| At last, summer is here! After a school year full of | | | | abouteight weeks. Given that the typical summer is |
| hard work, you canfinally put away your books, break | | | | twelve weeks long, you’llstill have several weeks |
| out your bikinis, and soak up thesunshine. This is not | | | | for relaxation and, of course, working oncollege |
| only what you deserve but in fact what you need: | | | | applications. IvyWise students in the past have interned |
| Ifyou have been working to your maximum level during | | | | in theoffice of Senator Hillary Clinton, conducted original |
| the school year,you owe your body about two weeks | | | | cancer research athospitals alongside professors, |
| off during the summer for a realbreak. Go ahead and | | | | reported for major and localnewspapers, and interned |
| pursue your favorite pastime, relax, sleep, andreflect | | | | at a variety of companies ranging from lawfirms to |
| on the past year and the year to come. Do not, | | | | Goldman Sachs. |
| however, get tooused to your life of leisure! From a | | | | If you’re a serious athlete with the chance of |
| college admissions standpoint, it’simportant to be | | | | being recruited for yoursport in college, you will likely be |
| productive during your summer months. Working | | | | spending the majority of your summerson the field or |
| islooked upon favorably by the more selective | | | | in the gym, where coaches will get a chance to watch |
| colleges; working on yourtan is not. | | | | youplay. Sports camps and workshops are great for |
| It is important to understand that when it comes time | | | | serious studentathletes; this is the path you must |
| to apply to schoolsin the fall, you will be competing for | | | | pursue to achieve entry into college-level athletics. |
| admission against a wealth of otherstudents who | | | | Before you leave for summer break, I also |
| made the most of their summers by strengthening | | | | recommend asking yourschool for next year’s |
| theirtalents and skills and/or making up in some way | | | | reading list for English and history. Beginningyour |
| for their weaknesses. | | | | reading early is a great way to get a jump start on |
| Ideally, you have already found something to do for the | | | | next year’shomework. Also, starting your |
| summer, but ifnot, here are some summer suggestions. | | | | reading list during the summer will helpyou gain a |
| For the summer after ninth grade, summer school can | | | | deeper understanding of the assigned material: When |
| be a great idea,particularly if you want to get ahead in | | | | yourevisit your summer reading during the school year, |
| your curriculum. For example,rising sophomores in the | | | | you will be familiarwith the basic story and will |
| past have used their summers to skip ahead intheir | | | | therefore be equipped to conduct a betteranalysis of |
| math track, some by taking a class that prepares | | | | the text. Also, if you choose to remain in your |
| them for anhonors or advanced level course, others | | | | hometownduring the summer, colleges will love to see |
| by taking an intensive mathcourse that spans at least | | | | you continuing your schoolyear community service |
| six weeks of the summer. Other studentshave chosen | | | | activities through the summer months. |
| to use their summers to take composition or | | | | Summer don’ts: |
| creativewriting courses to strengthen their writing skills. | | | | #1: CAMP. Unless you are a focused athlete and you |
| For the summer after tenth grade, you might want to | | | | are attending asports camp, sleepaway camp and |
| try participating in aprogram designed to strengthen | | | | camping trips should end before thesummer before |
| one of your main talents. For example,if you’re | | | | ninth grade. The only exception to this rule is if |
| interested in engineering, you could try a program that | | | | astudent has the opportunity to take on a leadership |
| teachesstudents to design their own autonomous | | | | role such as a CIT,and even then, the summer before |
| robots, such as Carnegie | | | | ninth grade should be the last year atcamp. Colleges |
| Mellon West’s seven-week RoboCamp. | | | | are not looking for experts in the arts of |
| Students who are artisticallyinclined may want to try | | | | s’more-makingand Spin the Bottle! |
| Northwestern’s National High School Institutes | | | | #2: TEEN TOURS. It may sound great to travel around |
| (colloquially known as “Cherubs”), during | | | | the country witha busload of other kids in your age |
| which students who excel inmusic, theater, journalism, | | | | group for a couple of weeks, andwhile it’s true |
| film, debate and/or forensics hone theirtalents through | | | | that you would get to sample the cuisine of many |
| intensive workshops in their areas of interest. | | | | different |
| Anothergreat opportunity for prospective film students | | | | McDonald’s locations across the country, this will |
| is through University of | | | | not help you get intocollege. On a teen tour, students |
| Southern California’s Summer Seminars, where | | | | can never get to know one place well,and it’s |
| students can studyeither screenwriting, the business | | | | likely that they will be with students like themselves and |
| and technology of film, or basicanimation techniques. | | | | willtherefore not get the opportunity to stretch. Teen |
| The summer after tenth grade also might be used to | | | | tours are so organizedand scheduled that it’s |
| go away on aprogram abroad. Two great resources | | | | nearly impossible for any one student to make |
| for finding abroad programs are and [ where you can | | | | animpact in his or her community. Students should |
| punchin specific countries and interests and find | | | | make sure thatwhatever they do over the summer, |
| hundreds of excellentprograms that are off the beaten | | | | they are somehow making animpact, whether it be on |
| track. I recommend committing to aprogram of at least | | | | an organization, a favorite cause, or a foreign orlocal |
| six weeks: A true cultural immersion will usually | | | | community. |
| takemore than a month, and it will take two weeks | | | | #3: “IMMERSION” TRIPS. Any so-called |
| just to get over your jetlag! Also, try to travel to a | | | | cultural immersion trip thatlasts three weeks or less, |
| country where the residents speak the | | | | particularly those of the Putney or ASA brand,is not a |
| foreignlanguage you’re taking in school. In order | | | | wise use of summer time. These trips break up a |
| to make the most of yourexperience, try and stay | | | | student’ssummer and take the place of an |
| away from programs with too many other | | | | in-depth program; they are vacationsrather than |
| Americans, and try to devote yourself to one place for | | | | commitments and are not something to add to a |
| the entire stay. | | | | college bragsheet. Again, students should choose a |
| For example, if you’re taking Spanish in school, | | | | program off the beaten trackthat lasts for a minimum |
| it’s best to go to Mexicoor a Central or Latin | | | | of six weeks so they have the opportunity togrow |
| American country rather than Spain, which is | | | | and to make an impact. |
| oftenteeming with Americans. Also, in cities such as | | | | #4: SUMMER SAT PREP. If you’re a rising |
| Barcelona, thelanguage of choice is Catalan as | | | | junior, the summer is not thebest time to start |
| opposed to Spanish. | | | | preparing for your standardized tests. Sure, working |
| The summer after eleventh grade is a good time to | | | | onvocabulary a few hours a week can never hurt, but |
| try and find aninternship or other type of employment | | | | devoting chunks ofyour day to SAT tutoring or a class |
| experience in one of your fieldsof interest. If | | | | will only take the place of an activitythat you can put |
| you’re interested in a sports-related career, | | | | on your brag sheet. Furthermore, you are likely |
| let’s say, this isan excellent summer to work for | | | | toforget a lot of what you learn during the summer; |
| a sports agency or a sports channelsuch as ESPN. To | | | | you will absorb farmore during the year, when you are |
| see the sports world from a different angle, you | | | | in “school mode.” |
| mighteven want to try working in a law firm that has a | | | | On a final note, when you are setting aside your |
| history of representingathletes. Not only would you gain | | | | personal time, makesure you allow yourself time to |
| valuable experience that would giveyou a leg up on | | | | have fun! As high school progresses, thecourses |
| even the average college student, you might find a | | | | inevitably get harder and your workload will |
| newtranslation of your passion for sports. | | | | increases—it’simportant to use your summer |
| Remember, nepotism is not looked upon favorably, so | | | | break to unwind and reflect. While thereare always |
| make sure yourwork experience is aligned with your | | | | weekends during the school year, there’s nothing |
| interests and not with your parents’careers. | | | | like asunny Wednesday on the beach, so please, |
| After all, you are not just spending the summer in | | | | make the most of yourfreedom while you can! Have a |
| Dad’s office;this should be made clear to the | | | | great summer, and we’re lookingforward to |
| colleges. Likewise, if you’re holdingdown a job or | | | | hearing your stories. |
| internship, the ideal amount of time to do this is for | | | | |