Summer Plans - Using Summer Break To Stand Out in College and Scholarship Applications

In today’s highly competitive college and scholarship environment, students need to leverage their summer breaks so that they can stand out in their applications. Of course, students should still enjoy their summer vacation and take time to relax and de-stress. However, it’s also important that students move their Personal Narrative forward during their time off from school

A student’s Personal Narrative is built around Five Pillars:

• Academics

• Extracurriculars

• Volunteerism

• Leadership

• Work/Employment

These are the categories in which students can express their interests and build achievements. Students don’t necessarily need to point to something in every one of these categories. Instead, students should look to build a cohesive story of their interests and accomplishments through some, or all of these categories

Today, I want to focus on one way that students can build the academic piece of their Personal Narrative during their summer vacation: Pre-College Summer Programs.

Pre-College Summer Programs allow high school students to take classes on a college campus. These programs allow students to learn, experience a glimpse of college life, and sometimes even provide college credit. Some Pre-College Summer Programs allow students to live on campus, while others offer commuter options. Some programs even include domestic or international travel.

My son participated in Pre-College Summer Programs for three years in a row, starting the summer between his freshman and sophomore years of high school. It was remarkable to witness his growth when he returned home every year from these programs. Plus, I am confident that his participation in these programs prepared him for college, especially for college far from home, more than anything else in his experiences.

Demonstrated Interest

Some colleges use a metric called demonstrated interest as part of their admission decision process. Students can demonstrate interest in a college through things like:

• Following the college on social media

• Visiting the college

• Meeting with college admissions officials

Not all colleges consider participation in their Pre-College Summer Programs as a way for students to “demonstrate interest.” In fact, some colleges outsource their Pre-College Summer Programs to third-party providers. However, some colleges do include participation in their Summer Programs as a way students demonstrate interest, so it’s worth looking into whether your student’s preferred colleges consider Pre-College Summer Programs in their admissions decisions.

Building Or Clarifying Your Narrative

For my son, a self-described “history nerd,” we found Pre-College Summer Programs that fed his interest and further built his Personal Narrative around his love of history. There are Pre-College Summer Programs for just about any subject area, including engineering, business, literature, and more. So, while these programs are a fantastic way for students to build their personal narrative, they also provide opportunities for students who aren’t sure of their direction to explore various subject areas to help them determine whether they enjoy them or not.

Finding The Right Program For Your Student

Where can you find Pre-College Summer Programs? This article from US News & World Report is one place to start. You might also check the websites of the colleges and universities that your student is interested in attending, or are local to you. Your favorite search engine is another good place to start.

The Cost

If there is one downside to Pre-College Summer Programs, it is the cost. Of course, the fees vary from program to program, and those in which the student lives on campus or travels are more expensive (in general) than commuter programs. Some programs do have scholarships available, so be sure to inquire about that when looking at various programs. However, my son found these programs to be life-changing. They prepared him for college, he made lifelong friends, and gained relationships with professors and university staff that contributed to his 100% college acceptance rate and (we believe) increased the amount of merit aid he was offered, particularly from the colleges where he participated in their Pre-College Summer Programs.

Other Summer Options

If Pre-College Summer Programs are not for your students, I encourage you to find other ways for them to be productive and build their Personal Narrative over the summer. A job is a fantastic way for a student to be productive, learn valuable skills, and even build their Personal Narrative, especially if the job is connected to their long-term interests, college major, or career goals.

Volunteering is another way a student can build their resume over the summer. Of the Five Pillars listed above, Volunteerism is the Pillar that I see most students lacking. Colleges and Scholarships love to see students who give back. Aside from a strong academic record, most scholarships look for a solid history of volunteering in their applicants. Summer is the perfect time to build both the quantity and quality of volunteer time on a student’s resume.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that summer is the perfect time for students to apply for scholarships. In a previous article I wrote that by the middle of a student’s junior year of high school, I recommend spending either 30 minutes per day or 3 hours per week working on scholarships. During the summer, there is no reason students can’t hit that mark - or exceed it.