Internships for High School Students

Internships are a great way to get experience in a certain field of study.  So why intern in high school?

Work experience in a field of study you want to pursue in college can give you a jump up in the college application process.  It is a way to stand out in a crowd. An internship will also allow you to understand more details about your major of interest and help you to understand how organizations operate.

So, how do you find an internship? First identify your passion. Some companies offer formal internship opportunities to high school students in particular. Some pay, some are unpaid, and some you’ll pay for. Research companies in the industry that interests you.  Start by asking around at local business associations. Use CareerOneStop’s Employer Locator to help you identify companies in your local area. Next, talk to the Human Resource representative or manager to see if positions are available.  Check out local organizations like the newspapers, museums, and hospitals.  You may use your contacts on Facebook or Twitter to find openings in your specific area of interest. Try websites like Internships.com, Indeed.com. , or  Jobs.change.org. For more on how to apply, click here.

Over 1000 Families Reading eBook – Your College Planning Survival Guide!

Ebook or paperback – which is your preference? More and more people are turning to electronic versions of books for their reading pleasure. This week over 1,000 people downloaded “Your College Planning Survival Guide: Smart Tips From Students, Parents, and Professionals Who Made It Through.” I hope they found it enlightening and useful. Reviews indicate the information offered in this guide equate to having a professional college counseling  consultant at your fingertips – it answers all your questions regards to college planning process.

Amazon ranks this Kindle eBook edition #1 in “Educational Reference” category for “High School” and “Parent Participation.” If you are one of the thousand plus readers, please offer a review on Amazon if you found it helpful and share your knowledge!

For those that still prefer holding a book in your hands, highlighting the important tips, and making notes to yourself in the margins, you will find this book is also available in paperback.  Happy Reading!

Link to Amazon books – click here! Also available in paperback!

What Are the Benefits of Attending a Pre-College Program?

precollege programPre-College Summer Programs offer rising juniors and seniors in high school the chance to see what college life is all about. During a one or two-week session, you will get an exciting glimpse of academics and residential life at a major state university, and leave better prepared to meet the challenges of your first year at college.

As a Pre-College residential student, you will:

* Attend challenging academic classes with the university faculty and instructors

* Meet admissions professionals and receive guidance on the competitive college admissions process

* Learn to balance the demands of college-level courses with extracurricular activities Click here to read more benefits

What Is A Gap Year?

According to the University of Delaware, the definition of “Gap Year” is a “temporary position (1 – 3 years) between college, graduate school or a full time job.” Many students are interested in “taking a year off” before buckling down to a “serious” job or graduate school. These temporary “in-the-meantime” jobs can provide experience, direction, emotional and cognitive growth, and satisfy curiosity about the real world.

Ask yourself these five questions:

  1. Do you enjoy traveling?
  2. Do you like learning new languages?
  3. Are you a hands-on learner?
  4. Do you like making new friends?
  5. Are you open to new ideas and challenges? For more questions to consider click here.

Social Networking Tips for Students – More on Facebook!

The Intended College Use is Not the High School Reality

Keeping connected to friends and family across the world is comforting. Social networking is a great way to find a job, network, and stay in touch with those who matter most. But how do you protect yourself while on the Internet?

Facebook was the first large scale networking site made specifically for college students. Though it still requires a valid email address to signup, anyone can now join and network in regions such as a major city, workplaces, colleges, and high schools.

Social Networking Tips for  Students

It is a student’s responsibility to protect his or her online accounts. Click here to view more tips.

How Can a Rising Senior Make the Best of Their Summer?

If you are smart, you will follow an action plan!

Build your foundation list. You may have created a foundation list of schools at this point. The list may include 2-4 double reach or dream schools, 2-4 target schools, and 1-2 sure-thing/safety schools of which one should be a “financial safety.”

Start your campus visits. Devise a schedule to visit the campuses for the summer and fall. Remember, visiting the college during the summer will feel different than visiting during the fall when all the students are back from summer break. If you can’t visit, take a virtual tour on http://www.youvisit.com/  or attend an online college fair through http://www.collegeweeklive.com/.

Build your resume! Have you finished your resume of activities? This resume may come in handy for interviews, scholarship applications, college applications and letters of recommendation. Include leadership in activities, summer jobs, community service, as well as awards and honors. Check out Microsoft’s free resume templates at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT010104337.aspx. Read more about planning for senior year by clicking here!

A Book of Questions to Jumpstart Your Career Search – Get It Now!

boq-cvr-half-szLooking for a career and a new job? Need a career change but you don’t know where to start? Are you ready for an encore career? Stuck in a rut?

“A Book of Questions To Jumpstart Your Career Search” was written as a resource to help students, parents, educators, and anyone entering or re-entering the job workforce. This ultimate resource tool is like having a professional career counselor beside you every step of the way. It will make you think about questions that may be important to you in your career search such as: How Do I Get Started? What Do I Do Next? Who Can Help Me? Where Do I Look For Information? What Kind of Training Do I Need? What Questions Do I Ask Before Choosing a Major? What if I Change My Mind About My Career Track? Where Do I Find Reliable Online Resources? This book of questions is meant to be fun and thought provoking. So, discover how you really feel about your interests, skills, talents, and goals in life. One question will lead to another.

Available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com and the College Path Bookstore – http://tinyurl.com/nevnr5n.

Click here for free down­loads Read­ing Apps from Ama­zon for PC, Mac, iPad, and other devices for Kin­dle Ver­sion. Click here for free down­load Read­ing Apps from Barnes and Noble for PC, Mac, iPad and other devices for Nook Version.

 

What to Do While On a College Wait List

Re-evaluate your list. Prioritize those wait-list schools.

wailistA Speedy Response. Hopefully you responded quickly and honestly as some schools look at response time to be on their wait-list. Did you tell your college why they would be a good fit for you and why you want to be there?

Be Realistic. Some schools will respond to those on the waitlist and some will not so keep in touch, but don’t overdo it. If you have something substantive and new which has taken place since you last wrote, mention it.  It’s not in your best interest to send weekly or daily emails.

Know that the decision is out of your hands.

Make the best of your situation.

Embrace the acceptances. It’s tough when a dream school defers a student, but being placed on the wait list might be a signal to move on. While there is a chance that a student may be admitted in the late spring or summer, it is best for students to embrace the schools that have accepted them.

A Wild Card. Once your letter is off to the school, focus with all your heart on making your best choice among the places you have been admitted. It is best to treat the wait-list school as a “wild card;” deal with it when you receive it.