<p>Continued from last post:</p>
<p>7) I think the crosscultural solutions thing could be a good springboard for you -- absolutely -- particularly if you went somewhere to do something that you could extend for the year. Find out if they let you stay on, if your parents agree or whatever. The only thing about that approach is that this program could end up sounding like summer camp for unfocused kids or something like that. You should choose any program you want as a springboard to achieving something you want to do and have planned separately; otherwise it might look like you just decided to stay because you couldn't think of anything else to do.</p>
<p>Here's one thing schools will really like (in my opinion):</p>
<p>A project that proceeds along the following lines:</p>
<p>PASSION that leads to
INTENTION that leads to a
PLAN that includes achievable
GOALS, and that you pursue these and end up with
USEFUL OUTCOMES that are hopefully impressive but at the very least describable, tangible, and something that points to your maturity and ability to plan and get things done in the real world.</p>
<p>This may sound like a lot to bite off. It should. If this year doesn't sound like it was action-packed for you, it will sound flaky. And if schools think its flaky, they'll count this year not as so much of a positive, in my view, as kind of a negative.</p>