Summer Suggestions

I hope everyone is having a great start to their summer!  Hi, I’m Lindsey Whittaker, Assistant Director of Admissions, and I will be handling the blog for the next 1.5+ years.  While I have been with this office for five years, this is my first time working on the blog in this capacity.   I appreciate your patience as I transition into this role.

As school is ending and summer vacation is beginning, I would like to take some time to offer a few suggestions of things you can do during your break.

• Read!  Many of you are going to have summer reading lists that you need to complete prior to school starting back.  Make sure you read all of your required books. (Notice I said books, not Cliffs Notes, Spark Notes, Wikipedia, etc.).  Also, pick up a few books to read for fun.  Reading is not just a way to pass time.  The benefits of reading include boosting test scores, building vocabulary, and improving memory, just to name a few.
• Send us your test scores.  You’re not on our radar until you have contacted us in some manner, typically by sending SAT and/or ACT scores.  This means we can’t invite you to programs, send you admissions updates, etc.  You can send your scores to us as soon as you take the test, you don’t have to wait until you apply.  We’re going to use your best score possible, so why not go ahead and have them sent to us?  Roughly 500 applicants last year were incomplete because they forget to have test scores sent.  Don’t let this be you!
•  Visit colleges.  Many of you are going to have travel plans this summer.  If your travel happens to land you near a college that you’re interested in, go ahead and schedule a visit.  It’s never too early to start visiting colleges.  Do you live within an hour of Athens?  Go ahead and schedule a visit to UGA! (www.visit.uga.edu)
• Organize, organize, organize!  Most students are going to be applying to multiple colleges.  Each college can differ in what is required from a first year applicant.  How are you going to keep everything straight?  Start a file folder for each college you are planning on applying to.  Get a copy of your transcript, make sure you have your correct SSN (very important!), have your counselor and teacher emails available, etc.  This way you can remember which colleges require what and what you have done once it’s time to start applying.
• Start looking at the essays for the colleges that you’re thinking about applying to.  Most colleges are going to make the essays available during the summer.  What themes do you want do you want to write about?  Our new essay questions will be available (and posted to the blog) within the next 2 to 4 weeks.  You can store your ideas in your new college folders.  
• Have fun!  It is summer vacation after all.  You’re going to have a very full year ahead of you with college applications looming, rigorous senior schedules, school activities, final exams, etc.  Take some time to relax and enjoy your break so that when it’s time for school to resume, you are focused and ready for your senior year. 

Go Dawgs!