Flickr user Siena College
Winter break is the perfect time to fit in tasks that will help boost your application and impress college admissions committees. Working on essays about your extracurricular activities, volunteering, or even visiting colleges; here are a few ideas to get you started:
Work on Your College Essays
You want your college essay to show the reader a part of you that your transcripts and test scores do not reveal. You want it to be able to highlight your accomplishments and to underscore your commitment to the community. Fitting all of these thoughts into your essay requires a lot of time. Finding distraction-free time is easier during winter break when you don’t have homework to do.
Volunteer in Your Community
Any college admissions committee would be impressed to know that you spent time volunteering in your community. Of course, to demonstrate a commitment to your community, you should continue volunteering after school starts.
Work on Your Extracurricular Activities
Your extracurricular activities play an important role, but sometimes there isn’t enough time to hone your skills during the school week. Use the break to work on mastering your skills in your chosen extracurricular activity.
Schedule a Couple of Campus Visits
Ideally, you should schedule your campus visits while classes are in session. Visiting a quiet campus with no students around is just not the same. However, if your schedule is busy, the break may the perfect time to fit in at least one campus visit.
Explore Job Shadow Opportunities
Job shadowing allows you to shadow a professional and observe them closely as they go about their workday. You may not be allowed to do any work while job shadowing so you won’t get any first-hand work experience, but you will get a behind-the-scenes look at what it is like to work in that particular profession. That is an invaluable lesson in itself and one that is sure to impress any admissions committee. The fact that you have taken the time to know more about a field shows your curiosity, and commitment, which are qualities that any college values in their students.
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