BlogsCollege Guidance
What Should My Rising Sophomore or Junior be Doing This Summer?
May 2, 2010 1:32 PM
By Ivy Brewer - Faculty
Have FUN! Life experiences and happy memories make great material for college essays. He or she should also start researching TYPES of colleges. There is no need to set on one school or a group of schools now. If an older sibling is going on college visits, the rising sophomore or junior should tag along to start figuring out what sort of campus environment feels feels comfortable and what features of a college campus pique his or her interest.
Now is the time to dream big. Knowing what your child likes and dislikes in a college will help him or her build a “college vocabulary” for when the search begins in earnest.
Also, your child should read, read and read some more. Reading helps build vocabulary which, in turn, helps raise SAT scores. Have him or her participate in Darlington’s optional summer reading program and keep a journal. Ideally, students should write in their journal each day. This develops the personal/reflective style of writing - the type of writing that your child will be asked to do when writing application essays. Later, the journal will help to remind him or her of events that took place and emotions surrounding those events. Sometimes the seemingly mundane situations make excellent material for essays!
We also encourage parents and students to use Naviance Family Connection. Become familiar with the program and use the test preparation tools. As always, let us know if you have any questions!
Now is the time to dream big. Knowing what your child likes and dislikes in a college will help him or her build a “college vocabulary” for when the search begins in earnest.
Also, your child should read, read and read some more. Reading helps build vocabulary which, in turn, helps raise SAT scores. Have him or her participate in Darlington’s optional summer reading program and keep a journal. Ideally, students should write in their journal each day. This develops the personal/reflective style of writing - the type of writing that your child will be asked to do when writing application essays. Later, the journal will help to remind him or her of events that took place and emotions surrounding those events. Sometimes the seemingly mundane situations make excellent material for essays!
We also encourage parents and students to use Naviance Family Connection. Become familiar with the program and use the test preparation tools. As always, let us know if you have any questions!
