Seize the Summer (2023 Edition)
Summer is here! Is your student sign up for a summer program? If so, great! Quality summer programs are fantastic application boosters. Make sure your student takes advantage of all that their program has to offer. But, if your student missed the deadlines or couldn’t find a summer program that suits their interest, there’s no need to worry! There is plenty your student can do to continue building their academic profile.
One idea is to have your student plan and begin researching an independent project. Or, your student can apply to contests to win academic awards. If neither of these ideas work for your student there are other things they can do to keep busy while stimulating their academic curiosity.
Rising Seniors:
Applying to your first choice school can be a long, drawn out process. The application itself can take months to finish. Each year, Ivy Link gets a rush of stressed-out students who need help with their applications. To avoid the stress, here’s what you should focus on (and don’t wait until August!):
Prepare a “template” essay early on. This will be a good base that can be used in different applications.
Finalize your school list. This is a big decision process that is worth spending a lot of time thinking about. Make a pros and cons list, and decide which school will be your ED/EA choice.
Line up recommendation letters. This is more time-consuming than you think! Teachers or mentors may not see your email, or they may want you to draft a letter for them to build upon. Some might even bail! So start asking now, and line up as many quality recommendations as possible.
Research scholarships. Applying for them is a process in and of itself!
Prepare your activities list. This too is more time-consuming than most students realize. The Common App asks for a lot of detail for each of the activities you include, so take a look at the application and start compiling that information now.
Rising Juniors:
Eleventh grade is a challenging year. Classes become more difficult, final projects become more involved, and students have to prepare for upcoming SAT and ACT tests. To get ahead of the stress, we recommend our students do the following over summer break:
Get ahead of your upcoming classes. If you know the upcoming reading list for English, or have access to the syllabus for math and science classes, take advantage! It never hurts to get ahead, and you’ll likely thank yourself later.
Create your own project. Turn your talents into a summer-long project.
Research scholarships. The sooner you start the better!
Begin prepping for the SAT and ACT. If you haven’t done so, register to take Ivy Link’s SAT or ACT diagnostics to determine how much prep you’ll need.
Rising Sophomores:
At this point, there may not seem like a sense of urgency in preparing for college. But it’s never too early for your student to start planning their future. Getting a head start on this planning allows your student time to strategize achievable goals that have maximum impact on their record:
Research profile boosters. Spend some time looking for interesting scholarships/awards and internships to enhance your profile.
Plan for the upcoming year. Make the most of your school’s offerings in academics and extracurriculars.
Get involved. Brainstorm interesting ways to get involved at school and outside of school, such as joining a club with a leadership role.
Whether it is Test Preparation, Academic Tutoring, or College Admissions Advising, Ivy Link helps students maximize their potential and carve a path to success. For further information on any or all of our highly-regarded one-on-one programs, contact us today.
