<p>Hi, my s is planning apply to some very selective universities in senior year; he is pretty strong academically, but he is looking for things he can do over the summer to improve his overall resume and showcase the things he's interested in. are there any prestigious academic competitions he can participate in over the summer? Also, is it possible for him to get involved in scientific research in time for him to be able to complete some sort of project by college apps? thanks!</p>
<p>also, what kinds of extracurricular and volunteer activities can he participate in? thx</p>
<p>It’s a little late to be thinking of stuff to do now. Most internships/ summer programs application deadlines have passed and I’m assuming it’s probably the same for research. If he hasn’t been participating in extracurriculars and volunteer activities already then he’s kind of screwed cause admissions officers will be able to tell he’s just padding his resume. He should just continue what he is doing. </p>
<p>He’s definitely very involved in a variety of activities and personally, I don’t think he needs to add anything. He’s just looking for tips on what to focus on over the summer, and mostly wants to know if there are any academic competition opportunities for high schoolers over the summer. He is also already doing a research internship, but he wants to know if it is feasible for him to start working on a research project for a science fair competition such as Siemens now.</p>
<p>He’d probably have a hard time starting any big research project so late unless he knows -personally- a professor at a university lab who’d be willing to take him in all summer. Short of that, if he hasn’t applied to any summer programs yet there’s not much else he could do except maybe get a paying job for the three months -babysitting, bagging groceries, etc. Or he could use the time to start working on his application, writing essays, etc. </p>
<p>He could speak directly to some small private labs and ask for internships. I wanted to apply for an internship at a national network, but it was only offered to college students. I spoke directly to a broadcaster— who is a family friend— and I got the internship. He could also get small jobs as fish stores or science supply stores. It’s small, but it will show humility.</p>