Summer and College Admissions

Summer and College Admissions March 10, 2012 Were nearing summer and many high school sophomore and juniors are figuring out what they plan to do when schools out. In the past, weve written about what you can do to distinguish yourself in the college admissions process through your summer plans. It can be taking a course or multiple courses. It can be developing your skills and unique talents. It can be getting involved in community service. It can be reading books and lots of them. Or it can be getting a job. In this post, we want to focus on getting a job. Dont get some fancy internship this summer. It wont help your case for college admission. Get a real job. In college admissions, many applicants and their parents think that admissions officers will be impressed by fancy internships. Maybe you just landed an internship at Morgan Stanley on Wall Street or at Good Morning America at ABC News. Maybe your dad just got you a sweet gig as the special assistant to a United States senator. And all of this is well and goodbut its not going to help your college admissions chances. It might just do the opposite. What do you think a college admissions officer at a highly selective college thinks when she reads that you interned at Morgan Stanley? She thinks daddy got you a cush summer gig. She thinks youre entitled. She thinks she may not have had such a wonderful opportunity when she was your age. She thinks youve had quite an advantaged life, that your SAT scores should be even higher since you probably had a whole lot of private SAT tutoring, and that youre another wealthy kid who could stand a reality check with a denial! So dont take a fancy internship that daddy got you. Take a job for minimum wage. Learn what working is all about. Work at CVS. Make burgers at In N Out. Start a small business. Anything but getting a fancy internship thats going to lead college admissions officers to dislike you and want to reject you for it! While youre here, check out this post on Summers and College Admission.