When I talk to students about the summer, I encourage them to have an “anchor”. This is the activity to which they devote the most time and energy during the summer months. Your anchor could be a summer job, a program in which you pursue your extracurricular passion more deeply, an internship, a course in which you learn something new, a service program through which you truly help others or a long-term project that you have yearned for more time to complete. This “anchor” activity will most likely be the part of your summer about which you speak and write in the application process.

Once you have your “anchor” activity in place, you can strive for balance in the rest of the things you choose to do. It is still vital to do meaningful things with your time, but you are responsible for deciding what is meaningful to you. Make sure you leave space for those unexpected discoveries, for time with your loved ones and for self-exploration; those are the real markers of time well spent!

Admissions officers use teacher recommendation letters to get a better understanding of the role you play in your high school classrooms. They want to see that you are a dynamic and intelligent participant, you care about your work, you help other students and you share thoughtfully. Admissions officers also hope to see that you have a varied range of academic talents. This means that it is ideal to have one recommendation from a humanities teacher (English, history or foreign language) and a second from a math or science teacher. (Some programs may ask for letters from specific teachers – always make sure you know the requirements!)

Be sure to choose teachers who know you very well and can reflect on who you are as a person and as a student. The ideal teachers will be from your junior year – if you are currently a junior, now is the time to start thinking about who to ask. You can even let the teachers you have identified know that you plan to ask them for a letter next fall – that way, they can start thinking about what they want to write!

http://ingoodcompany.com/2011/02/5-principles-to-managing-difficult-conversations/

Several aspects of the admissions process require challenging interactions with others. You may need to make a request, pose a controversial question or simply have an interview. These 5 Principles will serve you in these situations and beyond!

I learned so much on my visit to Lynn. With all of their wonderful programs and innovations (and beautiful weather) I was most impressed by the people at the university; they are warm, welcoming and kind and they represent 93 nations. Everyone – students, faculty and administrators – seemed incredibly happy and engaged. This is a special place!

Summer is a great time to establish involvement in a new interest or connect the threads that link the activities in which you engage during the school year. If you are always in the school play, and you love acting, summer is a great time to hone your craft through an arts program, class work or performance opportunity. If you are interested in science and medicine, the summer is a great time to become involved with meaningful research or volunteer in a hospital on a regular basis. Summer can also be a time to earn some extra money while developing your personal work ethic. Summer jobs can be great!

There are limitless things to do with your summer break and now, as the snow is falling, is the best time to think about what you will do during those warm summer months when school’s out!

Instead, keep moving along with your junior year objectives. Work hard to maintain good grades, continue to pursue your extracurricular activities with heart, make sure your standardized testing goals are being met, thoughtfully lay out spring college visits and finalize your summer plans.

This is a really exciting time!

Usually, after good news arrives (via email, snail mail, web login etc.), my students ask me if they still have to work to maintain their strong grades and great extracurriculars. I always tell them, “yes.” The truth is, you can relax a little. But, not too much. College admissions officers will look at your final transcripts and they expect to see the same level of academic success that drew them to you in the first place. They don’t want to see that you, as one of my friends in admissions likes to say, “fell out of bed.”

Keep your eye on the horizon, remember what you love about learning, and keep up the good work. You should aim to learn some new and exciting things in your spring semester, while you take some time to smell the flowers!