball, and Crossfit) in the unsurpassed setting that is Lugano, Switzerland, which is also a wonderful jumping off point for educational European excursions near and far. Students who are undecided on their path in college and beyond will find something to try at TASIS over the summer and have the chance to do so in an environment that seems almost too perfect and made for life-long memories. Students whose interests align with one of the course offerings are in the unique position to build upon this preexisting interest in the company of peers who may have very different academic and personal interests but who share an interest in spending time in the pre-Alps over the summer.

Cost (in 2019): Payment is quoted in Swiss Francs, but for 2019 the exchange rate with the dollar is roughly 1:1; therefore, depending on the session, standard costs range from $6,700 to $8,200, and participants should expect costly add-ons including flights and special bonus programming.

Learn More: Click here.

Alternative worth considering: TASIS also has intriguing summer options for high school students in England, France (see more below), and possibly in the future again in Puerto Rico (recent hurricanes have led to the suspension of those summer programs for the time being).

#4. University of Notre Dame: Pre-College Program in Ireland

High school students taking part in Notre Dame’s pre-college program

It shouldn’t be so surprising that the Fighting Irish run a summer travel tour seminar worth one college credit for rising high school seniors in Ireland. Notre Dame’s Pre-College Program in Ireland allows rising high school seniors to explore “bustling Dublin,” “bucolic Connemara,” edgy Belfast, and so much more during a twelve-day jaunt through the Emerald Isle.

“Guided by Notre Dame faculty and local scholars, students will embark on an exploration of Irish culture, history, and landscape through what Notre Dame’s O’Connell House calls ‘learning through the soles of your feet.'”

Why I love this program: It’s pretty immersive in terms of ground covered and it’s pretty cool that students live and learn at the Kylemore Abbey Global Center, which is right next to a castle, during the last leg of the program.

Who it’s perfect for: Students taking part in this program should have demonstrated academic achievement in high school and some sort of preexisting interest in Ireland, Irish Heritage, Irish History, Catholicism, Protestantism, place-based learning, European culture and/or History, 20th Century History, European History, the British Isles, castles, and/or the Northern Ireland Peace Process in order to get the most out of this experience and in order to have it align with other activities they’ve pursued in the past.

Cost (in 2019): $7,075 (including application fee cost; does not include cost of passport)

Learn More: Overview and More Details

Alternative worth considering: Notre Dame also has a summer program for rising high school seniors in Rome.

#3. The New School: Parsons Paris Pre-College Studies

Sunset in Paris, France

If you are an artist, there are few better places to visit for inspiration than Paris, France. Did you know that Parsons School of Design, part of The New School in New York City, has a campus in Paris where rising high school juniors and seniors – they must be sixteen by the time the program begins – have a variety of summer art course options from which to choose? The immersive courses of study at Parsons Paris last just over three weeks in July and cover topics ranging from “Explorations in Drawing,” “Fashion Design Process,” and “Fashion Photography: History and Process” to “Graphic Design Workshop,” “Introduction to Design and Management,” and “Fashion Illustration.”

Why I love this program: This program is for serious artists; each class meets daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., so it’s for those who are energized by developing their craft. All Parsons Paris Summer Intensive Studies courses are not only educational in their own right; each course counts for three college credits and may also be used by students to develop a portfolio for their upcoming college admissions process. Students also have the chance to take part in excursions, including crepe tastings.

Who it’s perfect for: Students taking part in this program should have demonstrated artistic achievement in high school and some sort of preexisting interest in Art generally or specifically fashion, fashion merchandising, drawing, graphic design, photography, and/or art history in order to get the most out of this experience and in order to have it align with other activities they’ve pursued in the past.

Cost (in 2019): $7,650 (including application fee cost; does not include cost of flights or passport, but does include Metro pass for getting around Paris)

Learn More: Overview and More Details

Alternatives worth considering: If you don’t need to be in France, but want a lot of what Parsons Paris’ summer courses offer, Parsons also has a pre-college/intensive summer programs for high school students at its main campus in New York City. Meanwhile, if you would love to spend several weeks intensely pursuing your passion for art in France but don’t need to be in cosmopolitan Paris, TASIS (mentioned more above) has an intimate one-of-a-kind at program in the south of France called Les Taipes, which accepts an extremely limited number of students each summer.

#2. Columbia University: Summer Immersion in Barcelona

Students exploring Barcelona, Catalonia

While this three-week Columbia University pre-college program run in partnership with the venerable University of Barcelona won’t earn you any official college credits (only a Columbia University Statement of Completion and evaluation letters from University of Barcelona teachers), it will still immerse you into a kaleidoscope of knowledge pertaining to Barcelona, Spain, and Europe and allow you to gather this knowledge in the company of earnest and thoughtful peers as eager as you hopefully are (if you choose to apply) to explore Barcelona and its slice of European culture. All student participants take all four of the following courses:

~Barcelona in Historical Context: Roman Origins to the Spanish Civil War
~Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, and the European Union
~Modern Architecture, Urban Development, Art, and Design in Barcelona
~Spanish Language Workshop

This ain’t no teen tour; open to rising high school juniors, rising high school seniors, and rising college freshmen, all those attending will take part in rigorous study while doing some serious place-based learning. Students live at the University of Barcelona’s modern Sant Jordi residence hall, which is located in Sarrià and only one block from Avenida Diagonal, a major thoroughfare that runs right through the city.

Why I love this program: Side trips to Figueres and Tarragona are nice, as are the variety of extracurricular activities available to students in and around Barcelona, but the biggest reason I promote this program is because my students who have taken part in it all come back appreciably more thoughtful, worldly, and mature individuals.

Who it’s perfect for: Students taking part in this program should have demonstrated academic achievement in high school and some sort of preexisting interest in Europe, European History, Spain, Spanish History, Catalonia, Catalonian History, Latin cultures/heritage, Mediterranean History, the European Union, Architecture, Urban Design/Development/Planning, Art, and/or Spanish language  in order to get the most out of this experience and in order to have it align with other activities they’ve pursued in the past.

Cost (in 2019): $11,208 (this does not cover flights or passport, but does cover the application fee); and Columbia recommends that students bring $900 in spending money to boot!

Learn More: Click here.

Alternatives worth considering: Brown University offers short “On-Location” pre-college programs for high school students in Segovia, Spain and Rome, Italy.

#1. University of Dallas: Study Abroad for High School Students in Rome

University of Dallas summer high school students on a excursion to Capri

Simply put, the most college-esqe of the courses you will find available to high school students in Europe over the summer are offered by none other than University of Dallas (go figure!). No matter which of the three course options you complete, you will earn three college credits, and the course content is pitch-perfect to study while in Rome. Italian cooking (see TASIS above) is fun, if not a bit trite and short on academic heft; nobody who takes one of UD’s courses can be accused of being unoriginal or an academic push-over.

Why I love this program: I love Italy, I love Rome, and I’m all about ROI (return on investment). If you are interested in the content of one of these courses, this pre-college program represents a really great deal and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study on location – though the formal campus is just outside of town – with passionate University of Dallas professors doing what they love. The three course options are “Shakespeare In Italy” (did you know a full third of his plays were based in Italy? It wasn’t by accident), “Latin in Rome” (learn about Roman history, politics, art, and architecture while engaged in advanced study of Latin and the people who spoke it), and “Rome and the Catholic Church” (again, this is not fluff course by any means, as it “explores the truth, goodness, and beauty of Catholicism as manifested in great theological texts, lives of saints, artistic masterpieces, historical landmarks, and miracles connected with the Eternal City”).

Who it’s perfect for: Students taking part in this program should have demonstrated academic achievement in high school and notable preexisting interest in at least one of the subjects covered in one of the courses on offer in order to get the most out of this experience and in order to have it align with other activities they’ve pursued in the past.

Cost (in 2019): $3,500-$3,900 depending on exact course (there is no application fee, participants will need to budget roughly $2,000 more for a round-trip flight, and a bit more for a passport if not already in possession of one)

Learn More: Click here.

Top 10 Cheap Summer Extracurricular Activities for High School Students

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A high school student’s personal wellness and college admissions prospects are best served when a student is being authentic. This is as true during the summer as it is during the school year. Sadly, many students don’t know where to begin when it comes to being authentic, no matter the time of year. In addition, many students suffer from the misconception that the most impressive extracurricular accomplishments in the eyes of admissions officers at highly selective colleges and universities are extracurricular activities that cost an arm and a leg. Nothing could be further from the truth. Let me use an example to make my point.

If a student is truly passionate about lacrosse and American History and his family has the financial resources to support these twin passions, a family shouldn’t be shy about paying for the student’s advanced lacrosse training, his appearances on the lax tournament circuit, and his spot in one or more pre-college programs that will allow the student to immerse himself in American History over one or more summers. Yet, just because a family with financial resources can pay for all of those opportunities does not mean that the student should only pursue his passion for lacrosse and American History with pay-for-play endeavors.

If a student needs to have his mommy or daddy pay for every extracurricular activity he pursues, has the student really demonstrated his passion for such endeavors? If the student in this example is truly passionate about lacrosse and American History he will also likely join and contribute much to his school’s lacrosse team, donate to or start a fundraiser to support local lacrosse players or teams with few resources, coach younger or weaker lacrosse players during the school year or summer, start a history or politics club at school, go above and beyond in school History classes, take the most rigorous History classes at his school, and maybe even submit a research paper on American History to a journal for publication.

If a student is truly passionate about lacrosse and American History, he will pursue both free and fee-based opportunities in order to demonstrate his true interests. If he isn’t really that passionate about lacrosse and American History, it’s likely that he will only pursue fee-based opportunities related to lacrosse or American History because there are myriad fee-based organizations, camps, and more happy to take money from parents who have a stronger interest in having their children pursue lacrosse and American History than do the children themselves.

Therefore, it goes to figure that while a student who doesn’t come from money won’t be able to engage in an expensive pre-college program over the summer or take part in expensive regional or national lacrosse showcases, he still has a path forward through which he is able to pursue his passions deeply and demonstrably; the path forward just has to be cost-conscious.

A poor teen shouldn’t try to act like a rich teen if he can’t afford to; it won’t be good for his self-concept, his college admissions prospects, or his parents’ bottom line. For instance, a teenager who has a true passion for lacrosse and American History, but who doesn’t have a sugar daddy or mommy to act as his personal ATM, can still join his school’s lacrosse team (or start one somewhere if his school doesn’t have one), donate to or start a fundraiser to support local lax players or teams with few resources, coach younger or weaker lacrosse players during the school year or summer, start a history or politics club at school, go above and beyond in school History classes, take the most rigorous History classes at his school, and maybe even submit a research paper on American History to a journal for publication. The student gets fulfilled by pursuing his passions and colleges will be impressed that he pursued his passions within the context of what was possible for him to pursue given his resources. In fact, he could probably do more still – especially over the summer – in order to demonstrate his deep and unbinding passion for lacrosse and American history if he reads and thinks very carefully about the top ten list below.

Colleges want students to reach for their potential. If you don’t have money, colleges can’t and don’t expect you to take part in a $5,000+ pre-college program this summer. Yet, while the vast majority of teens don’t have much in the way of financial resources, even fewer teens have the twin passions of lacrosse and American History.

Consequently, below, please find my top ten cheap extracurricular activity ideas for any high school student looking to make the most of summer and impress college admissions officers – all without spending much (if any) money. Always remember that no matter the size of your family’s wealth or your unique interests and passions, you should be able to demonstrably pursue your authentic priorities in one or more of the following ten ways during the summer and do so for dirt-cheap (or, in the case of #2 below, you can even make money). As an added bonus, with creative balancing and multitasking all ten of the suggestions below can also be pursued during the school year itself. After all, if you have a good thing going for yourself during the summer, why end it just because school starts again in the fall? So, here they are, my top ten cheap summer extracurricular ideas for savvy high school students:

1. Volunteer: If you have any sort of interest or passion, there are ways to volunteer your time in order to pursue this interest or passion more demonstrably and immersively than you are doing today. Want to help others? Volunteer at an organization whose mission it is to do just that. Want to get a sense of what life is like as a dentist? Volunteer at a dentist’s office. Fascinated by art museums and want to be a curator when you grow up? Volunteer at a local art museum or art gallery. You get the idea. Don’t let volunteering get a bad rap in your mind just because so many students are doing it either in what you deem to be boring environments or in order to accumulate community service hours; try to volunteer in a way that speaks to your values, character, and priorities. Also, keep in mind, from the perspective of college admissions officers, the quality of your volunteering is more important than quantity of your volunteering. Finally, always remember that the hardest step is the first step: asking for the chance to volunteer. Once you start asking around, you may be surprised by how many organizations are looking for free labor.

2. Get a Job: It’s not as easy today for teenagers to find jobs as it was for teenagers in the 1950s or 1960s; however, both year-round and seasonal jobs for teens still exist. Jobs are a great way to make money and develop important life skills. No job should be “beneath” a teen whose main focus should be developing work-ethic a perspective on life that one can only gain by getting a paying job. So, whether the job is camp counselor, grocery store shelver, ice cream stand cashier, restaurant host, dishwasher, babysitter, tutor, or computer technician, be proud to get and maintain any job. Ideally, if you have options or can afford to be picky, you want to pursue a job that most aligns with your pre-existing interests, but any job is better than no job for what it says about you as an increasingly mature contributing member of society. Also remember that some colleges allow job supervisors to write a supplementary letter of recommendation on your behalf when you apply to college; therefore, even if you feel like the only thing you get out of a job is money and experience, remain close to and respectful of your boss; he or she could act as a wonderful and important reference for you sooner than you think.

3. Start a Business: Whether an online business (drop shipping seems to be all the trend in 2019) or a good old lawn cutting business or lemonade stand, there are a lot of people out there with needs waiting to be met (in the summer people are always looking for their grass to be cut or their thirst to be quenched). Find a niche that interests you, and run with it the best you can. I’ve had students start everything from T-shirt businesses to cookie delivery services. Remember, that starting a business will necessarily involve trial and error and even failures, but I can think of no better learning experience for a teen than taking the steps necessary to transition an interest into a business whether the business makes money or not because the budding entrepreneur is going to learn a lot. Last year was the first time I had a student invite a client of his to act as a recommender on his college applications. It was such an effective testimonial that I am convinced because of this unique recommendation he was able to edge out similarly qualified students to get into his dream reach college. Not to mention, his essay devoted to explaining the peaks and valleys of starting a business was a humorous and insightful standout piece of writing.

4. Launch a Website: Whether or not you want to make money online, starting a Website is a great way to develop entrepreneurial skills, build something from scratch, and express yourself. While most of my students who have created sites have done so in order to blog, some use their site as an online portfolio of sorts, while others use their site to sell a good or a service. Websites are also great to develop for the purposes of showing college admissions officers what you’ve been up to during your high school years. You can and should include your site’s URL in your college applications, which will allow those individuals deciding whether or not they want to accept you to their college to see what you’ve created online.

5. Create a Community Initiative/Fundraiser: Is there an intersection near your house that is in desperate need of a four-way stop sign? Are fans leaving a lot of beer cans outside a local minor league baseball stadium? Was there a fire in a nearby apartment complex that has left three families homeless and in need of funds to get back on their feet? All of the above examples are calling out for someone in the community to create local change. Get signatures from neighbors to present to your town council in order to get stop signs for that intersection. Organize a group of friends to clean up around the minor league baseball stadium after the fans go home. Door knock to see who is willing or able to donate money to the families in need of funds in order to restart their lives after the fire. Creating initiatives are another great way to help others and they are a great way to demonstrate for others – including colleges and future employers – what causes or issues that are important to you.

6. Organize/Lobby: Are you passionate in one way or the other about a political issue at the regional, national, or international level? Make your voice on the matter heard. You can either join a pre-existing organizing/lobbying group or start one yourself in order to effect positive change in this world. You can organize a group of friends to discuss a matter important to you with your local councilperson, delegate, or senator. Some of my students have even delivered oral testimony in their state capitol. Even if you don’t get politicians to vote in your favor or your bill doesn’t pass, but especially if they do/it does, you should be able to communicate to colleges how you organized and/or lobbied, what you learned, what you did achieve, and why it was important enough for you to get involved in the first place and stay involved. This will give colleges a sense of the priorities of the person they are considering for admission.

7. Invent/Pursue Art: While the World Wide Web is an increasingly popular canvas one which to create for many students, many others still like to invent or create art in the real world. If you are someone who likes to invent new gadgets or create your own art, do it with gusto. The summer is a particularly good time to dive deeply into time consuming projects that you just don’t have the time or attention span for during the school year. Just make sure that whatever you create is documentable or provable. You can say you spent your whole summer creating wall art in your city or inventing a new style of mouse pad in your basement, but for colleges, or anyone really, to take you seriously, you need to provide some sort of evidence of your accomplishments. This is another reason some students like to create online portfolios, blogs, or YouTube channels: to document their creative processes or produce a visual record of what they have created.

8. Help your Family: Depending on your family situation you may not have the luxury of spending very much time at all away from your grandparents, parents, or siblings. In fact, you may be a primary caregiver for one or more of them. A few years ago I had two students in one year who were severely limited in terms of pursuing any outside of the home extracurricular activities because of their responsibilities back home. In both cases these students got into amazing colleges because they took the time necessary to communicate to colleges the depth and breadth of their responsibilities within their families. Don’t be shy or embarrassed that you have major responsibilities that keep you close to home because if you do keep this under wraps, colleges will wonder what you are really doing with what they perceive to be a lot of free time. Again, this goes back to the so very important point made earlier in this article: you need to be authentic. You can’t be authentic if you keep secret a huge part of your daily life. So, if you need to care for your siblings for five hours each weekday or have to do the grocery shopping for your family each week, make sure you keep track of how much time you are spending on these life-sustaining endeavors and communicate about them on your extracurricular resume and on the extracurricular portion of your college applications.

9. Read: Far too few students (and people generally) these days are taking the time to read. Reading not only can help you learn about what you are reading; reading can also help you learn more about topics and ideas you make connections to in your mind while you are reading. Another hugely overlooked reason reading is important: it helps you learn how to more effectively communicate. This is important in all aspects of your life, but especially so in the college application process when you will likely have to write at least a couple of essays and a resume and possibly take part in one or more interviews. Reading in your spare time is a win-win. I am particularly fond of actual books instead of reading online because too much of what is readily available online is short-form writing; reading long-form writing is most likely to help you think deeper and clearer, and this will help you improve your overall communication skills.

10. Learn: While reading good old-fashioned books is great, there is also so much knowledge waiting to be absorbed online and in the real world. Increasingly, students can take whole online courses for free, and while many such courses are incredibly educational, there are also some that come with a certificate of completion, which is a nice form of verifiable evidence that you did in fact complete the course you claimed to take online. Yet, even if you are not so interested in formal courses online, there is also so much free information online and around us that can help you learn to be a better version of yourself. I had a student a couple of years ago develop and implement an entire workout and weight loss regime not with the help of a personal trainer, doctor, books, or other paid support but with only YouTube videos. He loss thirty pounds, got ripped, feels great, and is happier and more confident than ever before. At the end of the day, that’s much more important than getting into any particular college or getting into college at all; though, being healthy, happy, and confident sure doesn’t hurt anyone’s chances of getting into college either.

30 Summer STEM Camps for High School Freshmen

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Summer STEM Camps

Summer is a good time for high school students to explore their interests. A little research and planning can uncover ways to investigate an idea, acquire a new skill, or demonstrate a specialty with independent research or projects. In the fields of STEM, especially, there are many options available, including residential summer camps.

The problem for current high school freshmen (rising sophomores), however, is that many of these camps restrict attendance to their older classmates: rising juniors and seniors.

The reason, says Jill Tipograph, founder and director of the independent summer educational consultancy Everything Summer & Beyond, is many of these programs are offering college-level coursework that requires students to have foundational academic experience to be successful. “With higher level quantitative and science exposure as prerequisites, (younger) high school students will not have had the opportunity to complete them…”

This does not mean high school freshman should wait to begin finding ways to learn more about the fields that interest them.

“There is great value,” says Ms. Tipograph, “to younger students taking these summer opportunities… to identify and pursue passions. They can gain exposure and then build on their interest in a deeper capacity the following summer.”

You’ll have to be a little more flexible and dig a little deeper to find available summer STEM camps if you are currently a freshman. But if you are fortunate enough to have the available time and financial resources (camps can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars), here are 30 options nationwide during the summer of 2018 for high school freshmen interested in STEM camps.

Boston Leadership Institute Longwood Medical Center, Boston, MA

Canada/USA MathCamp Colorado School of the Mines, Golden, CO

Careers in Engineering University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

COSMOS University of California, San Diego, CA

Discovering Biology: The Building Blocks of Life Boston University, Boston, MA

Engineering Camp Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA

Engineering High School Camp University of Kansas , Lawrence, KS

Engineering Innovation Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (more locations)

Engineering Summer Academy University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Explore Engineering for HS Girls Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, VA

High School Engineering Institute Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

Intensive STEM Academy Duke University, Durham, NC

Mathematics Academy University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

MathILy Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA

Mathworks Texas State University, San Marcos, TX

Michigan Math and Science Scholars  University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Pre-Engineering Institute Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO

Prove It! Math Academy Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

Ross Mathematics Program Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

STEM II  Brown University, Providence, RI

Summer Accelerator North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Durham, NC

Summer Bridge STEM Program for Girls Radford University, Radford, VA

Summer Engineering Exploration   University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Summer Immersion George Washington University, DC

Summer Scholars Clemson University, Clemson, SC

Summer Science and Engineering Program Smith College, Amherst, MA

Summer Session for High School Students University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Summer STEM US Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD

Summer Studies in Math Hampshire College, Amherst, MA

UMassAmherst Precollege Programs University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Igniting Your Extracurricular Spark: Actionable Tips

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This is Part 2 of a two-part series. For Part 1, which details how the author found her extracurricular spark, click here

You have read my story, now it is time to create your own. Let’s figure out what you might be interested in – beyond video games, Facebook, ESPN, WhatsApp, Instagram, and/or Snapchat!

HOW TO GET STARTED?

1. Go with your gut. STOP listening to the chatter. STOP worrying about what “they” (your parents, friends, spin instructor) might think about what you want to do. If it interests YOU then it is okay.

2. Think about your current interests. Do you want to sustain them? Perhaps you are involved with scouting, or art, or music. Do you want to continue with those activities? It is fine if you do, but you need to really WANT to. Don’t stick with it just because it is easy or familiar. If you’ve been on swim team but hate every minute of it, then quit. If you have played the violin for five years and still aren’t very good – and you’ve given it a good effort – then quit. NOW is the time to quit and move on. Cut your losses. DO WHAT YOU LIKE.

3. Warning For Musicians Only: If your passion is music, and you dream of being a music major or attending a conservatory, you need to start researching that now. Many conservatories require competency in more than one instrument as well as proficiency in reading and composing. Do you homework and PRACTICE. I will write more about music in a later post.

4. Make your choice and jump in. You don’t have to become an expert, just give something a try. By “give it a try” I mean stick with it for at least three months. After that, if you aren’t having fun, try something else. No one is keeping track. Of course there are exceptions to every rule. If you choose to take up some super technical sport or difficult instrument, it may well take more than three months to start enjoying it, but you get my point.

WHEN TO GET STARTED?

1. SUMMER is a great time to explore your interests. There are all sorts of camps and workshops and programs geared towards getting teens excited about everything from medical research to writing the next great novel. Summer is also the time when employment opportunities abound, and don’t overlook those chances to volunteer. Colleges aren’t looking for students who take the summer off. Make good use of that time to learn more about yourself.

2. The next best time to try new things is at the beginning of the school year. Create a new you. Join a new club. START a new club.  Get involved in a community project at a deep level. Let’s say that your school’s Key Club does one of thosse Rise Against Hunger programs where everyone gathers to package up thousands of meals. If that sort of helping activity is interesting to you, make a point of seeking out the organizers. Ask them how you can get more involved. Find out how to help organize this type of event or sign on with the organization itself. There are countless opportunities to help out on a deeper level in your community.

EXAMPLES

Maybe theatre is your thing, or dance, or music. Instead of just joining the band or trying out for the play, take a stab at stage managing, or lighting, or sound. Maybe you want to write or direct or choreograph? You will be shocked at how welcoming and encouraging teachers and community members will be when you propose your ideas. Most will jump at the chance to help you. Besides, what’s the worst thing that can happen? That they say no. You will be no worse off than you were when you started! If someone turns you down (and they will), simply thank them for their time and move on. Don’t hold grudges or burn bridges though, because in all likelihood the reason for them turning you down had nothing to do with YOU, and they may be able to help you in the future.

Maybe sports are more your thing, and you are involved at the varsity or club level. First of all, read my blog post on athletics. Then if you are STILL involved at the varsity or club level, find a way to double dip. In other words, since you are already at the pool or gym or wherever, find a way to further your interest or passion in the sport beyond your training. Maybe you could help coach younger kids? If you are interested in pre-med perhaps you could shadow the athletic trainer or help him or her organize his or her space or maintain the weight room? Maybe you could learn more about exercise science or nutrition? If you are interested in training and/or nutrition, try to expand your interests so that they are not totally self centered. Explaining how you got yourself to 14% body fat will not make you jump off the page, but showing how you developed an eating plan that helped the team lose fat and gain muscle mass will get people talking.

These are just two suggestions. Choose one or two things that you’d like to explore (or keep exploring) and go and and DO IT. If you don’t get to sign up at the start of the year, that doesn’t mean you need to sit it out. Most clubs and community organizations welcome new members at any time. That first step is the hardest. Once you try one activity it makes it easier to join the next one. Just take that first step. You’ll be glad you did and it will help you get noticed.

This is Part 2 of a two-part series. For Part 1, which details how the author found her extracurricular spark, please click here.

Igniting that Extracurricular Spark

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I often write about developing your interests or igniting the spark. For some of you this may be all you need to start down that rosy path to passion, but for others, all that talk of interest and discovery might just be feeding your frustration.

“I have no interests,” you might be saying.

“My child just wants to lie on the couch and play video games 24/7,” you could be thinking.

I feel your pain. I too, have a more than one child who would love nothing more than to rot his brain in the supine position for the rest of his days. We won’t go there right now, but let me tell you how I discovered my own interests and passions back in the days of yore.

Every person has a different spark.

When I was eleven, I loved horses. This is a typical girl thing, right? Every Christmas I placed the word PONY first and foremost on my Christmas list. I begged for riding lessons, I had a collection of Breyer horses complete with barn and tack room. The summer after fifth grade my mother signed me up for summer camp at the Pony Palace Riding Club, which would involve a week of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. riding and horsey-ness.

Two weeks before pony  amp, I developed appendicitis. Post-surgery I was forbidden from any rigorous exercise for six weeks. SIX WEEKS. Luckily the Pony Palace Riding Club owner was a shrewd as I was desperate and she agreed that I could perform “light barn chores” instead of the more vigorous riding elements of the camp. I spent five days mucking stalls, bathing and grooming horses, cleaning tack, and measuring out feed. I saddled everyone up at the beginning of the day and put everything away at the end. I learned more about what goes into caring for horses – and what comes out of them – than I ever could have by simply galloping around the ring, and I loved every second of it. I spent most of my middle school years mucking around (literally) at that barn; I earned my riding lessons and hauled more manure than I care to remember, but just being around those animals was enough for me.

Fast forward to my high school years. Was I an equestrienne? No. Did I own a horse? No. Was this going to be my life’s work? No again. So what was the point? Working at that barn taught me all kinds of things. I was responsible for the well being of more than one relatively expensive living creature. The horses, and their owners, depended on me; and though I knew that I was never going to be a champion rider, I did know that I would always want to be around animals. The connections I forged at Pony Palace helped form my interest and passion for animals and the outdoors.

During my summer vacations in high school I worked as both a lifeguard and camp counselor. I started as a junior counselor after ninth grade and by graduation I worked my way up to being the Director of Aquatics. I needed to keep more than 500 campers from drowning each day, and I did not take that responsibility lightly.

That passion for the outdoors led me to try rowing as a sport. I went to a boarding school in New Hampshire that happened to have a large rowing program. When I tried it in the spring of my freshman year, I happened to be pretty good at it and was the only freshman (thanks to an upperclassmen getting suspended) to make the varsity second boat. For the next four years, rowing, even though it only took up a dozen weeks of my year, was my favorite thing about school. We did well as a team, we got some decent recognition, and I ended up at a Nationals after my junior year. That DID help me get noticed by colleges, but my passion for rowing also helped me make lifelong friendships. It taught me how to connect with my adult coaches who also helped me along the way.

Rowing is the ultimate sport in terms of teaching stick-to-itiveness. So it wasn’t so much about my talent as a rower, in fact I am very small for an oarsman, and at 5’5″ I wound up coxing in college. What rowing instilled in me was the knowledge that I could be passionate about something. Just like that summer at Pony Club, I could use my time rowing to remind myself that there are some pretty awesome moments in life, and you just have to keep trying for them.

As a senior at my school, you had the option of completing an Independent Study Project (ISP).  I still loved animals so I came up with the crazy notion of doing my ISP at the Los Angeles Zoo as an intern zookeeper. I wrote my proposal and sent it off, never imagining that it would work out. Lo and behold, the folks at the zoo cooked up an amazing program in which I could work on all of the various animal “strings” and also take the volunteer docent course at the same time. It was my dream come true.

Long story longer,  there isn’t any set formula for finding or pursuing what interests you. My path certainly was unpredictable and a little non conventional. Did I end up as a veterinarian or Olympic rower? Obviously not, but that wasn’t the point. The point was that I followed the things things that interested ME. Not my parents, not my friends, ME. The key to getting noticed is to discover and follow YOUR passions and interests.

If you are a parent: I am sure that you can think back on your journey to adulthood and come up with your own version of the road that led you to where you are now. We all take a series of steps – and missteps – as we shape our lives. What is important for your child (or you, if you are the student) is to discover what INTERESTS them. Let their interests lead the way. While you’re at it, let their talents lead the way as well. While there is much to be said to sticking with a project (or lessons, or whatever) there is NO point in forcing a child to continue in an activity for which they have no real talent or passion. There is no use in continuing with the swim team or flute lessons if every practice session is a battle. Let them move on. I realize that you may have invested a lot of money into that particular activity, but I urge you to cut your losses. If your child doesn’t love it by the end of middle school, let them find what they do love.

My own two daughters started off in elementary school with the violin and the cello. They did the whole Suzuki thing. They learned to read music (sort of). I forced them to practice. We went to recitals. I kept them at it through middle school, by which time one had discovered chorus and the other soccer and track. They loved their new activities. They were GOOD at their new activities. They both hated their respective stringed instruments. Despite protestations from both my husband and my mother in law (who had only recently purchased two rather expensive instruments), I allowed them to move on.

As it turned out, one went on earn a place in the All State Chorus on three different occasions, and today she sings with a local opera company and is a paid section leader in a local church choir. The other competed at the state level in her track event and was recruited by several DIII schools. Let students follow their own path. Allow students to ignite that spark that they all have inside of them.

I promise you it will all work out.

This is Part 1 of a two-part series. For Part 2, which includes specific actionable tips about how to start igniting your spark, please click here.