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Sponsored by kaptest.com/college. | Research Summer Programs Now It may be cold, dark, and bitter outside, but thinking of balmy summer days is a great cure for the winter blues. While you're dreaming of sunny afternoons at the beach, summer blockbusters, and sleeping in, start thinking about summer programs as well. Summer vacation is a great time to explore academic, athletic, or artistic interests outside of the typical school setting. You'll also have an opportunity to see new places and start new friendships. Many colleges and universities offer academic enrichment programs over the summer, which are either sponsored by the school or by an outside organization that takes up temporary residence on campus. You can take classes for high school or college credit, prep for the SAT,* or, if you're gifted in a particular subject area, you can take intensive courses. For example, some schools, including Stanford University and Hampshire College, offer rigorous summer camps for mathematically gifted students where they can challenge themselves with intense college-level courses. At Mt. Holyoke College, University of Nebraska, and Smith College, you can apply to special math and engineering programs geared towards women. Georgia Tech and MIT, among others, offer special enrichment programs for minorities. If you'd rather not study Venn diagrams in your leisure time but are interested in learning something this summer, try an athletic or artistic program. In addition to the hundreds of tennis and basketball camps out there, you can also find opportunities to bike cross-country, go on wilderness hikes, or write and direct your own short film. Alternatively, you can gain leadership experience and possibly earn cash this summer by working as a camp counselor at an arts or athletic program for younger kids. If these programs don't excite you, grab your passport and head to a summer abroad program in Spain, Israel, or wherever else you've been longing to go. Many summer abroad programs combine educational and cultural experiences for an unforgettable trip. No matter what you do this summer, if you take time to research and find a program that suits your goals and interests, you'll not only enhance your resume and have interesting material for your college application essays, but you may also discover your dream college and your future educational interests. Learn more about the summer programs discussed in this article:
Mt. Holyoke College's SummerMath Program
University of Nebraska's All Girls All Math Program
Summer Engineering and Science Program at Smith College
MIT's MITES Program
Stanford University Mathematics Camp
Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics
Georgia Tech |  | | | | | |  | Admissions |  | | | | The Importance of Writing
"Me and her baked a cake for our friend cause it was their birthday." Do you understand what's happening in the sentence above? Sure you do. Is it a well-written sentence? Of course not. With email, text messaging, and other forms of informal written communication on the rise, people are using proper English less and less these days. When it comes time to write a paper or essay, many students find the prospect of figuring out where to put those commas, participles, and prepositions more than a little daunting. The best way to improve your writing during high school is to get as much practice as possible. When you receive a paper or essay assignment, begin early by brainstorming ideas, sketching an outline, and preparing a first draft. Allow plenty of time for multiple drafts and take advantage of helpful resources like teachers and fellow students to help you improve your writing. Another great way to improve your writing skills is to read as much as possible. Reading books, magazines, and newspapers outside of class on a regular basis will help you build your vocabulary and grammar skills, and you'll also learn to recognize different writing styles. You may have been hearing a lot lately about how important good writing is for your SAT essays and college application essays. Clear, concise writing can certainly mean the difference between a 4 and a 6 on your SAT essay. A thoughtful, well-written personal statement can also help you stand out from the crowd and earn admission into your top-choice school. However, good writing has benefits beyond the college admissions process. Writers who have an excellent grasp of grammar and sentence structure and who can express their thoughts in concise, logical prose have a clear advantage in college courses and the working world. As an adult, strong writing skills will help you land jobs and communicate with your peers.
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turpitude (n.)
inherent vileness, foulness, depravity.
Lillian, recalling her son's early disregard for table manners, identified that as the first small step leading to the current turpitude of his misspent life.
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Back to Top | | | | | | Campus Visit | | | | | Columbia University
Location: New York, NY
Website: www.columbia.edu
Applied: 13,013
Admitted: 1,767
Enrolled: 964
Number of Undergraduates: 3,841
M/F Ratio: 49% men/51% women
Tuition and Fees: $24,974
Each of the Ivies has something special about it that sets it apart from the rest of the League. For Columbia, it's the college town in which it's set—New York City. Students who come to Columbia do so mostly because, while they could have gone to Brown or Penn or other top-flight universities, they wanted the activity, culture, and excitement of the Big Apple coupled with their Ivy League education. Columbia has one of the best liberal arts and engineering programs of the Ivies, and one reason is the core curriculum, which is strict and heavy with requirements. There are two undergraduate schools: Columbia College, home of the arts and sciences division, and the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. English, history, political science, biology, and economics are all popular majors, as is pre-journalism, since most Columbia undergrads are preparing for further education, either medical school, law school, or Columbia's acclaimed School of Journalism. Columbia's small campus at 116th Street and Broadway centers primarily on the large, central quad, lined by academic buildings with the large, main library at its head. The student body is as diverse as the city itself, and much more diverse than at any other Ivy League school. Columbia students, like the city they study in, tend to be liberal, and many are politically active.
| | | | | Back to Top | | | | | | What's New at Kaptest.com | | | | | Get $100 back on SAT and ACT prep in January!
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