It is hard to believe, but summer is coming up in two short months. So what are you going to do? Imagine a summer where you earn enough volunteer hours for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, or intern with an amazing doctor or complete a fun college course to accelerate your learning–all for free. With numerous “prestigious” summer programs costing thousands of dollars, what will you do to get ahead, and without going bankrupt? Look through these 6 ways to improve your summer and accelerate your college application!
Create a Passion Project
Essentially, a passion project completely showcases your interests and can be constructed on a large or small scale. To create a passion project, consider this equation : Academic Interest + Personal Interest + Values. Moreover, the great thing about passion projects are that they can be completely cost-effective. Great examples of passion projects are Blogs, Podcasts, Online Books, local initiatives and even research! The hardest part of the passion project is simply figuring out what to do the project on. Start your own passion project and let your interests shine, pursue what you love most.
Developing her interest in crocheting, Jarah Diop a Sophomore at DHS, expands that “I was able to turn my idea into an initiative within a month, and soon we were on our way shipping crocheted toys to Africa!” You may think of these ideas as small or unimpressive, but many of these ideas have expanded into national initiatives, gaining state-wide and national recognition. Make yours the next!
Become an Intern
Don’t want to waste thousands of dollars on that “prestigious” medical or engineering program? Direct interning with well-experienced professionals in the career field you desire gives you radically more experience than any program, as you are getting hands-on experience of that career. To get an internship simply contact a professional in the field you desire, and most likely they would love the help! A win-win situation for both! Please note, that you will probably get an unpaid internship–but the experience and volunteer hours is arguably much more beneficial than any summer program you were interested in. For templates on cold emailing look at Iris Fu, Julie Kim Consulting, and Gohar Khan on Youtube!
Take a college course
You can expand your interest in your passion, favorite hobby or just any objective that interests you through a college course. Experience high-level thinking and a whole different experience at college courses. Community Colleges offer a broad array of courses ranging from law to finance—many of which are not available at school. Take advantage of this opportunity and sign up for a course you are passionate about! To sign up for a college course, go to your local community college’s website to find more information on available courses and application dates. Examples of local community colleges are Las Positas and Foothill College.
Get a job
Pursue your greatest interest and gain valuable work experience when you get a job anywhere. Often jobs or experience most related to the career path that you wish to pursue will accelerate your college application. For example if you wish to pursue finance, get a job as a math tutor! Work experience is often found to be one of the most valuable experiences as you can build real-world skills that you can directly apply later in life. Even the College Board explains that a job “teaches students about responsibility and can also reinforce what they are learning in school”.
Volunteer
Volunteering is found to be one of the most valuable assets to your resume, college application or any display of your work, as it showcases what you do for the community without expecting any reward. Whether it’s volunteering at the hospital, senior center, the police department, or even a local campaign–any volunteer work or service towards the community is actually beneficial towards you. Even if you dedicate two hours a day to volunteering, you will easily be able to gain the Presidential Volunteer Service Award– an award that will give you high recognition for your work. Gaining the Presidential Volunteer Service Award is a huge asset to your application, as it showcases how large of an effort you have put into servicing the community. It is also a perfect addition to your awards category!
Try a sport
During summer most of us chill on our phones or binge-watch the latest TV show–but it’s time for you to finally get up and try a sport. While many of you might already think it’s too late to try a sport and get really good at it–but simply participating and involving in a sport can do wonders for your success! Through sports, many students attain several scholarships and that drastically changed their college application journey! So, during summer, practice as much as you can–and join that fall sport you have always wanted to. Examples like Cross Country and Track and Field, are popular sports that have high rates of scholarships.