<p>Our family had been talking about taking and epic road trip to go have a look at all of the mythic colleges my daughter is is well prepared academically and test wise to shoot for Ivy League and other top notch school admissions. As we were discussing a senior friend's success in getting several big interviews lined up, it was like a light went off and I started realizing she needed a really valid and broadening experience on her resume. I can see that summer prep is a big business with in some cases really big price tags. I just ran across The Governor's schools programs. Is that well respected and appropriate. Any ideas about how to get the best bang for the summer buck?</p>
<p>My son attended a college prep program at one of the biggies back East the summer after his sophomore year, came home, took a shorter one with a Princeton Review-type place and declared it more valuable than the 5K or whatever I spent sending him back East. That said, what he did get out of being back East was visiting the universities, which he loved. I suggest the kids spend the summer taking actual college courses, which is what my son did the summer before senior year. He did well, the courses were added to his transcript, and his GPA went up. Some amazing volunteer focus is good, too. If your child is an artist or musician, find something related to that. My youngest daughter has gone to the Ivies every summer for three years to gifted enrichment programs and loved them. As an entering Junior, however, she wants to focus on her art (so some program along those lines), prep for SAT/ACT, and community service. As to whether or not all the cool stuff my son did will make a difference with college admissions, we really will never know since no one tells you why you got admitted. (He did receive four early action (non-binding) admissions from the four to which he applied in the fall, so that is good news. They were selective universities, but not uber selective like the Ivies.</p>
<p>I’m going to be senior this coming fall and I really don’t know what “special” thing I should do over the summer… I plan on volunteering at a local hospital and taking sat classes to boost up my sat score, if necessary. Any suggestions on what should do?</p>
<p>From what I understand (via our GC) is that you should do something you really love. And/or get a job. The former allows you to speak about your passion in an interview or essay, the latter shows that you’re responsible and can live up to obligations. In general, according to our GC, having your parents send you off on an expensive volunteer trip only tells your prospective schools that they can afford to do so. The hospital volunteer thing is great, especially if you can really make a difference. We were also told that the LAST thing you should talk about is taking an SAT class. In short: get busy and stay busy. Lying around the house is a big mistake</p>