Who knew we were all of those things she mentioned in her short video?
If your teen is looking for something to do over the summer, put them to work on college-related tasks to fight summer boredom. It’s never too early to start.
Here are five activities for the college bound to fight summer boredom:
The term “helicopter parenting” can feel disparaging at first, after all, is it really a flaw to be active in your child’s education, to take an interest in their wellbeing at school, and to be involved in their development? Of course not. However, of course, constant hovering over your children, stifling independence and decision-making, and perhaps becoming too involved in the autonomy of your teacher’s guidance can be a problem.
Now, we’re not accusing you of this at all. Most parents strike a healthy balance, and being a little too interested is certainly miles better than being too uninvolved or uncaring.
However, if you’re concerned, then it’s nice to know where the parameters are. In this post, we’re not going to tell you how much you can be involved in your own child’s education, or where to step away, or how to relate to your child’s school experience. That would be much too presumptuous.
Instead, we’ll discuss some awesome measures new parents can take when supporting their children’s schooling and development:
Any parent who is looking at college applications knows how important getting involved in extracurriculars can be. Your teen might not have the involvement in school activities that are going to impress the kinds of colleges they are looking for, but it’s not too late. However, there’s no denying that children who aren’t sporty can find it tougher to find the activities that they like. Here are some of the options you might want to nudge them towards instead.
Summer is approaching and you can look forward to hearing, “I’m bored”. My grandsons say this at least once a day and I’m sure your teenager has uttered these words as well.
Here are some suggestions to help keep them busy over the summer while using the time to promote learning and family togetherness.
Use extracurricular activities
Enrolling your student in a summer program or signing them up for a few classes during the summer break can help keep them occupied. This will also give them a chance to socialize and make new friends. If your child is not interested in any formal extracurricular activities, there are still plenty of options for keeping them busy.
For example, you can encourage them to start a garden, join a sports team, or take up a new hobby. There are also many fun DIY projects that kids can do around the house or in the yard. Encouraging your teenager to be creative and engage in positive activities will help prevent boredom during the summer break.
When your child is applying to a competitive college, every single thing that goes on the application makes a big difference. Grades are obviously very important, and so is the college application essay, but there will be plenty of students that have good grades and a great essay. So, how do the colleges choose between applicants? If they can’t separate them based on their grades and essays, they will start to look for other things, like extracurricular activities. The things that your child does outside of their normal studies make a big difference because they demonstrate a lot of the skills that colleges are looking for.
If your child participates in certain extracurricular activities that develop a wide range of skills, that looks great on their college application. It is often the thing that separates them from the other applicants and lands them their place, so it’s very important. There are all sorts of things that they can do, but it’s important that they choose something that they actually like. A college admissions officer will be able to tell the difference between somebody that is engaging in activities for their application alone, and somebody that is passionate about them.
If your child is not currently engaged in any extracurricular activities, these are some of the things that look great on college applications.
Student Government
Student government is a great thing to get involved with if your child has any interest in politics or even if they want more of a say in how their school is run. Colleges love it because it demonstrates a few very important qualities. Firstly, it shows that you are a good leader and the other students in your school look up to you as somebody that can be relied upon. Secondly, it shows that you are responsible and capable because you are trusted with important issues. Colleges also like students that are willing to engage with the student community and get involved in events that promote the college, so student government is a great thing for your child to put on their applications.
Educational Summer Camps
Educational summer camps are a great way for students to learn new skills and boost their existing knowledge so they can improve their grades. There are some great camps that teach very desirable skills, like Coder Kids, for example, which teaches computer coding skills. If your child attends these educational summer camps, it shows colleges that they are dedicated to their education and they are willing to put in the hard work. It will also help them to improve their grades, especially if there are certain subjects that they are struggling with.
Academic Teams And Clubs
Academic teams and clubs are another great way for students to show their dedication to education, especially if they enter competitions. It shows that where academic pursuits are concerned, that student is willing to rise to the challenge and push themselves so they can improve. It also demonstrates a competitive spirit which a lot of colleges like. If your child is particularly interested in a certain subject and they excel at it, you should see if the school has any teams or clubs that they can attend. Math and science clubs are the most popular, but there are teams for most academic subjects. If there is not one available, they should consider starting one of their own because this also demonstrates good organizational and leadership skills.
The Debate Team
The debate team has always been a very popular among extracurricular activities for students to put on their college applications. Being able to form a coherent argument is an important skill for college students when they are writing essays or giving presentations on a subject. Being a member of the debate team shows that you have the critical thinking skills to weigh up both sides of an argument and draw conclusions. It also demonstrates that you have good public speaking skills and you can perform under pressure. Their speaking skills are very beneficial in a classroom setting because they will encourage discussion among their classmates and improve the learning environment. People on the debate team are also more likely to have a good understanding of current events.
Internships
The thing that a lot of college students lack is work experience. This is an issue when they graduate and start looking for jobs because they do not have much real world experience. Colleges want as many of their students to graduate and get good jobs afterward because it reflects well on them, which is why they like applications that have obtained an internship. It also shows that you have the general skills that people need in the workforce like organisation, time management, and people skills. It also shows a level of maturity that a lot of students won’t have.
Volunteer Work
Volunteer work is a great way to give back to the local community and meet a lot of interesting people at the same time. It’s also great for developing new skills, and colleges love to see it on applications. In fact, a lot of the best schools consider it a must-have for any successful applicants. The best way to find volunteering opportunities for your child is to think about their existing hobbies and how they could incorporate them in a volunteering capacity. For example, if they are passionate about sports they could coach a local kids team. If they love animals, local shelters are always looking for people to help out. Volunteer work is only beneficial if it’s something that they really care about, so make sure that they find something that is a good fit.
A Part Time Job
Some applicants worry that their part time job doesn’t leave them enough time for extracurriculars and that will hurt their application, but that isn’t the case at all. Colleges recognize that some students need to work to help out their family so it won’t work against you. Having a part time job also teaches you a lot of the desirable skills that colleges look for.
If your child is in the process of preparing a college application, these extracurricular activities will be a huge help.
While many students are busy packing their bags and getting ready to leave for their first year at college, still others are working on their applications for the next round of admissions. Of course, if your child fits the latter category, it’s likely that they already have a college in mind that they wish to attend. Happily, by reading the post below you can find out about the tactics that will help them get into their first choice. Keep reading to discover more.
Address any study or subject issues
Number one of the list tactics is dealing with grades, as this is the base level that a college application will address. Happily, this is something that you can definitely help your child with, without micromanaging them as well. Firstly, it’s vital that you take a keen interest in their progress with their studies, without being overbearing and demanding.
Then, if they or their teachers flag up an issue on a particular topic, it will be much easier to address this constructively. It may be that your child is struggling with a specific subject, or that something is going on in their life that creating a distraction for them. However, as long as you are able to have an honest two-way conversation, you will ultimately be able to get them the support or help they need to ensure that their grades remain on target to get into the college of their choice.
Help your child to present a rounded application
Please do remember though that while grades are essential for college, they are not the only thing that the application board with be looking at. In fact, lately, there has been a definite move towards reviewing the whole person and looking at their extracurricular activities as well as their academic ones.
What this means is that you can quickly help your child by encouraging them to engage in activities outside of the home. These may include sports such as basketball, football, and athletics, as well as getting them involved in community projects like food banks, reading programs, and soup kitchens. Even having a part-time job, or getting some work experience in a firm that is related to their studies can go a long way to helping them stand out amounts all the other candidates. Something that can help them secure that much-needed place in their first choice school.
Seek additional help
It’s also wise to remember as a parent that there is plenty of help out there both for you and your child when it comes to making a successful college application. First off there is lots of advice online that can take you through the process step by step, and also help you hone your child’s particular application documents.
Although, if your child is aiming at one of the top schools in the country it can be helpful to approach specialists like Ivy Select admission consulting for some additional help. After all, as they have been through the process of being accepted to an ivy league college, they are the best people to know all the little tips and tweaks to make to your child’s application for the best chance of them getting into their first choice.
Explore financial aid and scholarship options
Lastly, it is important to remember that it may be finance and scholarship issues that are standing in the way of your child getting into their first choice college. In fact, as university fees have risen so sharply in recent times, it is widespread for students to pick the more economically viable options, rather than where they genuinely want to go.
Luckily you can assist your child in dealing with this, by going through the costs of their course with them, and showing them what sort of budget they will be working on. You can even help them by demonstrating how this will affect their income when they are qualified and have to pay any loans back.
It’s obviously also important to openly discuss how much, if any financial help you will be providing to them, and not leave them guessing. After all, this may have a significant impact on whether they end up applying for the genuine first choice or not.
Lastly, it’s crucial that you also go over the options for scholarships with your child as well, and make sure that they understand these entirely before they make their applications. After all, the can be complicated and confusing and they may even need to start working on things like their grades or other requirements before it gets to application time. Something that you can support them with and that can ultimately help them get into their first choice college.
No matter what stage they’re at in their educational journey, your kids should appreciate that the classroom only provides a platform. If they truly want to maximize the capabilities of learning to experience its greatest rewards, they must be willing to do more.
Frankly, going that extra mile is the hallmark of a champion. Here are five simple tricks that will fire your child to greater results than you ever thought possible. What are you waiting for? Let’s get to work.
Find Direction
Becoming well versed in various subjects is important. Ultimately, though, they will eventually need to choose a pathway en route to creating a great career for themselves. While youngsters shouldn’t feel forced into making a definitive decision, it doesn’t hurt to think about the future career ASAP. After all, this will help them know which subjects need to be prioritized or what courses may be taken further down the line. Apart from anything else, that vision will serve as great motivation throughout the journey ahead.
Complete Autonomous Study
Whether your child is a school pupil or a university student, you cannot expect the teacher to provide everything. They are a fountain of knowledge, but they can’t be expected to know everything. Their advice can form the basis, especially with regards to exam prep. Nonetheless, using services like GradeBuddy to enhance their knowledge of key topics should be on your child’s agenda. With that coupling of personal progress and class education, they should gain a deeper understanding. This should come as a huge help in both academic and practical ways.
Develop Key Skills
Education isn’t just about increasing their knowledge. You are ultimately trying to prepare your child for the best career and lifestyle. As such, encouraging them to take the time to invest in key transferable skills is an essential part of the process. This is especially true when you actively recognize a lack of confidence in public speaking and similar areas. Their studies are the perfect opportunity to work on those weaknesses as well as their strengths. Find the right balance to boost your hopes of success in the real world, and it will pay dividends in the long run.
Put The ‘U’ Into Education
Passing exams is one thing, but driving themselves towards a great career is another altogether. No two people are identical, and their education should be tailored to personal needs. Making education about the individual can be achieved through many methods. Learning a new language with DuoLingo, alongside a chosen field, allows your child to chase the dream of working abroad. Meanwhile, using practical approaches is far more rewarding for your personal tastes. Essentially, doing the best thing for them is the key to even greater success.
Gain Experiences
There’s more than one way to enhance your knowledge of a subject. Frankly, experience is just as vital as education, and is something colleges and employers actively seek. This is why extracurricular activities can become your secret weapon for future applications. Apart from impressing others, it’s a great way to boost their self-confidence and capabilities within a chosen field. If your son or daughter is looking for the perfect finishing touches to their strategy, this is the only answer they’ll need.
Grades are important on college applications, but the best way your kids can stand out to administrators is to have a few extracurriculars listed somewhere in their applications. While colleges do care about the grades of their prospective students, they also care about the character of people they admit; therefore, what your children do after school, during weekends and over summers tells them a lot about the kind of person they are. Not only do the following activities look good on an application, they help your kids become well-rounded individuals.
Part-time job
Most kids are encouraged to get a part-time job during the evenings and weekends because it will give them a little extra cash to spend on excursions with their friends, or saving for something big. However, jobs look good to a college administrator because they show reliability, professionalism, and time-management skills, as well as some extra qualities depending on what the job actually involves. Your child doesn’t need to write an entire essay on how to fill out your Marshalls application like a pro, but they can write about what they have gained from working during the weekends, and what they have learned about themselves. A part-time job also gives your kids valuable work experience that will help them get a part-time job during college if they need some extra cash to support themselves, and it will also teach them financial responsibility for the future.
Volunteering
While some kids would prefer some cash compensation for working in their free time, the benefits of getting involved in the community by volunteering cannot be overstated. Volunteering for a charity, either at home or abroad, can help your kids develop skills such as compassion, hard work, and fundraising, which will certainly be useful when they join clubs in college. Volunteering also shows initiative and a willingness to help others. All these qualities will shine on a college essay, especially if the topic of said essay is the goals of the charity your child works with.
Tutoring
One of the best ways to confirm that your child is a superb student in a particular subject is if they tutor other students in said subject. Tutoring is definitely something your child should mention in their application if they are hoping to major in this topic in college, or if they’re looking to get into teaching in the future. For your kids, tutoring teaches them patience, the ability to be flexible with their teaching plans if it doesn’t work for a particular student, and they’ll be able to give concise explanations – a talent that college administrators will appreciate when they read their applications.
School newspaper
Working on the school newspaper will sharpen your child’s writing skills, as well as teach them critical thinking and the ability to work to deadlines.Whether they want to major in journalism or not, these skills will be invaluable in the future, and it shows college administrators that your child is actively involved in school events.
Marketing your student to colleges is more than a list of activities and accomplishments on a high school resume. As I have noted previously, colleges look for consistency in extracurriculars. They also look for students who stand out on their college application. The best way to stand out is to take a soft skill (something your student is good at), and translate it into expertise.
According to Wendy David-Gaines, Long Island College Prep Examinerand POCSMom, students can use those skills to demonstrate expert ability, even though they might see those skills as hobbies or interests. Once those skills are identified, it’s time to show expert knowledge:
To show off expert knowledge, write a blog with tips, photos and/or videos. Tutor someone, teach a class at a local library, or organize a club event. Contact the local newspaper for coverage featuring a volunteer project, art showing at a local museum, free performance at a school, child care or senior center.
Becoming an expert will make your student stand out in college applications, scholarship applications and eventually in the job market. It’s all about the marketing and giving colleges, scholarship judges, and employers something that makes your student stand out among a sea of applicants.
For more ideas and information on how to take a soft skill and turn it into expertise, read Wendy’s post:
Say what? A hobby can be a plus on your college application? You bet! What do hobbies communicate? Passion. What are college admissions officers looking for? Passion.
Hobbies and Extracurriculars
Hobbies can be a valuable component of the extracurricular record. If your teen already has a hobby, help them find clubs or organizations related to that hobby. Hobbies can also be used as a non-teenager activity. These activities are viewed by admissions counselors as unique and can often differentiate your teen from other applicants. If your teen is interested in writing for instance, blogging might prove beneficial. Many admissions counselors are looking for those unique qualities that set your teen apart from the thousands of applicants in the pool. If your teen raises homing pigeons, for example, a counselor might find this fascinating and vote yes on an application that is sitting in the maybe pile. There are all kinds of hobbies that can lead to college majors and future careers. (i.e. forensic science, gaming, history buff). Whatever hobby your teen has chosen, find a way to incorporate it into the high school resume and utilize it as one of the many components of the extracurriculars.
Hobbies and the College Essay
Experts recommend that students take every available opportunity on an application to fill in details about who they are and how they spend their time. Talk about your Etsy shop, rock band, or videography for example, if they highlight your individuality, personality and passion.
You can use the essay to talk about why you chose this hobby and why this makes you passionate – and then definitely include why the university that you want to go to will help you get to where you want to go in the future.
Explaining your hobbies in your college application can also help officials recognize valuable traits that aren’t revealed in a high school transcript. For example, admissions officials say entrepreneurship in high school shows that you’re a leader who takes action – a characteristic that colleges value.
Paul Hemphill, College Planning Expert, relates a story about one of his students who spent the weekends tending to the graves of Civil War soldiers. He parlayed that into an amazing essay about respect, honor and commitment. As you can imagine, this unusual hobby made the student stand out in the college application process.
Hobbies and Scholarships
And here’s a bonus: turn your hobbies into college cash! Scholarship Experts points out that many hobbies are showcased by organizations that award scholarships to those who pursue that hobby: amateur radio, poetry, art, knitting, and video for example. And don’t forget about the Bass Fishing Scholarship offered by several colleges.
Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Wendy and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!
The bonus is on the fourth Wednesday of each month when Wendy and I will host Twitter chat #CampusChat at 9pm ET/6pm PT. We will feature an expert on a topic of interest for parents of the college-bound.
Wednesday’s Parent will give twice the info and double the blog posts on critical parenting issues by clicking on the link at the end of the article from parentingforcollege to pocsmom.com and vice versa.
While many students are busy packing their bags and getting ready to leave for their first year at college, still others are working on their applications for the next round of admissions. Of course, if your child fits the latter category, it’s likely that they already have a college in mind that they wish to attend. Happily, by reading the post below you can find out about the tactics that will help them get into their first choice. Keep reading to discover more.
Marketing your student to colleges is more than a list of activities and accomplishments on a high school resume. As I have noted previously, 