#summer privateprep

Summer is officially upon us. While some high-school students have prepped elaborate college admissions-worthy programs, your teen may not have locked down a plan yet. Don’t worry – there are still options.  

Here are four of our College Admissions Coaches’ favorite ways to ramp up summer at the last minute.  

1.  Give Back

The NYC Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services has a long list of volunteer opportunities which can continue through the coming school year. New York Cares has a Youth Volunteering program offering ways for teenagers to get involved. Or tell your child to sign up at Do Something and make activity books for children in the hospital. Most organizations can always use an extra set of hands in the summer for tackling big projects –the sky is the limit.

2. Get Creative

Love snapping artsy photos on his iPhone? Start a portfolio! Choose a topic, take a photo a day, and post it to a Tumblr page with a mission-driven name. Then promote it through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

3.  Get Informed

Learn something fun this summer and get college credit. Brown offers tons of cool classes with flexible application deadlines, a favorite last-minute option of college coach Emily Wolper. Art classes are available at the New York Film Academy and the School of Visual Arts in New York City, or learn how to code – the language of our future – at the iD Programming Academy. Want to travel abroad, check out Bauhaus to Buenos Aires, a photography show at the MOMA or an exhibit on American culture at the Whitney Museum to broaden perspective in advance of the trip.

4.  Get a Job

Yes, it’s as simple as that. The ability to hold a genuine summer job will impress admissions officers the country over.

Obsessed with clothes? Get a part-time job at Anthropology and start learning about merchandising strategy. According to Private Prep coach Rachel Elmer, retail is always a nice option this late in the game as job training is minimal, but learning and networking opportunities are endless.

“One of my students worked at a clothing store,” Rachel explained, “and was able to use the job as a platform for a fundraiser.  She organized a fundraising event at the store with food and music, and the proceeds went to her favorite charity, combining her love for fashion and her passion for helping others.”