SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

It can be tough to find extracurricular activities that you love. Fortunately, online extracurricular activities are a popular and easy way to get involved when you can’t participate in person.

If you’re searching for fun and enriching online extracurricular activities, you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’ll give you all the essential information about online extracurricular activities, including:

• An explanation of what online extracurricular activities are and how they can benefit students
• A discussion of how colleges look at online extracurricular activities and online clubs for high school students (free and subscription-based)
• Eight ideas for online extracurricular activities you can do
• Five tips for getting the most out of online extracurriculars

Are you ready? Let’s dive in!

Math competitions are a fantastic extracurricular activity for high school students. Math competitions help students improve their math skills, earn scholarships, and stand out as college applicants. 

If you are interested in getting into high school math competitions but aren’t sure where to begin, this article is for you. We’ll give you all the details on 13 math competitions for high school students, including the eligibility requirements and cash prize opportunities for each competition. 

We’ll also briefly explain how to decide which math competition is right for you and how math competitions can help you shine as a college applicant. So let’s get started!

Interested in learning more about Research Science Institute? Maybe you've heard that the RSI Summer Program is the most competitive science research program for high school students in the US, and attending it is one of the best ways to get the attention of top-tier colleges. But what is the Research Science Institute, and what do participants do there? And how can you be one of the lucky few who get accepted? This guide will answer all those questions and give you tips on how to create a standout RSI application.

Love science and want to show off your skills? High school science competitions are a great way to do that! But which competitions will impress colleges the most? We've gathered information on 11 of the best science competitions for high school students. Look over the descriptions that seem most interesting to you, then keep reading to learn everything you need to do to make them stand out on your college applications.

Are you a high school student interested in getting an internship? Internships are a great way to learn about different careers, as well as get experience that you can include on your resume and college applications.

Read on to learn what the benefits of internships are, what work you’ll be doing, how to find a great internship for you, and how to get the most out of your internship experience.

After canceling their summer residential programs in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID pandemic, Duke has officially announced that they’ve permanently canceled the Duke TIP program. Instead, they’ve replaced it with the new Duke high school pre-college program for high school students!

With all the changes to the Duke TIP program, there’s a lot to know about how Duke’s Pre-College programs have (and haven’t!) changed. We’ll go over everything you need to know, including: 

• The differences between the new Duke Pre-College Programs and the Duke TIP
• Things to consider if you’re thinking about participating in Duke’s Pre-College Programs for high schoolers 
• The details of the Duke Pre-College Program for 2022, including how to apply 
• Tips for creating an awesome Pre-College Program application 

If you’re interested in taking part in one of Duke’s pre-college programs, read on to find out everything you need to know about the new system!

After canceling their summer residential programs in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID pandemic, Duke has officially announced that they’ve permanently canceled their TIP program. 

To take its place, Duke has created the middle school pre-college program! This program is brand new in 2022, and it’s designed to help middle school students get a jumpstart on their college prep. 

Since the Duke University middle school program is brand new, we’ll go through everything you  need to know about what it is, how to apply, and the benefits you’ll receive as a participant. We’ll cover: 

• How the Duke pre-college programs changed, and how the new Duke summer programs are different from the old Duke Tip program
• If Duke University middle school program is still used to identify and enrich talented students
• What you should consider before applying to the Duke pre-college program for middle schoolers 
• How to apply to the Duke middle school program 

Read on to find out everything you need to know about the new system!

Looking for information on the Putnam Math Competition? Have you heard that the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition is an incredibly challenging exam for undergrad students that regularly stumps math whizzes? Interested in learning what you can do for a shot at the top score? In this guide, we explain all the information you need to get ahead, including what is the Putnam Exam, what the questions are like, and what you need to do to be ready for it.

Each year, high school seniors from all over the U.S. enter their independent, original scientific research in The Regeneron Science Talent Search (formerly called the Westinghouse Science Awards). The competition invites the most promising applicants to showcase their research projects in Washington, D.C. and compete for big cash prizes. 

Are you a budding scientist looking to earn some extra cash for college? If so, then you should consider entering the Regeneron STS! 

To help you put together a top notch Regeneron STS application, this article will: 

• Explain how the talent search works
• Give you a step-by-step breakdown of the application and competition judging criteria
• Provide examples of winning STS research projects
• Walk you through four tips for creating a winning application

Are you ready? Let’s get started!

Have you heard about how impressive the Regeneron ISEF (previously called Intel ISEF or the Intel Science Fair) is and want to know if it's true? Can it really be a ticket to acceptance at top schools? Yes, the Regeneron ISEF is a highly-competitive science fair that attracts top high school students from around the world. Read this guide to learn how to get into ISEF, what a top project must have, and how you can put yourself in the best position to win this competition.

The argumentative essay is one of the most frequently assigned types of essays in both high school and college writing-based courses. Instructors often ask students to write argumentative essays over topics that have “real-world relevance.” The question, “Should college athletes be paid?” is one of these real-world relevant topics that can make a great essay subject! 

In this article, we’ll give you all the tools you need to write a solid essay arguing why college athletes should be paid and why college athletes should not be paid. We'll provide:

• An explanation of the NCAA and what role it plays in the lives of student athletes
• A summary of the pro side of the argument that's in favor of college athletes being paid
• A summary of the con side of the argument that believes college athletes shouldn't be paid
• Five tips that will help you write an argumentative essay that answers the question "Should college athletes be paid?" 
  
  

As the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to spill over from one week to the next, some pre-collegiate summer programs for high school students are announcing changes. Because of social distancing measures and temporary university closures, some summer programs are making the difficult decision to cancel or reformat their programs for an online environment.

How do you know if your program has been affected? And what do you do if these changes apply to your summer program? To help you stay abreast of these changes, we’ve put together a quick guide to what to do if your summer program has been affected by COVID-19. We’ll also provide updates on the current status of 12 popular summer programs. 

With the novel coronavirus forcing global shutdowns of schools and workplaces, many students are turning to remote activities to keep busy and still have extracurriculars to include on their college applications. Fortunately, the number of at-home internships and extracurriculars has been growing steadily in the past few years, and there may be many more options for remote activities than you expect. In this guide, we cover everything you need to know about remote internships and extracurriculars, including specific ideas to look into, how colleges will view remote activities, and how you can make them as impressive as possible, even if you can't leave the house.

The Disney College Program is a sought after paid college internship program in the U.S. Not only do you get to work for Disney, you'll also gain professional and educational experience that stands out on your resume. It's not surprising, then, that thousands of college students seek the chance to put the DCP on their resumes each year.

But, what is the Disney College Program, exactly, and how do you know if you’d be a good fit for it (and a competitive applicant)? We'll answer these questions and more for you in this article! We'll give you:

• An overview of the Disney College Program, including who it’s for and who’s eligible, how long it lasts, and what the benefits are
• An explanation of the three main components of the Disney College Program
• Three tips for deciding if the program would be a good fit for you
• A guide to the Disney College Program application process and five tips for putting together a stand-out application.

Find out all the details you need to know about the Disney College Program below!

Have you done some volunteer work or community service and want to get a letter that shows how many hours you've completed and what jobs you did? Or maybe you need a community service letter to apply for a scholarship, job, or to a particular college? Do you know who you should ask to write the letter and what it should include?

Read on to learn what a community service letter is, why it's useful, and how you can get a great one written for you.