More for summer...

Now is the perfect time to finalize summer plans!  The blog post on December 1, 2016, offers a lot of information and links to various programs and here are three additional programs to consider:

2017 University of Florida Summer Residential Academic Programs

Center for Precollegiate Education and Training Applications are available on the website: www.cpet.ufl.edu/students. There are one and two week residential progams in the sciences, technology, environmental toxicology and more! Winter break is a great time for students to work on CPET application essays.

For more information contact the UF Center for Precollegiate Education and Training at 359-392-2310 or cpet@cpet.ufl.edu.

2017 Stevens Institute of Technology Precollege Programs

https://www.stevens.edu/admissions/pre-college-programs/available-pre-college-programs

All of the programs are carefully designed by the SIT faculty to be creative, project-driven, hands-on immersions that give you not just real college experience, but real world experience too. They range from the sciences to engineering to architecture to cybersecurity and even entrepreneurship.  By night you’ll live in the dorms, by day you’ll visit major corporations, work on a tangible project and learn alongside experts. You can choose to participate in more than one program during the summer, as long as the program dates don’t overlap.

2017 FSU Young Scholars Program
http://www.bio.fsu.edu/ysp/
This is a prestigious six-week residential summer science and mathematics experience for outstanding Florida high school students. The program runs July 11 through July 22, 2017 and the application deadline is February 15, 2017. 

PSAT Scores Are Out!

Student PSAT/NMSQT score reports were released to students on Monday, December 12th. The following information from College Board is useful in understanding the scores and how to use the information.

Access your SAT Suite of Assessment scores with personalized feedback, practice, college planning and career exploration resources.

https://studentscores.collegeboard.org

• See all your scores and if you are on track for college readiness
• View detailed explanations of skills required to be college ready
• Send your scores to Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy^® for personalized practice recommendations
• Search for colleges that fit your needs
• Access your PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index score used for participation in programs conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation
• Start on your scholarship and college financial aid plan
• Explore Roadmap to Careers to learn about jobs and college majors that are right for you
• Get feedback on your readiness for AP courses

About Those Numbers

When you view your online score reports, you’ll get summaries of your performance on each test and content area. You can also filter results and drill down to see how you performed on easy, medium, and hard questions or on questions that measure different skills. Percentiles will show how you did compared to your peers.

Next Steps

Online score reports do more than show you which skills you should work on. They also connect you to:

• Free, personalized SAT study on the Khan Academy® platform based on your test results
• AP courses through AP Potential^™ feedback
• Roadtrip Nation, where you can create your own career roadmap
• College Search and Major and Career Search on BigFuture

What Should I Do With My Summer?

Many of you have asked what students should do over the summer in order to strengthen their profile for college applications.  This is an excellent question! What you do with your summer – and how you articulate that to the colleges – can be an extremely valuable aspect of a student’s overall “package.” There are a few important points to understand as you proceed:

1. What is highly recommended for you to do with your summer is something with meaning, intent and interest! Some of the excellent options include:

1. Work! Holding down a job shows responsibility and is a great way to build your resume, especially if you can progress in the position.  (By the way, working as a Camp Counselor IS a job, and an excellent one at that.)

2. Take classes. Yes, you can take classes through a variety of summer programs on college campuses but you can also take online courses, FLVS high school courses, or enroll for one or two classes at Palm Beach State College.

3. Volunteer. You can make a difference in your local community or even travel to participate in a service opportunity, such as Habitat for Humanity.

4. Travel. Travel can be fun as well as a learning experience.  You can plan a range of destinations, including visits to college campuses that you may be interested in learning more about.

5. Camp. Students who have a strong desire to continue attending their beloved summer camp can absolutely still do so as part of a meaningful summer experience.

6. Enrichment Programs. These can range from academic interests to recreational ones; can take place on college campuses or the side of a mountain. There are several links at the bottom of this letter which will provide a wide range of options and types of programs. Just follow the link(s) for specific details about each program, including application requirements, deadlines and costs.  Note that there are MANY other programs out there in addition to these so feel free to continue exploring. Some of these programs have already opened their application process for summer of 2017 and others won’t begin until December or January.  Please do not wait to explore your interest!

2. Don’t forget that a little down time is a good thing!  It is ok to spend some time with friends, go to the beach and sleep in; however, if these things become your entire summer you have lost a valuable opportunity.

3. Just because a summer program has a high sticker price does not mean it is the best summer option.  Colleges are well aware that those amazing summer programs are not an option for everyone due to the cost or other obligations, so they are not required or even recommended for admission. However, note that if attending one of these valuable programs is of interest to you but cost is a concern, some of them do offer scholarships or other discounts.

4. Keep in mind that whatever you do, take notes or keep some kind of journal or record of your experiences.  This could lead to a truly meaningful and interesting college essay.

Follow these links to documents that include descriptions and links to specific summer programs:

Summer Programs in Arts, Media and Entertainment

Summer Programs in Business

Summer Programs for Future Doctors

Summer Vet Programs

Summer Programs in Israel