SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

Thinking about joining student council? You should be! It's a great way to make friends and gain leadership experience, especially if you're interested in politics. However, it can also require a significant time commitment.

What is student council and what duties will you have as a member? How do you join? Should you join? I'll answer these questions and more below! 

In this guide, I'll be discussing the Boston University Summer Challenge, a summer program for high school students at Boston University. During the program, students take non-credit college-level courses, live on campus, and explore all that BU and Boston have to offer.

While you can read about this program on the BU Summer Challenge website, the information available is somewhat spotty and what is there can be difficult to dissect. For this reason, I spoke to the program coordinators and gathered everything you need to know about the program into this easy-to-read guide. I’ve created a Table of Contents so you can find the specific info you need, but I suggest reading the entire article in order:

Have you considered doing some community service work during high school but can't find anything that fits your interests?

Do you want to have more ownership over what kind of service work you do? If so, then making your own community service project may be the right idea for you.

Read on for a step-by-step guide that will tell you everything you need to know to complete a successful community service project.

In this guide, I'll be discussing the Emory Pre-College Program, a summer program for high school students located at Emory University. The program allows students to take college-level classes (either for credit or non-credit) while living on campus at Emory or commuting. There are several subprograms under the Emory Pre-College Program (EPCP) umbrella, and while you can read all about it on the program website, some information can be difficult to track down.

For this reason, I’ve gathered all the necessary program information (details about the program, application information, cost, and more) and put it into this easy-to-read guide. I’ve created a Table of Contents so you can find each section if you’re only interested in a specific topic; however, I recommend reading the entire guide. Please note that this information is up to date for the Summer 2016 program, but program details may change for following years. 

Are you interested in politics or international relations and looking for a club that lets you do you hands-on activities? Have you heard of Model UN but aren’t sure exactly what it is?

Read this guide to learn everything you need to know about what Model UN is, what participants in it do, and how to decide if it’s the right extracurricular for you to join.

Are you interested in joining your high school newspaper? Many high schools have a school paper to give students an opportunity to hone their writing skills and keep students, staff, and teachers updated on school and community news.

Participating in your high school newspaper is a great way to improve your writing skills, learn more about journalism, and develop pieces you can include in your portfolio or resume. Read on to learn all you'll need to know about how to join your school newspaper, what work you’ll be doing, and how it will benefit you.

Volunteering is a great way to fulfill community service requirements for school, strengthen your resume, and give back to your community.

However, some students have difficulties finding a volunteer opportunity that they are excited about.

Need some inspiration to do good deeds? Read on for a list of over 400 community service ideas for teens.

You’ve been working hard in high school to get good grades and test scores, but there’s another part of the college application that many students find more confusing: the extracurricular activity section.

How many extracurricular activities do you need for college applications? How many are too many? Will you get rejected from a school if you don’t have the right amount?

Many students who have participated in activities throughout high school are shocked to look at the Common App and realize there are ten spaces to fill out. Does that mean you have to be involved in ten different activities?

In this article I will tell you:

• The important things colleges need to see in your extracurriculars
• The ideal amount of extracurricular activities
• The minimum amount of extracurriculars you can have
• What to do if you have no extracurriculars
• What to do if you have too many extracurriculars

High school students have a lot of options for what they can do once the school day ends: they can study, do homework, participate in a sport, watch TV, work at a job, play video games, attend a club meeting and more. Some of these activities are more useful and productive than others, and spending your time after school wisely can help you become better prepared for college and the rest of your future.

Whether you're a student or a parent, read on to learn about the benefits afterschool activities can have and which are the best ones for high schools students to participate in.

Have you been significantly involved in community service or volunteer work? Will you be applying to college soon? Good news! You can use your community service experiences as a way to help pay for college or to fund future volunteer projects. 

Read on to learn what community scholarships are, how you can find one, and how you can increase your chances of winning one.

By now you probably know that one thing colleges want to learn about you is how you spend your free time. Did you spend high school sitting around playing video games? Or did you get out, actively involve yourself in an activity and your community, and make a difference?

One way of doing just that has become increasingly popular over the past several years: volunteering abroad.

Read on for more on why students volunteer abroad, tips for choosing a volunteer abroad program, and our pick of some of the best volunteer abroad programs out there.

Have you heard about volunteer abroad programs and are wondering if you should participate in one? Volunteer abroad programs can provide amazing experiences and the opportunity to help improve the world, but they can also be expensive, frustrating, and at times ineffective.

Read this guide to learn about potential positive and negative effects of volunteer abroad programs and to learn whether you should participate in one.

Are you a college student or starting college soon and wondering which extracurricular activities you should be involved in? Extracurriculars are an important part of college, and they are a great way to meet new people and try new activities.

Read this guide to learn how to choose the best extracurricular activities to help you meet new people, learn about future careers, and explore new interests in college.