Getting a head start on college

Summer is just around the corner, but summer is not the time to just lie around in front of the TV all day advises private college counselor Lori Potts-Dupre. "Colleges look to your summer experiences to see what you do in your free time," she says. "[Your summer] shows your passions, initiative maturity level and whether you take on challenges."

My Footpath, the "expert in college admissions" says that "going to a college's summer program can be a great help to the college selection process. First and foremost, students get to spend time on the campus, so you can get a feel for what it's like to have that place as your 'home.' Second, if the faculty from the college are teaching the courses, you'll get a sense of what it's like to work with them, and perhaps – that's perhaps – you'll even impress them to the point where they might put in a good word for you with the admissions office."

One way to maximize your summer experience while still having fun would be to take advantage of the thousands of summer college programs that countless colleges and universities offer around the country.

Advice from the Experienced

Junior Sabrina Shapiro has attended a summer college program for the past two years. She went to the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts in Connecticut and the Princeton Ballet School.

Shapiro says that the summer programs are a good way to prepare for college. "It's kind of like a college experience except with a little more supervision," she says. "You have to learn how to be independent without your parents dictating you and you have to learn how to manage your own time."

Sponsored College Tours

There are many different groups that sponsor college tours in locations all over the country as an alternative to touring with your parents. These groups of other students have the same age range in a camp-like atmosphere.

COLLEGE VISITS, along with Education Unlimited, sponsors a week-long program which tours several of the major colleges and Universities from DC to Boston. The program allows high school students to explore schools that they may be interested as well as experience college life by living in dorms with the fellow tourists. For more information, click here.

COLLEGE VISITS also sponsors tours in many other regions of the country including areas in the south, west and even as far as Canada. To see a full list of all colleges and areas this group visits, visit their website.

Another college tour group is the Nation Institute for Education Planning (NIEP), which is available throughout the year. The tours visit many different locations, including East Coast colleges, northern California colleges, southern California colleges, Los Angeles colleges and San Diego colleges. For more information, visit their website.

Preparation

An additional productive way to spend summer vacation would be to take a prep class. Academic Studies Associate offers College Prep programs at the University of Massachusetts, UC-Berkeley, Emory and Oxford Universities, which let students experience campus life while improving SAT scores and college admissions portfolio.

Academic Programs Nearby

Another excellent way to spend summer vacation that really allows students to get immersed in college life is to actually take classes at a college or university. Potts-Dupre says that visiting a college you think you may be interested in is another way to increase your chances towards acceptance. "Some schools will really count it in their admissions," she says. "Plus, you can get experience on a college you like." Not only do the programs help prepare students for the rigorous academic nature of college, but many of the credits that are earned in the programs are transferable to other colleges.

If you have a specific college in mind that you may be interested in already, visit their website to find any information on a summer program. Most colleges have them available.

The University of Maryland has a Young Scholars Program offers 12 three-credit courses with class sizes being anywhere from 15 to 40 students. Students can live on campus at an additional cost to the course payments or can opt to take the classes and still stay at home. The program also includes educational seminars on college admission and the scholarship application process. For more information, visit the Young Scholars website.

George Washington University here in DC offers an excellent program to high school students. The classes range "from the study of genetics to the origins and evolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict." For more information, check out their website

The College of William and Mary offers a program to high school juniors and seniors on early American history. Through the program, students can receive college credit. Instructors use "archeology sites, surviving period structures, historic landscapes and a series of museums to guide students in a search for the American past." Click here for more details.

Summers Abroad

If going to a college close to home doesn't sound interesting enough, there are plenty of similar programs abroad. Abbey Road Overseas Program offers school summer programs in Spain, France and Italy. The programs are available for students ages 13 to 15 and 16 to 19. Though students don't have to be fluent in the language to participate, at least a minimal knowledge is suggested. For more information, click here.

Searches and Lists

Otherwise, Petersons.com has a summer program search program that can help to find a summer college program. Allen's Guide also has a search program that may be helpful.

For a list of some of the best college summer programs, visit the Student Review Website or the Yahoo summer college list.

The American Mathematical Society has a list of some mathematical programs offered at various colleges and Universities. The list can be viewed here.