Summer Counts

The countdown to college can start with summer breaks.  Summertime can be used to enhance a transcript or  resume. At any grade level, there are lots of things to do.  College visits and community service could become part of your family vacation.  Before vacation, your child could take a course, find a job or an unpaid internship.  Finding neighborhood projects, like pet-sitting or yard work for the neighbors looks good on a resume.  Rainy days could be used for exploring college websites and taking their virtual tours. 

If your child has never been on a college campus, find some local ones and do a drive-through.  If possible, park in the center of campus, then visit the student union, dining hall, and any classroom buildings that are open.  Try to go while summer school is in session, so if your child is brave enough to approach some students, she can ask questions.  If she is too shy, just looking around at the campus might be enough.  Take time to look at several different types of campuses- a city location with an enclosed campus and another one right on the streets of the city; a suburban campus that may be nestled among residences or one that sits adjacent to a college town; and a rural campus, that is miles away from stores, restaurants, and a larger community.

Some high school students may attend programs on a college campus, during the summer.  Check with the high school counselor or coach to find out what is available.  Many sports camps use the fields and dorms for their programs.  You can find music and arts camps, computer workshops, and so many other organizations using campuses as their summer base. 

Another use of summertime, is to take a course.  Many school systems are cutting back summer school programs, due to poor economic times, but community colleges offer courses all year round.  Have your child look through the catalog for an interesting course. Sometimes it can be accepted by your local high school as credit toward graduation. Talk to your child’s counselor, or better yet let her ask the counselor.  If your school system does offer summer school, let your child take a course that may be more difficult to take during the regular school year.  Having the summer to devote to one hard subject may reduce stress or allow for a lighter load during the school year.

Summer jobs are hard to come by in these tight economic times, but volunteering can be a big payoff.  Some school systems require service-learning and summer is an ideal time to complete this requirement.  Colleges always look for students who give time to the community, so finding a community service project is an ideal summer endeavor.  Creativity in planning her own community service project could promote initiative and leadership skills. Taking on an unpaid internship in an area of interest is another way to spend summer break.  Finding out she likes or doesn’t like a career path may save you and her money and time later on, especially when you are paying for a college education. 

No matter the weather, your financial circumstances, your transportation difficulties, or your availability for your child during the summer months, she can find several ways to use summer as a stepping stone to college.