We are so excited to have just released the 2012 edition of our book, Get Your Summer Strategy On! Written by our very own Jessica Givens, this book helps unlock opportunities to turn your free time during the summer into college admissions gold.
“Many colleges are declining to see test scores,” writes Givens, “and are, instead, focusing on the accomplishments of their applicants.” Compared to a few numbers on a page, Givens argues that “summer – a period of zero commitment and zero expectation – takes on a sparkly sheen as the golden opportunity to delve into personal and community interest.”
Givens, who started as a test preparation instructor at the Princeton Review and then moved into college admissions help, has a birds-eye view of what colleges are looking for in an increasingly competitive setting. “ I wrote this book because I saw how much more convincing an applicant was who had availed him/herself of summer opportunities, and because I learned that so few parents and students had any knowledge of summer’s potential value in the application process and the amazing wealth of summer activities available.”
The book outlines specific steps that can be taken in four different tactical areas to help strengthen future college applications, essays and resumes. It is a must read for students (or parents!) in high school at all grade levels – it is never too early to take advantage of summertime! The four main areas covered in the book:
- Participate in college summer programs – Involvement in summer academic programs shows students value education and academic excellence. These programs, offered at local colleges or prestigious colleges, are geared toward high school students, offering and introduction to college studies and expectations.
- Volunteer – Community service illustrates an applicant’s desire to make a difference, whether in his or her local community or abroad. Volunteer efforts should be focused in areas of genuine interest to the student and should reflect honest time spent. In addition to positively impacting your community and impressing college admissions boards, applicants can often apply for impressive community service awards as well.
- Take part in summer research programs – Familiarity and understanding of the research expectations at the university level can be hugely beneficial to applicants. Participating in a summer research program allows students to show they are prepared for college-level research requirements. Typically offered through an affiliation with a university, summer research programs also offer the opportunity to network within the university.
- Secure a meaningful summer work experience – A meaningful work experience signifies that a student is committed to furthering his or her knowledge of the field in which he or she hopes to study. Work experience must add focus, either through jobs that mirror a potential career or internships, to a resume.
Whether you’re heading into the summer before freshman year or the summer before senior year – there is actionable information in this book that will help you make productive use of your summer and make you more attractive to the admissions committees of your favorite schools.
To read an interview with the author, Jessica Givens, please click here.
The 2012 edition of Get Your Summer Strategy On is available as an eBook as well as a paperback! eBook versions are available on our website here. Hard copies are available on Amazon. We hope you enjoy it!
