![\"Robin](\"http:\/\/www.mma-tx.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/CollegeRFarris.jpg\" "\\"summer")
<\/a>What are you planning to do this summer? Consider something meaningful.<\/p>\nColleges, universities and scholarship programs are no longer interested in applicants who spend their summers \u201cjust hanging out, drinking Mountain Dew and eating Cheetos!!\u201d Every college application you fill\u00a0out will have a section for summer activities and work experiences. These activities can be the tie-breaker when two applicants are similar in all other areas.<\/p>\n
<\/h2>\nSummer Job?<\/h2>\n
There are many things that you can do to help you grow as a person and make you an interesting college applicant.\u00a0 Consider finding a part-time summer job<\/em>. It is even better if it relates to\u00a0an interest of yours. Even it does not pay well (or at all) you’ll have some hands-on experience that\u00a0you can promote on a college application.\u00a0 Consider volunteering in your community or becoming a camp counselor.<\/p>\n Many colleges offer summer\u00a0college programs<\/em> for high school students.\u00a0 They are often hands-on fun rather than serious\u00a0academics.\u00a0 In either case,\u00a0you will stimulate\u00a0your mind, make new friends and\u00a0may gain a slight edge in the college admissions process.\u00a0 If possible, pick a program at a college you wish to attend. You’ll have an opportunity to scope out the school and meet (and impress)\u00a0the faculty and staff.<\/p>\n Here is a video from Columbia University that will give you a general feel for college summer programs:<\/p>\n http:\/\/youtu.be\/5YUDjkWr2rY<\/p>\n Below is a\u00a0description of summer programs at well-known schools.<\/p>\n University of Texas at Austin<\/strong>: The McCombs School of Business offers current high school students the opportunity to discover business through hands-on experiences, team projects and interactions with McCombs students, faculty, staff and corporate representatives. The program is a free, six-day experience. All expenses (including housing and food) are paid for, with the exception of travel to and from the college. To learn more, visit http:\/\/mccombs.utexas.edu\/BBA\/prospective\/high-school-summer-programs<\/a>.<\/p>\n Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas):<\/strong> The Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Unplugged Summer Camp is a five-day camp designed to give high school students the opportunity to explore electrical and computer engineering as a career. Held in July, the camp is open to all high school juniors and seniors. Underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to apply. To learn more visit,\u00a0 http:\/\/ece.tamu.edu\/undergrad\/ECEuplugged.htm<\/a>.<\/p>\n University of Texas at Arlington:<\/strong> The RoPro College Challenge Camp is a three-day camp for high school juniors, seniors and new graduates who want to work with robots and learn about college at the same time. The program will not only provide students with a fun robot challenge and end-of-camp competition, it will also cover topics like college financial aid, choosing a university, entrance essays and how to apply to colleges. To learn more, visit http:\/\/cse.uta.edu\/robots\/summerchallenge.asp<\/a>.<\/p>\n University of Southern California (Los Angeles):<\/strong> The \u201cSpend Your Summer at USC\u201d program is a four-week residential program allowing students the chance to experience college life and earn three units of university elective credits.\u00a0 Students can choose from courses such as \u201cFilm Study,\u201d \u201cElectric Guitar: Jazz, Rock & Beyond\u201d and \u201cIntroduction to Video Game Design.\u201d To learn more, visit www.usc.edu\/summer<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pratt Institute (New York City):<\/strong> Every summer, Pratt sponsors a college-level program for high school sophomores, juniors and seniors at its Brooklyn and Manhattan campuses. Students are immersed in a program of art, design, architecture, creative writing, critical & visual studies, or construction management, modeled after Pratt\u2019s undergraduate offerings. Upon completion of the program, students earn four elective college credits. To learn more, visit http:\/\/pratt.edu\/prostudies<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cornell University (Ithaca, New York):<\/strong> \u201cSummer College Programs for High School Students\u201d offers three and six-week academic programs for talented sophomores, juniors, and seniors from around the world. You can choose from programs in: Architecture, Art and Design, Business, College Success, Engineering, Environmental Studies, History and Politics, Hotel Management, Humanities, Law and Government, Medicine, Psychology, Research and Science, and Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science. To learn more, visit http:\/\/summercollege.cornell.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n Harvard University (Cambridge, Mass.):<\/strong> Through the Harvard Secondary School Program, high school students can take real Harvard courses. Participants study alongside college and adult students alike and learn what Harvard is really like. Students can explore subjects that are not available at their high schools and earn college credit. To learn more, visit http:\/\/ssp.harvard.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n Stanford University (Palo Alto, Calif.):<\/strong> The High School Summer College is for high school students ages 16 and 17. All program participants build their own schedule of challenging college-level courses that will be documented on an official Stanford University transcript. To learn more, visit http:\/\/summer.stanford.edu\/programs<\/a>.<\/p>\n Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Mass.):<\/strong> MIT offers two six-week programs for high school juniors. The Minority Introduction to Engineering and Sciences (MITES) is for students who intend to pursue careers in science, engineering and entrepreneurship, especially those from underrepresented groups. The Research Science Institute (RSI) stresses advanced theory and research in mathematics, the sciences and engineering. Participants attend classes and complete hands-on research, which they often use to enter science competitions. Both programs are free to students who are selected with the exception of transportation costs. To learn more, visit http:\/\/mitadmissions.org\/apply\/prepare\/summer<\/a>.<\/p>\n Naval Academy Summer Seminar:<\/strong> A six-day program for students who have completed their junior year in high school.\u00a0\u00a0Participants will attend eight workshops centering on the various majors offered at the academy.\u00a0 To learn more visit:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 http:\/\/www.usna.edu\/Admissions\/nass.htm<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0Other services offer summer programs including the Air Force<\/a>, Army<\/a>\u00a0and Coast Guard<\/a>.<\/p>\n If none of these\u00a0summer programs<\/strong> interest you, do a search on the internet for ‘high school summer programs’<\/a> to find one that does.<\/p>\nCollege Summer Programs<\/h2>\n