Parenting expert, guidance counselor, licensed educational psychologist, and board-certified behavior analyst, Reena B. Patel (LEP, BCBA) offers some advice for parents and high school students and steps for getting into college during this time, as it's an extra stressful time for these hard-working students!
By now, almost every summer program has been canceled. For your High Schooler, the panic has set in. 'What am I going to do to help me stand out and get into college?' Or….For some, 'how can I help during this pandemic and use my time when I'm away from the screen?' Now more than ever, this summer will be more important than ever for students to explore their non-academic interests and passions.
Colleges will take notice of ambitious students who took initiative during this time to develop their passions and find innovative ways to give back to their communities.
Students should try to explore skills they were hoping to gain, but via a different mode. Thinking outside the box is definitely a must during the summer. For example, students who are planning on conducting research or internships should continue to seek projects they can complete remotely. Take advantage of online opportunities to explore their passions. Identify what your personal strength based traits are. How can you create a theme with the projects you take on. How does that theme define you?
Options:
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Take courses that push your brain. Coursera is a great one. Community colleges have online courses as well. Outlier.org offers courses that can transfer to universities.
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Consider taking an online certificate program in an area of interest.
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Consider reinforcing your sports skills by taking virtual classes from pros. HoopStudy.com is a great one. Mamba Sports Academy
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Just because your internship at your local hospital is canceled, doesn't mean you can't volunteer to help those in need. Tutor for younger students especially those struggling with remote learning. Another great organization is Translate without borders for those who want to practice their foreign language skills. Model UN also has volunteer opportunities, Finally, Be my eyes- an app that connects vision users with those who are bling or visually impaired.
