Blog

The end of the school year is approaching fast, and many students have only a few summer months before the start of their freshman year of high school. While some may take the opportunity to let loose, it’s important to begin to prepare for the transition into a new division.

Here are five tips from Elizabeth Buko, the College Counselor at Columbia Independent School, on how to prepare during the summer before freshman year.

1. Discover who you really are – not who you think people want you to be. While your answers to these questions will likely change and shift over the next few years, be mindful and intentional about giving yourself space to ponder questions like: What do I do when I have free time? What genuinely interests and excites me? How and in what setting do I best learn? What type of people bring out the best in me? What are my most important values? What do I like to read or research on my own? What am I good at? What do I have the most fun doing? What jobs or professions appeal to me and why? 
2. Educate yourself not only on the vast landscape of colleges and universities but also on how the admissions process works (and how it’s changed drastically over the past few years – e.g. test-optional). In this information age, there is ironically a lot of misinformation about the admissions process. Check out these resources and our own CIS College Counseling Google Site linked here. 
3. Experience all that your local community has to offer – think beyond your school community (although that’s important too). Where do you want to put your energy when not in the classroom? What local organizations interest you? It’s also a good time to visit college campuses to start getting a feel for the size and location that you may prefer. 
4. Focus on skill-building. Strengthening your reading and writing skills would be a brilliant use of your time in the months before beginning college. No matter what degree program you may be after, strong written and verbal communication skills are a must. 
5. And lastly, consider the why: For some young people, college is a foregone conclusion before they even enter high school. I encourage you to pause here and ask yourself why you truly want to attend a four-year academic program following high school graduation. Have you genuinely explored all your options? Check out this article from the Harvard Business Review  to update your understanding of the correlation between four-year degree programs and successful careers. Check out this great video about finding success after high school.

If you’d like to learn more about the college counseling program, or to inquire about admissions to the CIS upper school, reach out to us at the admissions office at admissions@cislions.org.