Versed Editors's blog

By: Kate Sonnenberg

Scholarly researchers and educators generally agree that bilingual or multilingual children have increased brain plasticity and an academic edge. In Why Bilinguals Are Smarter, Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, writing in the New York Times, reports that “the bilingual experience improves the brain’s so-called executive function — a command system that directs the attention processes that we use for planning, solving problems and performing various other mentally demanding tasks.” Auburn University lists Twenty-five Reasons to Study Foreign Languages, including, among others, improved analytical skills, better ability to deal with abstract concepts and higher scores on standardized testing.

 

In today’s increasingly interconnected world, the value of fluency in a foreign language cannot be overstated. As World Languages Professor Leonardo De Valoes explains in Importance of Language – Why Learning a Second Language is Important, “the ability to communicate in multiple languages is becoming more and more important in the increasingly integrated global business community.” Fluency in a foreign language also enhances cultural sensitivity, reduces prejudice, and, in the words of Auburn University “expands one’s view of the world, liberalizes one’s experiences, and makes one more flexible and tolerant.”

 

Notwithstanding the general consensus that gaining mastery of a foreign language is valuable from an intellectual, educational and social perspective, many students, especially those who are STEM oriented or have learning differences, struggle with foreign languages throughout school, leading many high school students to decide to drop foreign language at the earliest opportunity. Depending on your child’s school, this can often be after sophomore year (especially if your child studied a foreign language in middle school and is able to complete level 3 of that language by sophomore year) or after junior year.

 

Parents beware: if your child drops a foreign language in high school that can absolutely impact the competitiveness of their college application, not to mention deprive them of the cognitive benefits of mastering a foreign language. The most elite colleges and universities generally want to see that applicants have taken a foreign language for all four years of high school. Even at those schools that do not expressly state that they recommend four years of a foreign language – MIT, for example - the overwhelming majority of applicants will have taken foreign language for all four years of high school. Importantly, the level of the foreign language is less critical than taking a language each and every year of high school. Thus, when deciding which level of a foreign language to take as a high school freshman it is important to make sure that the high school will be able to offer four years of study. In other words, you do not want your child to max out of the language as a junior, even if that class is an AP or IB level course. 

 

One option is to drop back a level as a high school freshman (for example, taking Spanish II rather than Spanish III, a choice my own son made); even if the class seems like it will be “too easy,” there is significant value in reinforcing language skills which will help with future, more advanced,  language acquisition. Another option is to add a second foreign language to the mix - a choice that might appeal to students who are already accelerated in a first foreign language.

 

So, what to do if your middle school or high school student complains that they just hate Spanish or French or Chinese and cannot wait to be able to drop the class? This is often because learning a foreign language, especially in a classroom context, can be hard, and sometimes even a bit boring. One option to consider is a study abroad program over the summer. When a student participates in a language immersion, especially one with a homestay if you and your child are comfortable with that arrangement, they usually come home with improved mastery and confidence – a recipe for success in the classroom. 

 

While there are many excellent programs, among the best are School Year Abroad (programs in Spain, France and China), Where There Be Dragons (programs in Guatemala, China and Taiwan) and The Experiment in International Living (programs in Spain, France, China, Japan and Jordan). These well-vetted programs offer students a chance to truly immerse themselves in another culture. 

 

In light of the current COV-19 situation, check out:

Best of Online Learning - Language

 

Another option is to find a place closer to home where students can speak the language they are learning, such as volunteering with children or the elderly who do not speak (or are learning) English. This might help your child appreciate the process of learning another language, as well as the value of being bilingual. Whether they speak that foreign language at home or abroad, they are increasing their cultural sensitivity, with the added benefit of gaining brain plasticity and an academic edge. 

 

About Kate:

Kate is a graduate of Princeton University and the Columbia University School of Law. She takes great pride in helping her two (very different) children through the college admissions process - a graduate of Amherst College (swimmer and student activist) and a student at Wesleyan (American Studies and Theater major). She has experience working as an application reader in the Princeton University Admissions Office, where she read thousands of undergraduate applications and interviewed hundreds of students as an Alumni interviewer. 

 

If you would like to learn more about how Versed can help your family with pre-college planning in general, please schedule a free introductory consultation here.

 

 

For additional information and insights, check out our blog: 

Best of Online Learning - Language

Do High School Students Need a Focus?

Crafting a cohesive college application

 

 

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Receive inside track information on college admissions process, high school and middle school planning, general pre-college guidance, and be the first to know about our events and announcements.

 

In this trying time of self-isolation and boredom, it’s easy for students to lose track of their goals. Luckily, we live in a digital world. For those students with newfound time on their hands, there is an incredible array of online courses where they can learn just about anything - from coding to Latin, to graphic design, to playing the bagpipe!  In the next series of blogs, we will bring together a list of top online platforms that students should consider in a variety of fields of interest starting with this one - online language programs. This is a great time to brush up on a language that your student is already learning at school (especially getting some practice speaking with a native speaker over skype!). It is also a great time to pick up a new language that your teen has thought about but did not have the time to pursue.

Below are some websites that collectively offer comprehensive instructions and lessons to master a language. Active dedication and commitment to these programs can help students develop valuable skills from the comfort of their own home. Although this article will focus on online language learning, the supplementary use of textbooks, workbooks or TV shows may further enhance your teen’s quality of learning. To eventually achieve true fluency, they will likely need to go beyond online resources. That being said, online learning is a great fundamental starting point and will prove to be extremely effective. 

 

Duolingo

Perhaps one of the more popular language websites, Duolingo offers free, interactive and bite sized lessons in 35 different languages. Each lesson is personalized, allows each user to learn at one’s own pace, and the short 5-10 minute lessons allow for incremental breaks. Learners progressively unlock new content as they master topics. Languages range from popular ones like French, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese, to even fictional languages such as High Valyrian (although this may not be the most useful). You can see a full list here. Duolingo is available as an iOS and Android app, allowing your child to learn on the go.

Cost: Free (Ad-free is $9.99 a month)

Pro: Easy to Use, Many Language Options

Con: Cannot access certain language topics until the previous topics are unlocked

 

Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone is an award winning language program that requires a paid subscription, and is available as an app and online. It offers instruction in 25 languages, listed here. One unique aspect of Rosetta Stone is that it helps people improve accent-specific pronunciations through an advanced speech-recognition engine. This is especially useful for those that would like to enhance their speaking skills or are trying to speak a language that English speakers often find difficult to pronounce, such as Mandarin or Korean. Rosetta Stone is recommended for beginning language learners, as its software drills you until you have the vocabulary down. They offer five “levels” of teaching per language that can be purchased collectively or individually as your teen gains proficiency. You can sign up for a free three-day trial before committing to the payments on their official website. 

Cost: $179 for first “level” of language, all five levels cost $479

Pro: Effective for beginning language learners

Con: Very repetitive (may be redundant for quick learners), high cost

 

Babbel 

Due to the recent coronavirus epidemic, Babbel has temporarily made its app free. Similar to Rosetta Stone, these online language courses usually require a paid subscription, although Babbel is a cheaper alternative at only $10 a month. Your first lesson is a free trial. Babbel only offers instruction in 14 languages, which are listed here. It focuses on interactive dialogue and is overall a better fit for more seasoned language learners, as it doesn’t drill the learner to the extent Rosetta Stone does and moves on from topics a bit quicker. Like Duolingo, it offers bite sized lessons ranging from 10-15 minutes as well, useful for those on a tight schedule. It is available as both an app and website.

Cost: $10/month

Pro: Effective for conversational skills practice, low cost

Con: Teaching is relatively quick, lessons are more difficult to absorb/memorize 

 

Memrise

Memrise is a free and unique website that uses the spaced repetition of flashcards to increase the rate of learning. Spaced repetition has proven to be psychologically effective in increasing the rate of memorization, making Memrise a very efficient resource. The use of flashcards allow for an increased vocabulary, but that means Memrise is not the most effective when it comes to teaching you how to construct sentences. Therefore, this resource is most useful to those that have a solid understanding of sentence structure (whether it is through past experience or using some of the other websites listed here) and know how to grammatically use the words they learn. Memrise offers decks in 16 languages, listed here. 

Cost: Free (additional resources cost $8.99/month or a one time payment of $129.99)

Pro: Effective for improving vocabulary

Con: Does not focus on sentence structure/conversation skills

 

HelloTalk

HelloTalk is a free app that acts as a social network and connects you to native language speakers from various countries. It has talk, video, and text features, allowing you to learn a language and its culture through natural conversation from people that speak it first-hand. Hellotalk can introduce you to speakers all around the world, collectively speaking more than 150 different languages. Popular ones, from Arabic to French, are sure to be found. This app is most useful for learners that need help with native pronunciations and conversational fluency or would simply like to learn more about the culture, slang and context of a language. You can download this app through iOS or Android.

Cost: Free (ad-free with additional features at $6.99/month or with a one time payment of $175)

Pro: Effective for conversational skills practice, large range of languages

Con: Informal learning -- most native speakers are not trained in teaching the language

 

American Sign Language (ASL)

Native proficiency in American Sign Language has been scientifically linked to an improvement in cognition, and has the added benefit of being a physical language allowing for visual communication. It is not taught in any of the other resources mentioned so far. While a quick Youtube search may prove most useful, additional free resources include Start ASL and Gallaudet. The National Association of the Deaf has several websites and apps listed as well. Learning basic phrases and the alphabet in ASL may even count as a unique and useful skill to list on a resume.

Cost: Free

Pros: Physical and unique language

Cons: Not as widely used compared to other spoken languages

 

Online Tutors: Face to Face

While all these resources are effective, they require motivation and discipline to self-study. For those that struggle with this, online tutors may be the way to go. Not only will they instill a sense of responsibility in a learner, but they make the prospect of studying less tiring and something to look forward to. Tutors are more likely to catch onto pronunciation errors and offer personalized lesson plans to help students achieve their language goals. However, there is a cost, making them a viable option only for those that can afford it. Popular online tutor websites include Verbal Planet, italki, and livelingua. Group lessons are a cheaper alternative and can lead you to find fellow language learners to practice with. Websites like lingoda and Take Lessons offer them in various languages.  

Cost: Approximately $20 - $40 for a 45 Minute Private Lesson , As low at $10 for a 60 Minute Group Lesson 

Pros: Best for people that struggle to self-study, Tutors give more detailed feedback

Cons: Cost, Requires more time management

 

 

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By: Valerie Erde

Students and parents frequently ask me how much standardized test scores really matter in the college admissions process.  Here’s the upshot….

- The majority of colleges -- especially selective ones -- still require standardized tests; high school programs are difficult to compare as their rigor varies widely.

- Testing policies do not necessarily apply to all groups equally; test optional does not always mean test blind.

- Some colleges use test scores as cutoff points to facilitate wading through thousands of applications and for determining merit award and honors program eligibility.

 

High School Grades Count More Than Test Scores, But….

High school lasts four years, so shouldn’t colleges care more about your class  grades than a number from a single day of testing?  The answer to that is, yes, they do care more about your course selection, rigor, and grades, but colleges still rely on standardize test scores because they….

- allow colleges to compare students from schools across a country in which high schools vary wildly when it comes to academic rigor. 

- provide schools -- especially ultra-selective ones -- that receive more applications than they can manage, a way to create a cutoff point.

Brent Evans of the Stanford University Center for Education Policy Analysis explains it well:  “The exam score therefore functions as a way to compare students on the same scale not only to other current applicants but to past applicants as well. It serves to identify students [who] may be underachievers in high school but have high potential for succeeding in college and students that may have received great grades in high school but not be well prepared for the additional rigors of the college curriculum.”

 

Read The Fine Print:  Test Optional ≠ Test Blind

One admirable goal of changes to testing policies is to try and bring more equity and diversity to the admissions process, and there is evidence that test optional schools are enjoying increases in underrepresented applicants. 

Some highly-ranked colleges have been test-optional for several years, including Bowdoin, Smith, Wake Forest, and Wesleyan, among others.   Other colleges such as Brandeis, Middlebury, and NYU are "test-flexible," meaning they will consider AP scores and subject tests instead of the traditional SAT or ACT.  Parents and students became really excited when one of our country’s most highly selective universities, The University of Chicago, went test optional in 2018. 

But if you take a closer look at the University of Chicago’s admissions website you’ll see the following advice: “We encourage students to take standardized tests like the SAT and ACT, and to share your scores with us if you think that they are reflective of your ability and potential.”   According to test prep thought leader Jed Applerouth, “the overwhelming majority of students will apply to Chicago with a very strong test score. Most likely ninety plus percent of students who receive an offer at Chicago in this current admissions cycle will have submitted a test score. We know this because of the submission rates at other prominent test-optional schools.”

In other words, the policy is test optional, but not test blind.  So at these schools, especially if you come from an affluent and a well-represented background,  “optional” really isn’t; you need to take the test.

Colleges testing requirements change frequently e.g. on 3/24/2020, Tufts went test optional - but not test blind -  so you need to check each school’s admissions website thoroughly.  Think about what other students who may be “benchmarks” for you, based on Naviance or a College’s Common Data Set, are doing. (See more about this below.)

 

Do Colleges Have Test Score Minimums or Cutoffs? 

Yes and No.  

Most colleges and universities publish what is known as the Common Data Set which provides a whole host of information about accepted students for each incoming first-year class, including ACT and SAT test score ranges at the 25th and 75th percentiles. Since test scores are part of a bigger puzzle, colleges typically don’t have a certain SAT or ACT score a student must achieve to gain acceptance.   There’s some wiggle room here as MIT’s policy makes explicit: “We do not have cut off or recommended scores for the ACT, SAT, or SAT Subject Tests as scores are evaluated within an applicant’s context.” 

Sorry to be trite here, but a picture really is worth 1,000 words.  As you can see in the chart below from MIT’s 2018-19 Common Data Set, to be in the 75th percentile of MIT’s 2018-19 accepted first years, you had to have at least a 1570 overall SAT or a 36 ACT score.  You can also see that ALL accepted first years had a minimum math score of 780 SAT or 36 ACT.

MIT Common Data Set

A recently revealed internal document from the Harvard lawsuit tells the same story:  to be a “serious contender” at Harvard students need a “mid-to-high 700s, out of a possible 800 on each part of the SAT. Or at least 33 out of a maximum 36 on the ACT.”

Since your student will typically be compared to other students in their school, you can also glean a lot of important information about the role of test scores in admissions for your high school by looking at the scattergrams in Naviance or Overgrad, or whatever your high school equivalent is.  

Take a look at these scattergrams of accepted and rejected students from an affluent, suburban high school to the UNC Chapel Hill and the University of Pennsylvania respectively.   Notice there are two green check marks that show lower GPAs/test scores than the for the big cluster. These lower scores, generally for recruited athletes and development candidates, bring down a college’s reported 50% range.  That means that unless you are a star on your football team (or other highly recruited sport) the average GPA and test scores required for students like you could be even higher.

 

 

Standardized Tests Still Ranked A Top Criterion

As a former Yale admissions officer put it to me recently, “picture standardized test scores like the balance on a scale:  great test scores can lift up weaker parts of a college application and poor test scores can weigh them down.” 

The 2017 report from the National Association for College Admission Counseling reports that test scores are one of the top factors in admissions decisions for freshmen, both domestically and internationally. Only two things are considered more important, according to surveys of these counselors: grades in college prep courses which 77% rate as considerably important and grades in all courses which similarly rate at 77%  and 54% of college admissions counselors said SAT/ACT scores are considerably important, with only 4% saying they don’t matter at all.

(As a comparison student personal essays are rated as considerably important only 19% of the time and recommendation letters just 14.6% of the time.)

Over the past ten years, how much SAT/ACT scores matter has decreased a bit from a high of 60%, whereas overall GPA has become more important. Most other factors have shrunk in influence. Things like class rank, which used to matter a lot, have dropped significantly, as has the personal interview and demonstrated interest in a school. These are general trends, though, and may not hold up for highly selective schools.  All the Ivies, Stanford, Duke, and many more of the top-tier universities still require test scores. 

The bottom line? Fair or not, scores matter.

 

Good News:  Raising ACT/SAT Scores Can = Merit Awards & Honors Programs

In addition to the fact that with some practice and effort, you can almost always improve your test score, doing so may make you eligible for merit-based scholarships and/or selective honors programs within larger universities.  So even if your student has good enough scores and grades to get into a given college, it can be worthwhile to push a little harder.  For example, you would be in the 75th percentile for regular acceptance to University of Pittsburgh with roughly a 1330 SAT or a 28 ACT.  But to be eligible for the well-regarded University of Pittsburgh’s Honors Program, you’d need a 1450-1500 SAT or a 32-33 ACT (in addition to a higher average GPA).

 

 

 

About Valerie Erde of Veridian Prep:

VeridianPrep is an academic tutoring and test prep company that combines years of subject expertise and experience with evidence-based approaches to teaching and learning.  VeridianPrep’s strengths lie in quickly determining each student’s strengths and gaps to offer a personalized, and results-oriented approach that builds skills and confidence to help teens succeed not only in a single class or test, but also in their next journey -- college.    Currently, VeridianPrep covers all levels of Math, English, Chemistry, and Physics including AP/ACT/SAT/SAT II, meeting one-on-one with students at home, in offices in Greenwich, CT/NYC, or online. https://www.veridianprep.com

 

If you are interested in speaking with us about test prep options, please contact us.

 

For additional information and insights, check out our blog:

How to Prep for the SAT/ACT

What is the Best Time to Take the SAT/ACTs and What is the Best Way to Prepare for Them?

Does My Child Need a Tutor? 6 Signs It May Be Time for Academic Help

How to Help Your Teens Manage Their Time

Meaningful summer activities that enhance college application

 

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Receive inside track information on college admissions process, high school and middle school planning, general pre-college guidance, and be the first to know about our events and announcements.

 

 

 

By: Rosemary Laberee

Compliments of a very scary pandemic, many parents have been thrust into the role of facilitator of their children’s education. Many feel ill-equipped and worried about what these next few weeks will bring. The prospect of keeping children engaged in their school work, free of anxiety, and gainfully occupied for the hours of the day they are not online, receiving and uploading lessons, is overwhelming. This is a fact, whether you are a veteran home educator or not.

These are waters that home educating parents navigate daily. The added component of limiting travel outside of the home does challenge even the most experienced and stalwart homeschooling parent(s); this is true. But parents who homeschool know a thing or two about managing chaos so that things get done.

It might be useful to peek into the world of homeschooling parents and cherry-pick for helpful survival tips?

I have home educated for 21 years. Although I had not set out to homeschool in the early days of parenthood, I tried it for one year. It went swimmingly well. Each subsequent year went so well, that my husband and I just kept going with it. Four kids have been homeschooled K to 12. Two are Ivy League grads, one is at the US Naval Academy, and the youngest is being sent home from his full-scholarship year abroad in the Balkans as I type these words. He is 17 and will be a senior next year.

 

HERE ARE MY BASIC SURVIVAL TIPS:

1. Never begin a day without a plan — a schedule. Pie-in-the-sky though it may be, have one. Make this plan the night before.

2. ALWAYS include your kids on this plan. They need to have a say. They might want to negotiate. Allow some room for this but anticipate ahead of time what they will ask for.

3. Remember, you guys are a team — and the captain of the team? That’s you.

 

There is one enemy that you all face. This — stepping into the electronics abyss. Your kids will need to be online for school, but they will want to be online for all kinds of other unproductive things. You can control this monster, but it is a formidable opponent. No one knows how long schools will be closed. It is important to plan against idle consumption of internet litter because it will grow and grow. Set those limits now. Choose creating things online over consuming things online. There is a difference.

 

Consider implementing a daily two-hour, quiet, joint-reading time. No glowing screens in the room, just books and maybe snacks. You need to participate for this to be successful. Maybe tv time has been negotiated, too? That is fine but set a limit. In your planning session (of the night before), you will negotiate the movie or tv shows that all will watch together, and you will secure agreement from all. If everyone wants to veg-out on their own individual screens, fine. Be in the same room, set a limit, and all use earbuds.

 

Build your day around an outside event. Spend time in nature. While we may not be free to socialize in groups together right now, there is nothing to keep us out of the woods and parks (so far). Do some research and schedule a daily hike, a long bike ride or a walk along a beach. It can be near or far. Pack your own food, so no stops are needed in public places, download some audio books for the ride and combat anxiety and boredom with exercise and fresh air. By planning ahead (the night before!) you can reverse engineer the schoolwork into the hours you are home before departing on your daily outing.

 

 

REMEMBER THESE THREE THINGS:

1. There is no such thing as bad weather — just bad clothing.

2. If you take away the walls, they can’t bounce off the walls.

3. Being surrounded by nature rejuvenates, inspires, and heals.

 

This temporary, imposed social-distancing can be an opportunity for your kids to relax and recover from the stresses of their school life. It is an opportunity you do not want to lose to Grand Theft Auto, Fortnite or FarmVille. Instead consider a structured online class in Python or Tableau.

Maybe the time you now have at home with your students will make you curious about the homeschool life? I don’t think home education is for everyone, but I know it works and I think it makes sense especially now that we are so connected to online academics.

 

Have you ever wondered what a homeschooled teen does all day? Below is the schedule my youngest son maintained last year. I share this because when one considers taking this road less traveled, when parents start to wonder what it would be like for their kid(s) to learn from the “school of life”, it is extremely useful to have a few models to consider. Here is one. I hope this helps you imagine the self-directed learner’s life.

 

This time is stressful, but it is also an adventure. Think of pitching a tent in your yard, painting a room in the house, or cleaning out the garage. If every day is looked upon as opportunity and adventure, you and your kids will be happier.

This outlook is what keeps home educating families excited about their lives together.

It bears repeating. Have a plan each day. Fortune favors the prepared, so schedule your days with your family ahead of time. Get everyone on the same page. View yourself as a partner in their education and recreation. Good luck and godspeed!

 

About Rosemary Laberee

Rosemary is a 21-year veteran of the DIY Education life, also known as homeschooling, home education, unschooling, self-directed education, gig education, or simply “not sending children to school”.  DIY Academics can help anyone who wants to design their own schooling for their kids, using all of the superb resources that are now at our fingertips.  Learn more about Rosemary on her website https://diyacademics.com/.

 

If you are interested in speaking with Rosemary, or any of our other advisors about optimizing your student's education during these uncertain times, please contact us.  Our Advisors are available for a quick half hour call, or for longer consultations.

 

For additional information and insights, check out our blog: 

How to Help Your Teens Manage Their Time

Get Ahead on Breaks

Coronavirus and Campus Visits

Meaningful Summer Activities that Enhance College Application

 

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Receive inside track information on college admissions process, high school and middle school planning, general pre-college guidance, and be the first to know about our events and announcements.

 

 

 

By: Kate Sonnenberg

As you are undoubtedly aware, the spread of the coronavirus is starting to cause disruptions to daily life – including the ability for juniors to visit campuses this spring and for admitted seniors to attend preview days or weekends. The list of colleges and universities curtailing these events continues to grow each day (each hour, even), but to name just a few, Cornell and MIT have cancelled campus tours for prospective students indefinitely and Stanford, Harvard and UPenn have cancelled their admitted student events.

 

Some families have wondered whether they should nonetheless visit campuses, even if formal programming is not available, just to “get a sense” of the school. Clearly, this is a personal decision concerning travel and health safety. While visiting a college is typically a valuable part of deciding where to apply and where to matriculate, colleges such as Yale have specifically stated on their websites that they are discouraging prospective students and families from coming to campus, as their primary concern is keeping their currently-enrolled students and faculty as safe as possible. As situations change daily, be sure to check the website or call the admissions office before visiting any college.

 

For juniors, the stakes of not visiting college campuses in March and April are relatively low: campus visits are likely to resume in the summer months once the virus spread has been contained and effects of the virus are mitigated. For seniors, especially those who have never visited the campuses to which they have been admitted, or who are completely torn between or among their options, the stakes are, evidently, higher, because the student is choosing where to live and study for the next four years.

 

Here are some tips for what seniors can do if your family chooses to follow the college guidelines and not come to campus, even if just to walk around on your own:

  

1) Check with Admissions about what alternatives they are putting in place of admitted student days/weekends. Harvard, for example, has replaced its  “Visitas” weekend with “Virtual Visitas,” a series of online events and videos that will run for the month of April. While this may not be the same as an actual college visit, it will nonetheless provide students with a lot of helpful and relevant information.

2) Advise your child to call Admissions and ask for the names of students – more than one! – with whom they can speak. More than anything, a campus visit helps a student know if the college is a good fit –  can your child imagine themselves hanging out with the students they see in the student center? Can they imagine themselves having lunch with the kids they see in the dining hall? Are there clubs they want to join? While today’s high school and college students don’t spend a lot of time talking on the phone, this is the time to do so. Tell your child to have a real conversation with currently enrolled students and get a sense if these are people with whom your child wants to spend the next four years.

3) Suggest that your child go online and read the college’s newspaper. I always recommend picking up a copy of the newspaper on a campus visit to get to know a college better, and this is one area where a “virtual” visit is just as good. In fact, go back and read several issues of the newspaper to get a sense of what is really happening on the campus – newspapers are written by students for current students and are a terrific way to get the inside scoop on the college.

4) Suggest that your child reach out to professors by email and ask any relevant questions about potential majors or areas of study. Professors are generally receptive to these questions and are likely to be even more so in the wake of the cancelled visits.

5) Tell your child to research the college town to get a sense of its vibe. Most towns have websites or chambers of commerce that can provide helpful information.  Are there restaurants that are affordable? Are there places of interest to your student in the area? 

6) Parents can also do their own research about issues that are relevant to them, whether it be about financial aid, campus safety or career services. College websites will have a lot of information and parents should feel 100 percent comfortable calling the relevant offices if you have additional questions. This is also an ideal time to take advantage of the parent-to-parent advisory that Versed offers because nothing beats speaking to a parent whose own child has spent four years at the college your child is thinking about attending.

 

About Kate Sonnenberg:

Kate Sonnenberg, of KS College Success, is a graduate of Princeton University and the Columbia University School of Law. Prior to launching KS College Success, Kate worked as an application reader in the Princeton University Admissions Office, where she read thousands of undergraduate applications. She also volunteered for nearly a decade with the Princeton University Alumni Schools Committee and chaired the committee that interviewed students in Essex (NJ) and Hudson (NJ) counties. In addition to practicing law in New York and Seattle, Kate taught legal writing at the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law in Washington, D.C. and English Composition at the National University of Singapore.

Kate is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association and the New Jersey Association for College Admission Counseling. She regularly attends conferences, seminars and webinars and has personally visited over seventy-five colleges, where she often meets with admissions representatives to get the inside story about college admissions trends. Go to https://www.kscollegesuccess.com/ to learn more about Kate.

 

For additional information and insights, check out our blog: 

On the Road: Insider Hints for Helping Your Child Get the Most out of a College Visit

Most Prestigious Summer Programs

Meaningful summer activities that enhance college application

The Inside Scoop on Gap Year Programs: Stories from Parents Whose Children Took Time off Before College

 

 

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One of the benefits of high school is that classes are offered in more than just the four core subjects. Students are exposed to a wider array of fields, specialties, and opportunities to explore their passions. There are advanced-level courses, clubs, and out-of-school activities built to encourage your child to grow both academically and personally. Students with a budding interest in science may find their curiosity is peaked by a chemistry class or a robotics workshop. Those with a love for writing may discover a whole new role on the school newspaper. There are countless paths upon which your student can find themselves. 

 

During this period, your child may develop a special interest or knack for a specific subject. Not every student will experience this draw to a particular class, but it is important to encourage high schoolers to pursue what interests them. High school is a great opportunity for students to develop a focus. This does not need to be a future major or a career path, just something that gives them direction for the years to come. This focus may guide their choice in extracurriculars, clubs, summer opportunities, internships, and other involvements. Overall, it should be something that gives them pride and helps motivate them in the classroom. 

 

An added bonus to developing a focus is that it can ease the college admissions process by providing students an academic interest, an identifier, a way to see themselves as an applicant. It gives them something to talk, explain, even brag about. It can also provide them with direction when it comes to picking out college classes. Students that don’t enter college with an interest, academic or otherwise, in mind may risk spending valuable years pursuing the wrong major or not settling on one in time. This can cause them to take longer to graduate, costing additional time and money. 

 

While a focus can help with college apps, this fact shouldn’t pressure students into forcing one to materialize. Odds are, one won’t appear overnight. It’s more likely that they develop a focus over time. It doesn’t have to be hyper-specific either. Students may generally gravitate towards the humanities or creative projects. Others may do best working with their hands or leading a group. Some high schoolers have multiple interests and there’s no clear frontrunner. 

 

Students without a focus should spend time trying to identify one. Even the beginnings of one. They’re not always obvious. Potential areas of interest include mathematics, foreign language, history, science, English, or even fine art. A student’s focus should speak to who they are, what their strengths are, and what they like to do. Have your student ask themselves: 

 

What classes do they enjoy? What extracurriculars? Why? 

 

What type of work are they most enthusiastic about? (Papers, labs, art projects)

 

Who are their role models? Professionally or otherwise? 

 

What jobs or professions are they curious about?

 

What do they want to do (besides earn money)? 

 

Most high school students don’t view the few classes they’ve taken as gateways to entire fields of study. The pressures and monotony of the school day may not have encouraged them to feel particularly passionate about any subject, even those that they perform well in. 

 

The average high schooler doesn’t necessarily have an obvious subject that they’re passionate about or one that they would single out in this way. Some do, but most don’t. The problem isn’t that they’re actually uninterested. It’s more that they aren’t seeing their interests in the context of the larger picture. Most may not think of their minor interests as a stepping stone to something else. They don’t consider a position on a club board or volunteer involvement as indicative of anything beyond that month or that year.

 

Help your child to expand their thought process and think critically about where the things they like (online videos, fashion, cars, sports teams, even social media) come from, how they get there, and what roles are involved in its creation. 

If your student likes watching medical dramas… 

If they enjoy listening to mystery podcasts… 

If your child has read every graphic novel… 

If they help organize student protests… 

It’s not always obvious, but with some brainstorming and research, all students will realize that they do in fact have interests. Not just hobbies and favorite musical artists. 

 

Encourage your student to figure out what they actually enjoy doing and then brainstorm about how to translate that into a focus. Students don't need to evolve into geniuses in their chosen field. They merely need to feel curious and motivated to continue their studies. Their focus should be something they want to spend time exploring. It may even be something your student can see themselves transforming it into a career (but it doesn’t have to be!).

 

Have them consider their life outside of school. What do they do in their free time? Think about what your student is drawn to. What do they do outside of homework and academic commitments? How might their interests (even the small ones) translate into an area of focus? 

 

For example:

If your student enjoys baking and experimenting in the kitchen, they may like chemistry. 

If your child spends time building a gaming computer, they might enjoy exploring engineering. Even high schoolers that watch too much Netflix may find themselves interested in screenwriting or filmmaking once they realize the two aren’t all that different. 

 

In brainstorming, think about how your student can explore their focus further while in high school. Are there opportunities for them to take classes or workshops during the summer? Can they intern with someone in that field? Does their school offer courses or clubs in that area? It may help to talk to other students, particularly older ones, about their discovery process and how they grew their interest into a proven focus.  

 

If you are interested in speaking with one of our Advisors about helping your student find a focus, you can schedule an introductory free consultation here.

 

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Most Prestigious Summer Programs

Meaningful Summer Activities that Enhance College Applications

High School Extracurriculars Simplified

How to Help Your Teens Manage Their Time

When Students Should Quit Activities

How to choose colleges to apply to

 

 

 

By: Kate Sonnenberg

With Presidents’ Day weekend just around the corner and Spring break not so far off, it’s the ideal time for your child to visit colleges!  Visiting colleges offers great parent-child bonding moments and is also an important opportunity for your child to take a proactive role in the college admissions process. If your child is just starting their college exploration, try visiting different types of colleges – big, small, urban, suburban, rural. While your son or daughter may think they know exactly what kind of college they want to attend, visiting the opposite of what they think they want can be an important and illuminating experience. Students might surprise themselves and realize that there are more “good fit” colleges than they thought, or they might confirm their original preferences, but either way visiting a sampling of schools is a valuable experience.

 

Try to avoid the natural tendency - even if you will be traveling far from home - to pack too many college visits into one day or one trip. Ideally, your child should devote one day to each school, but definitely no more than two college visits per day. And here is why: there is so much more to a college visit than the Admissions Office Information Session and the student-led campus tour. While they are undoubtedly the first stop, a few insider tips can make a campus visit especially worthwhile. 

 

Visit the dorms: some tours will take you into a “typical” freshman dorm, but others do not. If not, encourage your child to ask the student tour guide if they can arrange a dorm visit for them. Remind your child that they will be living in this space for four years and they want to know about the room configurations and how the dorms are maintained. Be sure to inquire about upper-class housing, whether housing is guaranteed for all students, and whether the college is a four-year residential community. 

 

Arrange a class visit: many colleges offer prospective students the opportunity to sit in on a class and this can be a valuable experience. Encourage your child to look around at the students – do they seem excited and engaged? Is the professor dynamic? Can your children imagine themselves learning and thriving academically in this environment? Remember that sitting in on a class is a student experience, so, parents, go to the bookstore for some swag, but definitely do not go to class with your kid! If your child can’t visit a class, they can try to connect with a professor to learn more about the academics. Also, be sure to visit the library to get a sense of the academic vibe of the school. Are the students studying in groups? Are there inviting  areas where students can sit? How late is the library open? Is there a café in the library for coffee or snacks?

 

Check out the student center: the student center is the perfect place to grab lunch. Look around at the students – ask your child if they think the students seem like people they would be comfortable living and studying with for the next four years? Urge your child (even the shy ones) to talk to students; ask them about their experiences. What do they like about the college? What would they change if they could wave a magic wand? Do they like the food? What do they do on the weekend? Is the campus competitive or collaborative?

 

Walk around the campus and visit the spots left out of the tour: most tours will take you around the central section of campus – the main academic quad and the nearest set of dorms. Depending on your child’s interests, you should also check out the sports facilities or theater or music practice rooms. Is the gym inviting? Can your child imagine working out with the students they see? Does the theater have all the bells and whistles your child is looking for?

 

Be sure to remind your child to write down their impressions, because after a while colleges can blur into one another. Tell them to take photos and keep a journal. They will thank themselves (and you!) later for doing this. And, parents, remember that it is your child’s impressions that matter most, so save your opinions until after your child has shared their thoughts.

 

Finally, remember that any good trip requires good planning. Your child should research the schools they will be visiting. Make sure the college will be holding information sessions and tours on the days you want to visit. Remind your child to register and sign up for tours, if required. The better prepared your child is on the day of their visit, the more they will get from the experience, ideally making the college visit a positive first step on your child’s college journey.

 

 

Download the Versed Guide to Touring College Campus - this guide will help students know what to see, where to go, and what to ask, ensuring that they make the most of their time on campus.

 

About Kate Sonnenberg:

Kate Sonnenberg, of KS College Success, is a graduate of Princeton University and the Columbia University School of Law. Prior to launching KS College Success, Kate worked as an application reader in the Princeton University Admissions Office, where she read thousands of undergraduate applications. She also volunteered for nearly a decade with the Princeton University Alumni Schools Committee and chaired the committee that interviewed students in Essex (NJ) and Hudson (NJ) counties. In addition to practicing law in New York and Seattle, Kate taught legal writing at the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law in Washington, D.C. and English Composition at the National University of Singapore.

Kate is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association and the New Jersey Association for College Admission Counseling. She regularly attends conferences, seminars and webinars and has personally visited over seventy-five colleges, where she often meets with admissions representatives to get the inside story about college admissions trends. Go to https://www.kscollegesuccess.com/ to learn more about Kate.

 

 

If you are interested in speaking with one of our Advisors about college visits or or would like to learn more about how Versed can help your family with pre-college planning, please schedule a free introductory consultation here.

 

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For additional information and insights, check out our blog: 

Crafting a cohesive college application

Does your child need a private college admissions consultant?

How to choose colleges to apply to

When is a good time to start planning for college? Part 1

 

 

 

Most universities offer high schoolers the opportunity to study on campus over the summer. Typically via weeks or months-long residential programs, younger students are given the opportunity to play at being college students, walking across the quad to their advanced level courses as any other student would do during the school year.

This is debatably their intended purpose. Publically, most colleges maintain that their prestigious-sounding summer programs are meant to give high schoolers a taste of the college experience. They eat in the dining halls, sleep in the dorms, and most importantly take the kind of challenging academic courses that they’d encounter as a matriculated student. It’s a learning experience. 

This opportunity may seem like a dream for most students, particularly those that may feel understimulated or underwhelmed by the standard high school course load. There are definite advantages to exposing high schoolers to other subjects, greater challenges, and areas of study that break the boundaries of their current learning environment. Most high schools don’t offer classes in global health, film studies, journalism, modern art, or public policy and a summer program is a perfect opportunity for your student to explore those subjects. 

Moreover, accepted students are treated like Scholars and not merely Campers. A summer spent at a big-name university with like-minded peers may be what a student needs to really spark their interest in something and propel them into their college career. 

However, although this may seem like a great investment for high schoolers that are eager for that next chapter of their academic career, there are some misperceptions and setbacks to these programs that parents need to be aware of.

 

Pay-To-Play

First, the majority of these programs are outright expensive. Even for those with the means, there is an undeniable cost. With a price tag anywhere between $3,000 and 7,000 (more if you include travel, board, food, and other expenses), families are basically paying college tuition. 

While some may be willing to see this as a chunk of change well spent, the amount of money most summer programs charge changes the dynamic and diversity of the programs themselves. The high cost of admission creates a “pay-to-play” scenario, meaning only those with means can participate and are basically paying for the privilege to do so. Everyone else regardless of talent is left out. 

 

No Guarantees

Families should also be aware that most of these programs, while educational in nature, are still for profit. They exist to make money. Moreover, not every program is organized by the host institution. Some are run by companies that are simply renting classroom/dorm space while relying on the sway of a big name to attract participants. 

Those programs that are run by the universities in question maintain that no preference is given to summer program attendees. Participation in a summer course on their campus only shows an admissions committee that the applicant had an early interest in a subject. They do not guarantee entry or preference. 

The way most colleges see it, the main advantage of these programs is social experience and academic growth. Your child will graduate from their summer program with some new friends and a rudimentary understanding of advanced chemistry. They may be a stronger student and a more confident person, but they will not have earned themselves a spot at that institution.

 

 

So what’s the point of attending a summer program if it won’t help with admissions? With competition steeper than ever and students having to compete tooth and nail to appeal to admissions committees, why spend a whole summer (and a whole lot of money) on something that won’t set your child apart? 

There are still definitely advantages. While a summer program at a top tier university may be expensive and not guarantee your child’s admittance to their top choice school, there is still a chance that that summer is otherwise impactful for them. Your student may attend that astronomy lecture or group debate on ethics that changes the course of their academic career. They may discover their passion for a new subject or meet a similarly inspired peer that becomes a lifelong friend. 

A summer course may prepare them to be more competitive in school or give them the leg up they need to apply to more rigorous programs down the line. Keep in mind, there are programs that will turn an admissions officer’s heads. They are incredibly competitive and spaces are limited. But outside of those truly competitive programs, spending a summer studying debate or college-level physics may be the stepping stone your child needs to get to that level. 

 

The important thing to remember is that there are both advantages and disadvantages. And again: no guarantees. Whether or not that’s “worth it” is ultimately up to the student and their family. 

 

If you are interested in speaking with one of our Advisors about summer opportunities, you can schedule a free consultation here.

 

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Most Prestigious Summer Programs

Meaningful summer activities that enhance college application

High School Extracurriculars Simplified

Intro to Science Research

 

 

*Updated for Summer 2022*

The winter months are an excellent time to apply to summer opportunities, including internships, jobs, and summer programs. Application deadlines are often early in the calendar year and students will need a fair amount of time to prepare their materials. High schoolers should utilize any time off to research these opportunities and ensure that they’re ready and that they’re applying to roles that suit them.

Upon beginning your research, you may quickly realize that there are a dozen or so institutes and programs that stand above the rest. These are lauded as the most prestigious. Most are notoriously difficult to get into but are incredibly rewarding for the students that make it past the admissions process. We mentioned some options in our science research blog, including RSI and UCSC SIP, as well as the college-affiliated programs at Stanford, Princeton, and the University of Washington. Here are a few additional programs designed to help talented high school students have an engaging and enriching summer

For the summer of 2022, some are held virtually (with lower tuition), but many are being held on campuses. As things are still in flux, do check the website for most up to date information.

 

1) Telluride Association Summer Seminar (TASP)

Location: Cornell University, University of Maryland, University of Michigan

Length: 6 weeks 

Age Group/Year: Juniors

Cost: Free

Application Deadline: January 5, 2022

Previously TASP, the TASS program has gone through a significant change this year. Designed for the intellectually curious, TASS continues to be the most prestigious program for aspiring writers. Starting summer of 2022, TASS offers two different six week experiences: the TASS-CBS (Critical Black Studies) and the TASS-AOS (Anti-Oppressive Studies). TASS offers no grades or college credit, which encourages students to focus on their work for personal enrichment instead of for a reward. 

 

2) Stanford National Forensic Institute

Location: Stanford University, California

Length: 1-3 weeks 

Age Group/Year: For grades 7-8 and 9-12

Cost: Unannounced for 2022, $750-$4,500 in 2021

Application Deadline: May 20, 2022

Middle and high school students have studied with the Stanford Debate Society at Stanford University since 1990. Programs at the SNFI range from public speaking to parliamentary debate, policy, and congressional debate. 

 

3) Program in Mathematics for Young Student (PROMYS)

Location: Boston University

Length: 6 weeks

Age Group/Year: 15-19

Cost: $5,000

Application Deadline: TBA

For students that are particularly talented in mathematics, PROMYS is an established program where attendees are supported by a mixture of counselors, research mathematicians, and research scientists.

 

4) Notre Dame Summer Scholars

Location: Notre Dame, IN

Length: 2 weeks

Age Group/Year: Rising Juniors, Seniors

Cost: $3,950

Application Deadline: February 21, 2022

Notre Dame is meant to function as an academic and social peek into the future. Students can pick courses from 22 fields of study, earning college credit and having a taste of the university classroom all while being surrounded by like-minded peers. 

 

5) Interlochen Arts Camp

Location: Interlochen, Michigan

Length: 1-6 weeks

Age Group/Year: Grades 3-12

Cost: $1,675 - 9,950 (1-6 weeks)

Application Deadline: January 15th or Rolling

With classes in creative writing, dance, music, visual arts, motion picture art, theatre art, and more, Interlochen is a well-established and highly competitive program geared towards students with talents in the fine arts and humanities. 

 

6) The Summer Science Program

Location: New Mexico Tech, Univ. of Colorado Boulder, Purdue Univ., Indiana Univ. Length: 39 days

Age Group/Year: Rising seniors

Cost: Partially funded

Application Deadline: Feb 25th, 2022

SSP is seen as more of an immersive experience than a camp. Participants spend their time doing rather than watching, working to complete a research project in teams of three. There are also guest lectures and field trips. 

 

7) Otis Summer of Art

Location: Otis College; California

Length: 5-day to 2-day weekly programs

Age Group/Year: 15+ years

Cost: $1,500-$3,850 (based on 2, 3 or 5 days per week)

Application Deadline: Registration Open, rolling

Located at the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, this immersive course is meant to provide young students with the opportunity to study their art comprehensively. Students are encouraged to enroll in the 5-day module in order to truly optimize on their experience. 

 

8) The Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics (HCSSiM)

Location: South Amherst, MA

Length: 6 weeks

Age Group/Year: N/A

Cost: $4,913

Application Deadline: TBA

This program offers college-level mathematics for motivated students. The daily schedule includes morning classes, a pre-dinner Prime Time Theorem, and evening sessions. The course catalog includes "unusual" options, like "Really Really Really Really Big Things" and "Telepathy."

 

9) Wharton Global Youth Program - Leadership in the Business World & Management & Technology Summer Institute (M&TSI)

Location: University of Pennsylvania 

Length: 3 week

Age Group/Year: Rising Seniors

Cost: $8,999-9,000

Application Deadline: March 1

The Leadership in the Business World and the Management & Technology Summer Institute are two programs within the Global Youth Summer Program at the Wharton School of Business. These programs  at UPenn engage students in the world of business, leadership, technology and entrepreneurship. Participants will receive hands-on experience and learn from top executives and instructors while attending events and classes on campus.

 

10) Research in Science & Engineering

Location: Boston University

Length: 6 weeks

Age Group/Year: Rising Seniors

Cost: $4,900 plus Room & Board TBD

Application Deadline: Feb 14, 2022

RISE participants take either the "internship" or the "practicum" track, which allows them to either tackle a research project under the direction of a mentor or to conduct group research in a university setting under the guidance of a BU instructor. 

 

11) Clark Scholar Program

Location: Texas Tech University

Length: 7 weeks

Age Group/Year: At least 17 by camp

Cost: Free

Application Deadline: February 16, 2022

While many programs of note focus on specific areas of study, Clark includes a multitude of subjects. Participants spend the summer working one-on-one with a faculty member, gaining valuable research experience. Only about a dozen students are accepted.

 

12) Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC)

Location: Stanford University

Length: 4 weeks

Age Group/Year: Currently in grades 10 or 11

Cost: $3,250

Application Deadline: March 15, 2022

Either of SUMaC’s tracks (Program I or Program II) are great opportunities for students interested in advanced mathematics. Participants engage in lectures, guided research, group problem solving, and other activities that culminate in a research project. 

 

13) High School Honors Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Program

Location: Michigan State University

Length: Not offered in 2021, 2022 status TBD, 7 weeks

Age Group/Year: Rising Seniors

Cost: $3,800 (in 2020)

Application Deadline: TBD

Students that excel in the fields of math or science will find a cohort of similarly driven young students at this residential program. Though it is a noncredit enrichment program, students can still gain valuable experience at one of the top 50 research institutions in the US. 

 

14) Economics for Leaders

Location: Various

Length: 1 week

Age Group/Year: Rising Juniors and Seniors

Cost: $2,000

Application Deadline: February 9, March 16, April 13, 2022

This small, highly-selective program is led by economics professors/leaders on college campuses across the country, including Michigan, Yale, and UC Berkeley. Participants engage in the "economic way of thinking" through discussions, activities, and interactive sessions. 

 

Below are links to additional renowned programs that are recommended for the highly motivated and intellectually curious students. 

 

STEM

Canada/USA Mathcamp

MathILy

Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)

Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES)

Garcia Scholars at Stony Brook University

MDI Biological Laboratory Summer Research Fellowship

Secondary Student Training Program (SSTP) at University of Iowa)

Simons Summer Research Program

Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS)

Perimeter Institute International Summer School for Young Physicists (ISSYP)

The Jackson Laboratory Summer Student Program

National Institute of Health High School Summer Internship Program (HS-SIP)

 

ECONOMICS & BUSINESS

Bank of America Student Leaders Program

Young Women’s Institute

LaunchX

Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Programs

 

SOCIAL SCIENCES, POLITICS, & ADVOCACY

American Legion’s Girls and Boys State 

 

WRITING & JOURNALISM

Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop

Iowa Young Writers’ Studio

Princeton Summer Journalism Program (PSJP)

Cronkite Summer Journalism Institute (SJI)

JCamp

 

LANGUAGE, TRAVEL, VOLUNTEER

National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y)

Student Conservation Association National Crews

 

The important thing is to find a program that will benefit your student. These may be the most well-known or celebrated programs, but they’re not necessarily the right fit for everyone. In choosing a program, students should focus on meeting their personal needs and curiosities. This may mean reading a lot of brochures and flipping through countless course catalogs before settling on a program. Encourage your child to take time to really research the options and to apply to programs they’d be enthusiastic to attend. 

For a more detailed list of opportunities, check out our Opportunity Guide. It is a comprehensive listing of pre-college enrichment programs. The Guide details the vast array of US-based academic and extracurricular programs that provide opportunities for students to explore and pursue their interests and passions. It is not simply a copy-and-paste job from Google; we took care to curate our Guide, including programs that come highly recommended by our Parent Advisors.

If you would like to suggest programs to add to this list, or to our Opportunity Guide, please email us at info@askversed.com.

 

If you are interested in speaking with one of our Advisors about summer opportunities or any of the programs listed above, you can schedule a free consultation here.

 

Subscribe to our Newsletter 

Receive inside track information on college admissions process, high school and middle school planning, general pre-college guidance, and be the first to know about our events and announcements.

 

For additional information and insights, check out our blogs: 

Meaningful summer activities that enhance college application

High School Extracurriculars Simplified

Intro to Science Research

 

STEM Research Guide for High School Students

This is the Bible of STEM research for High School students. In one comprehensive document, we provide students with detailed guidance on why, when, and how to conduct research. Includes over 800 listings of Research, Internship, Pre-College, Summer, School Year, Enrichment, and Volunteer Programs. Designed for High School and Middle School students looking ahead, this guide includes top programs in every category including Biology & Health Science, Computer Science, Engineering & Robotics, Physics & Astronomy, Math and more.

 

Learn More and Purchase this Guide

 

 

 

 

Whether it’s a four day weekend or a month-long break, free time is a crucial resource for students, particularly juniors and seniors. High school students rarely have large chunks of uninterrupted time that they can dedicate to something outside of school work. For students applying to colleges, these breaks are excellent opportunities to tackle certain parts of the process that can’t fit into their regular schedule. Be sure your child is taking full advantage of their holidays by keeping these to-do items and activities in mind: 

 

1) Prepare for Tests and Exams

Students can either start or continue to prepare for the SATs, ACTs, SAT IIs, AP exams, or any other tests they have coming up. Encourage them to see studying over break as a way to build momentum. Their efforts should be adding to the even minor revision they were already doing. This is also a chance for them to study without constantly stopping to switch to another activity. They can spend mornings at the library without having to dash off to class or afternoons with a study group without being interrupted by sports practice. 

If they’ve been seriously revising already, a break spent without cracking a single book or flipping through their notes can prove to be enough to empty a student’s mind completely. Don’t erase all the hard preparation a student has already done by taking too much of a break. They don’t have to commit their SAT practice test book to memory, but they shouldn’t ignore it entirely either.

 

2) Essays

Every stage of essay writing takes time. Over breaks, students can be outlining, drafting, editing, or spell-checking their essays without the distraction of other academic responsibilities. The hour a night that your student is currently dedicating to writing might not be what they need to move their work into a final stage. Encourage your student to stay ahead of the task at hand and have their essays done sooner rather than later. Leave time for writer’s block, frustration, spelling mistakes, and all the other inevitabilities and frustrations of the writing process.  

Particularly for students that aren’t as strong writers or find themselves intimidated by the task, breaks are a great opportunity for them to sit down at their laptop and work at a more relaxed pace. Getting ahead of writing in this way will also save them the drama of leaving essay writing until the last minute and trying to finish their personal statement in between homework assignments and extracurriculars. 

 

3) Work on Professional Skills 

First things first, have your student write their resume. Most high schoolers, even seniors, don’t have a whole lot to be included, but writing the bare bones of a resume will teach them the structure. Students should understand what kind of information is relevant and learn how to speak to their different experiences. This exercise will also force them to meditate on their involvements and figure out how to explain them to a third party, a skill that can be useful in the college process. For example, a student on the robotics team will need to communicate the club’s purpose beyond “builds robots.” 

If your student already has an up-to-date resume, have them practice their other professional skills and polish all the materials that a job/internship application may need. Draft a thoughtful cover letter. Practice writing a business email. Sit down with a parent and have a mock interview. Work on phone manners. Set-up a LinkedIn profile or a business appropriate email account. These are all important and necessary skills that will come in handy later in life. Mastering them now will elevate the rush of having to learn them later. 

 

4) Apply for Future Opportunities

Students should use these chunks of free time to research and apply for internships, jobs, and other opportunities in their future. While they can spend a few hours on a Saturday doing this, breaks will give them more time to really dedicate themselves to finding a position that will both suit and benefit them. Otherwise, students may find themselves stuck searching for something last minute and having to take a position wherever one is open and not one they’re truly passionate about. 

For summer internships, in particular, high schoolers typically need to turn in their materials in the winter. Most organizations have deadlines that require everything to be completed months in advance. The benefit of this is that students will know their summer plans before the school year is over, freeing them up to focus on other things. 

 

5) Visit Colleges (Virtually during COVID)

For most high schoolers, prospective colleges are entire states and thousands of miles away. Even a student studying in-state usually has to go at least a couple of miles to get to campus. The logistics and sheer distance make overnights, tours, and on-campus interviews hard to fit into a regular two day weekend. Use long weekends as well as winter and spring break to travel to the schools your student is most interested in. Make the most of these road trips. Tie visits into travel plans the family already has or try to see more than one school in a region at a time.

Once there, give your student enough time to walk, not run around the grounds and get a feel of the school’s environment. They should have enough time to sit in on classes, talk to current students, or grab a meal at the cafeteria. It’s important to not breeze through these visits. Without these seemingly mundane details, a visit isn’t very different from a brochure. Make sure to do the things you can only do in-person and really take advantage of your presence on campus. 

 

Of course, students don’t need to be busy every minute of every day but make sure they utilize the time to tackle the things they don’t usually have energy or space for. Allow them to also take a well-deserved break. Catch up on emails and favorite television shows. The goal is for students to return to school with a few less items on their plate and a weight or two off their minds. 

 

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