Patch Blog: College Advising—Summer Fun for Your College Future

Ah, summer. Time for relaxing and letting your mind run free.  It’s a perfect time for something different. This is the time of year when parents often ask us, “What can my child do this summer to look good for college?”  There are many answers to that question, but let’s talk about a little known use of summer time.  Do something really big.  We encourage every one of our students to take on a cause or a project and take it to the top.  Don’t just do a service.  Command the service. Don’t just build something.  Make it impressive and make it work! 

Big projects are best when they are fun, summer activities. If you are a drama queen, put on a play at your local church. Read books aloud online. Sing a song (see below!) Get your friends to accompany you. In reality, if it’s not fun, it might not get done.  (See an example of an excellent and playful summer project at: http://davidad.net/everymajor.mp3)

So rather than approach the subject of extra-curriculars in a calculating way, why not just do what you love to do and do it big?  Anything you choose from teaching dance in the inner city to tutoring kids at the library will work.  Give back to the world with something from you that you know others will love. You will be awe-inspiring—and that’s a quality that is irresistible to everyone (including admissions committees).

To get started, we brainstorm with students. What do they wish they could do?  What can they already do? Juggle? Great. Put on a weekly show at the senior center. Teach your friends. Start an indoor, traveling circus.  You can make a difference with all those balls in the air!

Admissions officers are looking for interesting students and students with an interest in the world.  We know that you’re already an ambitious student.  Otherwise you wouldn’t be applying to college. The point of a big project is to use your talent and enthusiasm to spark imagination in the minds of others.  Through whatever means, your project will be something that goes beyond you, and into the world.  The real beauty is that besides creating a great topic for your future college essay, you will actually be creating a new you—one more focused and confident.

We have pages of ideas for big summer projects, but the only project for you is the one you want to do.  Your fire must burn from within.  And while we hope that you’ll be the one who will put on a solo violin concert at the library and raise $5,000 for the local homeless shelter, it will also work to get all your engineering-type friends together and build a trebuchet to show off at the local Fourth of July picnic.  Make it fun and do it big.  You’ll go far with that—and so will the water balloons you launch!

All the best from Perfectfitcollege.Net