What TYE Is

This is a program with two main bases in Kerala and Seattle, but with local branches and chapters in . Not every city in the US has one, but many major cities do. Each branch offers coursework, a curriculum designed to introduce students to entrepreneurship, and mentorship opportunities. 

The main thrust of the program is a competition, where teams of students work together to ideate and pitch their own dream of a startup, under the mentorship of TYE alumni and community partners. This begins with the ; you sign up for this through your local branch of the program. The curriculum culminates in the global competition; we’ll describe this in more detail in the next section. 

The program focuses on professional development of the participants, building the soft and hard skills they need to understand how businesses operate, and guiding them through getting started, everything from setting up a LinkedIn profile to the steps to actually build a professional network. 

The program has been in operation for eighteen years at this point, and is still growing, with over 35,000 total participants over its tenure. It is free for students to participate in this program, though local branches may have their own policies. TYE is run off of charitable donations from business and community partners.

The TYE Program Competition

The culmination of the TYE Program, and the main draw for students, is the competition. This is the final part of the curriculum; once you have learned practical lessons about business and entrepreneurship, you get the chance to enact them by beginning your own company.

Note that, technically, you do not need to participate in their curriculum to sign up for the contest, or have any prior experience with business. These are the only eligibility requirements for the competition:

• You must be a high school student
• You must be currently aged 14-19
• You must take part in a team of 2-5 fellow high school students

Note that while you do not need to complete the curriculum, those teams that have are often prioritized. The exact deadlines and requirements to compete are set by your local competition; we’ll be using as an example, since we’re based in Houston ourselves. 

The competition has two phases, students competing in their local round first, with the winners from that round invited to the national round, which is held in Seattle this year. The exact format varies slightly by location, but the competition follows a fairly standard approach across venues. 

The competition has a single round, where teams have ten minutes to present a pitch-deck, followed by a five minute Q&A session. For the Houston competition, this is entirely done via Zoom. Your pitch deck needs to cover the following for your product or business:

• Problem: what the company is trying to address
• Solution: how you are trying to address the problem you have identified
• Target customer: Who is your solution aimed at
• Customer Validation: Evidence that you have spoken to potential customers and that this problem and potential solution are relevant to them
• Product or prototype: Validation that this is a thing which can exist in the world, rather than a mere pipedream
• Market opportunity: Some evidence there is a space in the market for your business or product to flourish
• Business model: How your business itself will be organized and run
• Team and roles: What each team member contributes to the business and plan as a whole, the overlapping and complementing skills you bring to the table
• Your ask: As with all pitch decks, you are asking viewers to invest in your business; what you need and what purpose it serves should be clearly presented

Competition Judging

The competition judges each presentation on eight areas, each of which is scored from one to nine, and which are given equal weight. These areas are related to, but distinct from what you need to cover in your pitch deck. In general, you are judged on the implementation of these, and how effective they are. Specifically, they score on the following categories: 

• Customer Validation: They want evidence that you spoke to actual potential customers, and can show through data the insights you gained from doing so, and that this impacted your business plan
• Execution: Demonstration: That your product or service is tied to a real customer pain point, with clear value it can give them
• Execution: Iteration: Clear evidence that you have taken consumer feedback into account, and iterated your business based on it
• Product-Market Fit: Your customer segments are matched to value propositions with evidence that these exist
• Business Model: Evidence that you have examined potential costs and revenues, your overall plan for your business, and that you understand the potential size of your market
• Teamwork: That your team has clearly defined roles that make the best use of skills, and that you have invested in gaining any needed skills for the business model
• Presentation Skills: The actual quality of your presentation itself; that it flows logically, tells a story, is persuasive, and has strong and relevant visuals
• Q&A: That you answer all questions clearly and directly, and that all team members have a clear role and participate in answering questions

The strongest talks are the ones which have talked with real customers, and support the points they make with evidence. They want to see that you have actively sought feedback from potential customers, and iterated and changed your product to meet the needs as they exist in the world, rather than merely the theory of them. 

Prizes

The overall prize of the competition is $3,000 for the winning team at the global event. Winners from local competitions advance to the global event. Six different teams are recognized overall, for excellence in various aspects of their pitch and presentation.

The prizes here are smaller than some competitions, the real benefit being the experience of formatting and pitching a business proposal, and the recognition given for doing so. Yes, “the real prize was what you learned along the way” feels like a copout, but students do learn a lot from this competition.

Is TYE a Good Fit for You?

Now that we have a good understanding of what the TYE program is, the important question remains: is this a good opportunity for you to pursue? This depends, so we’ll look at what recommends this program, and which students it is best suited for.

If you are interested in business, and specifically in entrepreneurship, then this is an interesting opportunity. There are limited avenues for students to get involved in these fields generally, especially for younger students. Frequently, the best avenue is just starting your own business. Since that’s exactly what this program and competition is designed to help students do, the benefits are quite obvious. 

This competition is somewhat limited when compared to what’s available in the sciences, but that’s also understandable. Success in business comes once you have built a successful business; whereas the sciences are more nebulous, and require significantly more investment and oversight. There is also far more funding for science competitions, which is why they offer significantly more prizes. 

If you are interested in entrepreneurship specifically, and there is a branch of this program in a city near you, then we recommend checking it out. Even if you don’t end up competing, the courses they offer on entrepreneurship can be useful, a primer that high schools generally don’t cover. If you have your own ideas for a business venture, and want to put the plan into action while getting feedback on it, then this is a good option for you to do so.

This competition certainly isn’t a good fit for all students, but not all students want to pursue entrepreneurship. This is especially ideal for students at the younger end of high school, for whom more serious opportunities are not yet available, and who will benefit from learning the basics and foundations now, to be built upon going forward.

Final Thoughts

There are any number of ways to explore your interests in high school, but some fields are better represented than others. Despite business being one of the most popular majors and career paths, there are few resources for high school students interested in it, very few paths they can explore at this stage. TYE is not a unique program, but it is a great way for students to get a first taste of entrepreneurship, and what exactly starting a business from scratch entails. 

We hope that this article has helped you understand the TYE program, and assess whether or not it’s a good opportunity for you to pursue. It can be difficult to assess all the programs out there, or find the ones that speak to your goals or interests; that’s where łÔąĎąŮÍř can help. Our mentors are skilled at helping students find opportunities which resonate with them, and which set them up to stand out in their college admissions. Schedule a free consultation today to learn how we can help, we’re always happy to hear from you.

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In this article, we’re going to examine what dual enrollment courses are, why they work, and when they don’t. As with so many things in high school, it’s hard to make any universal statements about the benefits of dual enrollment courses. Let’s explore the nuances then, and see if these are a good option for you to pursue. 

The Unstoppable Growth of Dual Enrollment Classes

Dual enrollment classes are becoming increasingly popular for any number of reasons, but it is primarily due to a growth in demand. These courses have been available in some limited form for quite some time, but were previously fairly exceptional. When I was in high school (longer ago than it seems), dual annulment courses were only available to those students who were so accelerated in math that they ran out of other coursework to pursue in the building. These students could either switch to computer science, or participate in a dual enrollment course.

That was the original purpose of these courses, and a sensible one; to give students options for coursework that went beyond what high schools had the need or resources to offer, usually in math and languages alone. As with other advanced coursework, however, a confluence of pressures have caused both high schools and students to want more, and more access, to these courses. 

The primary drivers of this phenomenon are: 

• A desire by students to take the best courses possible. This is something colleges care about a lot, and as admissions gets more competitive, any perceived advantage is reached for.
• The growing cost of college. College costs a lot, so earning a bunch of credits in high school, theoretically shortening your time to degree, can be very appealing.
• Perceived student benefits. High schools chase trends like everyone else, and the more schools that adopt this, the more their peers look into doing the same.

Each school district has its own reasons for doing it of course, but these are the deeper trends driving the spread of dual enrollment courses across the country. We support students having more options, and these are well-intentioned, but the rapid spread is revealing some issues with the system that weren’t apparent (or indeed much of a problem), when it was rarer. 

Growing Issues With Dual Enrollment Courses

The alarm has been raised primarily by the accrediting body for dual enrollment programs, which published a on how gaps and differences in policy between states have made a patchwork of programs, some of which are far less effective at their state goals than others. 

This is a growing problem, but not necessarily a surprising one. When things grow before regulation can catch up, there are always growing pains, periods of adjustment. This is especially true when each state is in charge of its own educational policy, and must set its own standards. 

While eighteen states do have holistic guidelines, ten have no guidance or regulation at all, and the remaining states only have patchwork policies in place, with no overarching framework. The experience students have, and what they get out of courses, is then dependent on local resources, policies, and procedures. 

This is a problem because it means the main benefit of these courses, the increased rigor and material, isn’t universally applied or ensured. Colleges thus have a patchwork of guessing and questions when it comes to evaluating what students have done in their dual enrollment courses, and whether or not students actually gain any benefits, in admissions or in learning, is highly variable. 

The Preparation Issue

There is another problem, though more anecdotal, which can be found if you browse forums frequented by university professors and other educators. This si that many of the high school students who enroll in these dual enrollment offerings are unprepared for the material, the rigor, or the structure of college courses. 

Now, these are anecdotal complaints, and these forums (like all online spaces) primarily attract those who are already looking to complain. That said, the frequency of these complaints, and the consistency of substance in them is a cause for concern, especially for students who are considering dual enrollment courses. 

The professors have the following common complaints to make: 

1. Students are not prepared for college-level and college style courses, expecting them to instead be just like the courses they have in high school.
2. Students often receive insufficient support from their high schools, and founder with the college material.
3. Students do not behave well in class, but treat it the same way they do high school courses.
4. As the number of dual enrollment students increases, including younger students, their overall ability to handle college coursework goes down.

Now, some of these students fail the courses, some withdraw. There are sadly no good national statistics for how students perform when they take part in dual enrollment courses. The problems, however, are clear to see, from both the district and the local level. 

As more students are interested, and schools push more students into these programs answering demand, the reality on the ground outstrips any oversight or standardization of these programs. At the same time, students who may not be ready feel like taking these classes is expected of them, and so they sign up, even though they aren’t prepared for college coursework. This leads professors to either have to water down the courses (which many are loath to do) or fail many of these students who simply can’t handle the jump in expectations. 

Is Dual Enrollment Worth it for You?

This then leads to the core question: are dual enrollment courses worth enrolling in for you? This, of course, depends. What the report demonstrates, more than anything, is that how good dual enrollment courses are, how much benefit they provide, is fully dependent on where you are, and how your particular school district approaches offering these courses to students. We recommend evaluating the following: 

1. Your school’s dual enrollment practices and culture
2. Your personal readiness for courses at this level

Your School’s Courses

For college admissions, you are judged in the context of your school, and that you have taken the most advanced courses available to you. From what we have heard from admissions officers, however, they do not particularly prize dual enrollment over other advanced coursework that’s available, including AP courses and IB courses. How you engage with advanced material is less important than your desire to do it.

It can be hard to determine how functional your school’s dual enrollment program is, but talking with other students, especially older ones, is a great source of information. How were their experiences? Did the program add anything meaningful, or was the material much the same as what they found in an AP course? What were the course expectations like, and how much support does your high school provide?

While college credit from these courses is nice, most colleges (especially top colleges) put hard caps on how much credit you can bring in. If you are planning on attending a local school and want to come in with as much credit as possible, however, this can be a useful consideration. 

Your Preparation for College Work

The other important thing to consider is that dual enrollment courses, in many places, have you go to the community college in question and take the course amongst college students. The professors change little, and generally do not extend extra grace just because you are a high school student. Their thinking is that you signed up for the course, so you must deal with it on the course’s terms. 

This is very different from high school generally, even the advanced courses you take. Not necessarily in how difficult the material itself is, but the expectations placed on you. These courses rarely offer extra credit, or makeup work, or chances to redo tests if things go wrong. Some might, but these are by far the exception, rather than the norm.

There’s no shame in being more comfortable with the pace and expectations of high school work; you are a high schooler after all. You can still grapple with advanced topics in high school courses, but these often have more breathing room than their dual enrollment counterparts. That said, if you are confident in your maturity to handle it, this shift in expectations is a great way to begin preparing for the rigors of college courses, where professors tend to have far less leeway. 

Final Thoughts

High schools try to set students up for college as best they can, but they too are often caught by trends, ones which they may join without proper planning or statewide support. In many ways, the rise of dual enrollment classes is quite beneficial for high school students, but this does not mean they are the right choice in every case, nor that they should be seen as a perfect solution. Like all other tools, they have a time and a palace where they are useful.

We hope that this article has helped you better understand dual enrollment courses, their strengths and shortcomings, and whether or not they’re the right choice for you to pursue. If you are looking for advice on planning out your high school courses, or aren’t sure which courses to take to maximize your shot at a top college, then łÔąĎąŮÍř can help. We work with students of all backgrounds, and have a keen understanding of what colleges want to see from students. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more. We’re always happy to speak with you.

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Berkeley’s Management and Engineering Technology Program

We’ve written in detail about Berkeley’s MET Program before, but want to look at it again in context of this program, as this will give a sense of the Innovation Academy’s purpose, and who it’s meant to serve. The program as a whole is a joint venture between two Berkeley colleges: the Haas School of Business and the College of Engineering, and is meant to highlight the merger of these fields. 

New products and designs don’t just spring fully formed from holes in the ground, and so this program strives to help students understand the creation and business process from both sides. It is understandably very competitive; business and engineering are already two of the most popular majors, and the merger of them makes it even more so. 

The summer program is aimed at high school students who are already interested in a field like this for themselves, who want the entrepreneurial focus of business merged with the hands-on components of engineering. Such programs certainly aren’t for everyone, but with how popular it is at the collegiate level, it’s unsurprising that Berkeley has decided to offer this as a summer program.

Note that while the MET program is one of Berkeley’s most competitive, that does not automatically make the summer program worthwhile in itself. We’ll go over the potential value in a later section, but this has shown what the program is for, and who it is attempting to serve. 

What Berkeley’s Innovation Academy Offers

This is a relatively short program, just two and a half weeks in length, and is residential, offering students a chance to live on Berkeley’s campus and get a taste of college life. It is quite expensive for its length, but this is often the case for residential programs (plus many colleges do use summer programs like this as a money grab). There is financial aid available, though this requires a separate application. 

During the program itself, students will learn from faculty from the Haas School of Business and the College of Engineering, working on a project where they pitch a design prototype. The program includes both classroom instruction and some chances to do hands-on prototyping of your design.

You will also get to experience life on Berkeley’s campus, and take part in career development exercises, where students learn some of what business and entrepreneurship entails from experts. These are all introductory, but give you a good sense of what you might expect to see if you dedicate yourself to these fields.

As with most summer programs hosted on college campuses, there’s also a social aspect to the Innovation Academy. You’ll get to meet and learn from current students in Berkeley’s MET program, and participate in excursions through the Bay Area with other members of the program on weekends. 

Is Berkeley’s Innovation Academy a Good Program for You?

This program is only open to rising juniors and seniors (that is, current sophomores and juniors), students who are judged mature enough to spend a bit of time away from home living in college dorms. These are also the students who have the broadest range of programs available, and who want to be sure they make the best possible use of their time during the summer. 

The Innovation Academy is a good program, but not a great one, as it has many of the same shortcomings we see with other programs of this type. We’ll go through these, explain why they create issues, and why admissions officers may not look highly on this program. Note that our goal here isn’t to discourage you from applying; there are scenarios where this can still be a good program to pursue. We just want to be sure that if you do, you do so with forethought. 

The first issue with the program is how short it is, which ties into the second, how much it costs. Now, there are expenses to be expected when you’re staying on a college campus, but when you’re there for well under a month, you get the sense that the college sees this more as a chance to make some money rather than to offer something truly valuable to students. 

The next issue is the lack of hands-on opportunities. Now, this program does give you more hands-on projects than some other business summer programs, but it lacks the sorts of in-depth options you often see from engineering programs. A longer term program, where you really dive into the engineering process of building a prototype, and the business case for marketing it, would be valuable. This program has that potential, but does not fully capitalize on it. 

So is this a good program?

For students who are interested in entrepreneurship and engineering, and who have limited experience in each, this can be a useful introductory program, especially for current sophomores. Older students, or those who are already certain of their course of study, will benefit far less from what it offers. 

While the introduction to Berkeley’s specific program is nice, it will not aid in your application to it, and may indeed hurt you. Admissions officers tend to look down on programs of this sort, even the ones their school offers. Remember, summer programs and admissions are wholly different departments within a school, and the statements of one do not reflect the view of another. 

What Other Options Are There?

The merger of engineering and business is an increasingly popular one, especially as tech startups and entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley increasingly reshape the social and financial landscape. That said, there are very few official summer programs designed to meet this need; the one by Berkeley is not quite unique, but it hardly has hordes of competition.

For these students, the best option is often designing a program for themselves, pursuing internships or independent projects properly tailored to their interests. Working with a small startup or a large company can give insights into both the realities of business and how the design process works in practice, plus give you a chance to stretch your own skills. 

Internships can be difficult to find and arrange, especially compared to programs like Berkeley’s, but that difficulty is part of what makes them more impressive to admissions officers. If you are looking for guidance in finding and applying to an internship, check out our article on the subject. 

The other option you may consider is taking an approach that leans much more heavily on engineering. There are a number of engineering summer programs which offer long-term hands-on options for students, a chance to really build something impressive and interesting. Berkeley’s program gives you a taste of this, but one that really lets you expand and explore your skills will be more beneficial. You can find some of these in our article here.

There is no one “right” summer program which will guarantee your acceptance to a top college. What you need to find is one which will support your growth, and allow you to explore your interests to the fullest possible extent.

Final Thoughts

Top colleges offer plenty of summer programs, ones designed to cater to all interests. Berkeley’s Innovation Academy is one such, and quite a good one, though not right for every student and every scenario. We hope that this article has given you a good idea of what this program is and offers, and whether or not it’s the kind of thing which would be beneficial for you. 

If you are looking for help finding the perfect summer program, or setting up an internship or other opportunity perfectly tailored to your interests, then łÔąĎąŮÍř can help. Our mentors have long practice setting students on the path to success, regardless of where their interests lie. Schedule a free consultation today to learn how we can help you explore your passions. 

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Understanding the Saturday Morning Science Program

The first thing to note is that this program is run by the Baylor College of Medicine, rather than Baylor University. These schools are not related, despite having the same name and both being based in Texas (and having a very popular jointly administered BS/MD program). Yes, this is confusing. No, there isn’t anything anyone can do about it. 

This program specifically serves students in grades 6-12 who live in the Houston area (And surrounding suburbs). The primary goal of the program is to increase student access to medicine, and to inspire underrepresented students and populations to consider and pursue careers in the field. 

The program itself has three branches: Spring, Summer, and Fall programs. We’ll cover each individually.

This is a virtual program, hosted on Zoom, for students in grades 6-12. While it has alternated between in person and virtual in previous years, it seems that they are committing to virtual in 2026; future years remain to be seen. While this program is primarily intended for students in the Houston area, due to its virtual nature, students from other states who are interested in healthcare are also invited to attend. 

The program consists of two-and-a-half hour sessions on Zoom on four Saturdays in April and May. The first half of each session is a large group lecture from a guest lecturer, and the second half will be small group activities directed by BCM faculty and staff. You need to commit to attend at least three of the sessions, and participate in the group discussion, in order to be eligible for the program. 

The application to participate in this program is due in April. To apply, you must complete a statement (at least a few sentences in length, but up to half a page) on your career goals and interest in the SMS program. If you have previously participated in SMS, you should include a few sentences about what you gained from it previously, and what you hope to gain from it this year. 

This is a summer program which allows students who have already participated in one of SMS’s other programs to take part in an intensive eight week research project with a BCM researcher. This program requires around forty hours of work each week, and also gives students access to weekly professional development sessions, where you learn more about the process of research and careers in healthcare generally. 

At the conclusion of the program, you will get to present your research to other program participants at a symposium. You will have other chances to share your research during the following school year. Note that some of the specifics of this program are determined by individual researchers and labs, but that you must commit to the full eight weeks if you are accepted. 

This program is only open to students who are 18 or older by the program’s start date. You must also be a US citizen or permanent resident, and legally eligible to work in the US. This program is incredibly popular, and has a limited number of seats available, due to the number of participating researchers. 

In order to apply, you must have your school complete a nomination form, and must complete and submit their application. This includes a personal statement of your research interests and career goals, which can highlight past research experiences. You must also include a resume. 

The Fall program is in many ways similar to the Spring program. It consists of virtual, two-and-a-half hour sessions hosted via Zoom, held on Saturday mornings. Each session begins with a lecture, and concludes with students breaking into small groups for discussion. Like the Spring session, this is open to students in grades 6-12. It is open to both Texas residents and those from other states, due to its virtual nature. 

The main difference between the Fall and Spring programs is the number of total sessions; there are six in Fall, compared to just four in Spring. You must commit to attending at least four of the sessions when you apply to the Fall program. Aside from this, the application components and requirements are exactly the same as the Spring program.

Is Saturday Morning Science Right for You?

The answer to this depends on your interests of course, but SMS does have a number of features to recommend it. The first is how broadly available it is, especially to younger students. High school students always have more and better options to explore subjects than their peers in middle school, and so those students in grades 6-8 should make note of programs like this one. 

The Fall and Spring programs are not capstone or headlining activities. They are quite nice, yes, but they give little in the way of practical experience. They are, however, also low commitment, and even older students generally lose very little if they want to participate in them. We do advise younger students to focus more heavily on these, while older students look to more serious undertakings, but these programs won’t cost anything. 

The Summer program is a capstone, the kind of intensive research experience that highly benefits all students who participate, and which admissions officers love to see. This is somewhat more limited than many programs of this sort, due in large part to the age requirement; you must be 18 by the start date of the program. Thus some students may be able to participate in this program in the summer after their junior year, but others will have to wait until the summer after their senior year. 

For college admissions, understandably, participating in the summer after your junior year is far more beneficial; colleges are unable to notice programs you take part in after your application is submitted. That said, it can be useful even if you are participating in the summer after your senior year; lab experience once helps you gain lab experience again, and if you are planning on a career in medicine, then getting this kind of experience early is always a good idea. 

Local Outreach Programs

Saturday Morning Science is just one example of a local outreach program, something pretty much all colleges and universities take part in. These are often distinct from their summer programs and other offerings, tailored specifically to the communities they are in. Here are some key traits of these programs (not every program has every trait, but these are commonalities for many of them): 

• Framed as outreach programs. The goal of these programs is to get students interested in various fields generally, often but not always STEM.
• Free. These programs are free of charge.
• During the school year. These programs take place during the school year, often on weekends, and are generally quite short in duration; a day or two, or a few weekends in a row.
• Location dependent. These programs are only for students who are local to a particular college. Some partner programs are only for students at a particular school.

These programs exist for many reasons, but a major one is that colleges want to give back to the communities they are part of. Colleges are often a major employer and business, and they want to stay on good terms with the locals. Providing opportunities like this is a great way to start.

If you are interested in STEM, or really any subject, you should begin by looking at the outreach programs offered by colleges near you. Many of these are less serious or intensive (though there are sometimes higher level internships offered), but are a great introduction to these fields, and since they are often free, can be explored with little risk. This is especially true for younger students, those in middle school or underclassmen in high school, who often have fewer opportunities. 

Final Thoughts

You may or may not know that you want to be a doctor in middle school, but you may be considering it, and all the more so as you enter high school. In those circumstances it is best to pursue that curiosity, to see if this field is really the kind of thing you are interested in engaging with long term. Saturday Morning Science is just one program to enable that, but it is an excellent option for students in Houston.

If you are looking for help applying to SMS, or in finding programs that will enable you to explore your passions, then łÔąĎąŮÍř can help. Our mentors are skilled at helping you discover the right opportunities to support your interests, and pursuing them to great heights. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more; we’re always happy to hear from you.

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Why Publication Takes So Long

The publication process is very complicated; we’ve discussed this in prior articles, but we’re going to break it down again here simply. In short, when you submit a paper to a journal, it goes through the following steps: 

1. It is reviewed by an editor (unpaid). They make sure that the paper fits the theme of the journal and is coherent; a research paper on squids can’t be published in a computer science journal (unless you’ve taught the squids to code). 
2. The editor sends it to peer reviewers (unpaid). These reviewers are professional academics in the field, who evaluate your work for quality and scientific coherence. They make notes on the paper, and send it back.
3. You are expected to revise your paper based on these notes. 95% of papers submitted receive notes before publication. 
4. The paper is given a final check for formatting by the editor (still unpaid).
5. The paper is published, either online, which can be immediate, or in the next edition of the journal, which takes however long it is before that comes out. 

Each of these steps takes time, often quite a bit of it. The exact amount is variable based on the journal, but this is always compounded because all of the people doing the work are unpaid. Being a peer reviewer or editor is generally a volunteer position, even for quite prestigious journals. Thus the ten to twenty hours of work required to properly review a paper may fall down their list of priorities. They’ll get to it, certainly, but it will take time. 

This then raises the question of where the publication fees are going, if they aren’t spent on reviewers or editors; after all, accessing journals often takes a lot of money too. That’s an issue for another article, but suffice to say the system is not designed for the well-being of academics. 

Speeding the Publication Process

The publication itself is somewhat inflexible, but there are ways you can speed it, some of which are more feasible than others. We’re going to go through each in turn, in order to discuss the pros and cons, and which may be best suited for your situation. 

Publishing Via Pre-Prints

We’ve discussed pre-prints before, and the pros and cons of them. In short, pre-prints are articles which are published and disseminated publicly without going through the peer review process. Not needing to be reviewed removes pretty much the entire waiting period for publication, so this is by far the fastest option, but it is also one with some of the most issues. 

The biggest con is that most colleges are wary of peer-reviewed papers. Top scholars with established publication histories can benefit from publishing pre-prints, especially if they worry that someone else will publish first. High school students, however, really need the accreditation that comes from peer review, the confirmation from a third party that their research is meritorious. In most circumstances, we advise all students not publish using pre-prints. 

Paying to Expedite the Process

Some, but not all, journals offer a fast track to review and publication. This is more common in journals aimed at high school students, but some professional journals offer it as well. This is often a significant additional fee, but guarantees your paper is reviewed on a set timeline. Note that this is still a full review, and will still take some time, including your response to any comments on your paper. All it does is shorten the editorial and peer review process by moving your paper to the top of the priority stack. 

This can be a good option, though the timeline for these reviews, even expedited, is often still extensive, especially depending on how many revisions are required. In addition, many journals which offer this service are less reputable. This isn;t true of all of them of course, but you should beware of paper mills, journals which will publish near anything without a proper review. This is a growing problem for academics of all stripes, but is especially troublesome for high school students. 

If a journal you are submitting to has an expedited option, and you know the journal is reputable, then this can be a reasonable option if it is within your budget. This is not ideal however, and the time savings can be variable.

Presentation at a Conference

The final option is to present your research at a conference. These are held regularly in all disciplines, and allow researchers to present their findings. The review for conferences is far faster, due to the logistics of conferences; if your research is submitted by the deadline, it will be reviewed and entered into the conference proceedings. In most cases, you will then be able to present a poster at the conference, where you highlight your work and results. 

Some conferences will further review and publish a compilation of presentations, though this can take far longer. Presenting in a conference alone, however, is seen as an equivalent accomplishment to publishing in a journal; indeed, in some fields almost all research is disseminated through conferences. 

You will have to find a conference which is related to your subject of study, and which is still accepting submissions. The review process is much faster for conferences, but they are very set in terms of timing, and it is still far from instantaneous. It is probably one of the best options for students who are looking to publish quickly however, and one we help many of our students pursue. 

Publication and College Admissions

Getting into a great college isn’t the only reason to do research, but publishing serious and thoughtful research is a great boon to most applications. This, then, has students very eager to publish before they submit their applications, something that causes a lot of stress, especially for those applying early decision. It can be nerve wracking, even with these expedited means, submitting a paper and waiting to hear back as deadlines creep closer. 

Here, however, there is something you need to know: submission for publication in a journal or presentation at a conference is generally weighed the same as the publication itself. Now, admissions officers do tend to be reticent to discuss exactly how they evaluate research; when approached for comment directly every school we spoke to demurred. This is, however, something we are confident on based on conversations with them, and other sources within universities. 

This makes sense; colleges are in the business of producing research, and they know exactly how lengthy and difficult of a process it is. What they care about is the legitimacy of the research you did; submitting it for publication, having it under consideration, shows your dedication to the process, your desire for legitimate academic exploration. 

This is heartening, but does still leave some students nervous. If you are concerned, then you can also send admissions officers an update letter once your paper is published. Now, admissions officers only want update letters if there’s been a major update to your candidacy, but publishing research definitely counts. This tends to be more applicable to students applying regular decision, but can be done by students applying early as well. 

Admissions officers are not trying to make your life more difficult, and they do want to extend you understanding. If you tell them where you are in the publication process, and explain how you have substantially contributed to the process of research, then it will be beneficial to your application.

Final Thoughts

You do not need to complete research to get into a great college, but it’s quite clear why so many students pursue it. With how much work a research project takes, it’s also clear why students want to get credit for doing it, and why there’s so much stress about how long it takes to publish research. We hope this article has helped you understand why the process takes so long, and what you can do to speed the process. 

Publication is quite a confusing process, as research itself is; very different from anything you do in high school, even in AP courses designed to facilitate research. If you are looking for further help understanding these processes, or expert guidance conducting and publishing your research projects, then łÔąĎąŮÍř can help. Our research mentors have long experience in their fields, and are quite capable of guiding you through the entire research process. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more, we’re always happy to hear from you. 

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This leads to an obvious question for budding young athletes: whether or not partaking in sports camps or other athletic activities during the summer is a good use of their time, and how this can impact their college admissions. The answer is: it depends. Since that’s fully unsatisfying, we’re going to spend this article exploring the nuance of summer sports programs, and whether they may be a good use of your time. Let’s play ball!

The Variety of Summer Sports Programs

Before we can begin looking at whether or not these programs are any good for you, we need to identify what the different kinds of summer sports programs are. We won’t go through every option, but we will give examples for different kinds of programs where applicable. 

Local Sports Leagues

These are some of the most common, and take on different forms in different towns across the country. Private clubs for golf, travel teams for baseball or softball, fencing gyms; these are organized sports with coaches and competitions much like you’d find at school, though often with more intensive schedules and programs during the summer. 

What these offer, the intensity of their programs, and how much or little each may benefit you will vary widely between them. Here are the steps we use to help students and parents evaluate the general utility of these programs: 

• What is the time commitment required, and what do you get out of it in return?
• Are their opportunities for competition, or is this just a chance to build skills/train?
• How many students who attend this program are recruited on average, and where are they recruited by?
• What connections, if any, does this program have to the college recruitment pipeline?

College Sport Camps

Colleges which have sports teams generally have summer camps for them. This ranges from schools like (which at one point dissolved its football team and built a library over the stadium) to (which actually does care about its athletics program). Any school with sports teams, from DI to DIII will have some form of these camps, though their mechanics and what sports they are offered for varies. 

These camps are a major recruiting resource for these schools, but students who are not being actively recruited can attend as well to show off for coaches and to try and get on their radar. These can be a good use of time if you are looking seriously into college recruiting. 

Private Sport Camps

Finally, there are private sport camps, which generally exist as a place for athletes to hone their skills, but which sometimes can offer recruiting or competition options. These often cost the most of all three options by far, and tend to make the largest claims about successes. While these camps can be beneficial in some circumstances, most of the time, we find their claims far outstrip their promised benefits. We advise using the same questions we posed for local sports leagues to evaluate these opportunities. 

Summer Sports and College Recruitment

Participating in sports over the summer can directly and indirectly increase your odds of recruitment, but it is not guaranteed to do so, nor are you guaranteed to be recruited by somewhere you want to attend college. That said, if you know there are already colleges interested in recruiting you, and you are interested in pursuing sports at the collegiate level, then we do recommend using summer opportunities to aid in your recruitment efforts. 

The first thing to do is to attend college camps at schools you are interested in. Academic camps at a university generally don’t impact your odds of acceptance at all, but athletic camps can. This is because college coaches often have pull (albeit limited in some cases) with the admissions office, and if they want to recruit you, you are much more likely to get in. 

If you are actively being courted or recruited by a college, they will invite you to a camp, but you can also sign up for camps at colleges which have not recruited you but which you are interested in. These camps are often quite short, UCLA’s are generally only two days long; University of Alabama’s for prospects is similarly two days, and Harvard’s all last one to two days. 

Some schools have longer programs, but these camps are not intended to give you a major workout or to hone your technique. They’re a place for you to be introduced to a school and coaches, and for them to meet and evaluate you in turn, to see if you might be a good fit for their program. 

Indirect Sports Recruiting Benefits

College programs can directly benefit recruiting efforts by letting you speak with and show off for college coaches, but other sports programs can benefit recruiting indirectly by letting you hone specific skills or compete in arenas watched by coaches. This is the case of local sports leagues or costlier sports camps, which fill much more of the summer.

These opportunities have much more of a tradeoff cost however, as they fill much more of your time, take more of your money, and are likely to interfere with other activities. If you are already being recruited by some schools, but are aiming for higher tier programs and know what you need to hone to take your skills to that level, then these may be a good use of time. For many students, however, there are far more beneficial ways to spend your summer hours.

Should You Take Part in Summer Sports?

Whether or not you are a recruited athlete, sports can be a component of what you spend your summer doing. For some school sports, this is required, with training camps in August or voluntary (mandatory) workouts held throughout the summer. For others, especially sports you take part in outside of school, workouts and competitions may not even see a break over the summer.

These demands can make participating in other summer programs difficult, especially those with extended durations, the multi-week research experiences or full-time internships that let you deeply explore an academic interest. You may be able to do both with some careful schedule juggling, but this is far from guaranteed. As with so many things in college admissions, you must decide where your priorities lie. 

Showing a strong devotion to sports can be part of your admissions profile even if you aren’t a recruited athlete. In these cases, however, it is weighed the same as any other extracurricular, and doesn’t give any particular admissions boost. Thus, the most strategically beneficial thing depends on where you are as an athlete and a scholar: 

• Students who are already getting recruiting interest from coaches will benefit from continuing to hone their skills, though can always benefit from academic summer programs as well.
• Students on the cusp of recruitment can benefit from improving their skills if they only need a small push to get them to the next level.
• Students who are unlikely to get recruited are going to receive more benefit from academic summer programs, or those related to their intended major. 

This is an article, and we cannot tell you in set text what your own odds of recruitment are. That said, students who are top recruits don’t need to ask generally; the coaches find them. 

We aren’t trying to say that sports summer programs are worthless, but that when deciding whether or not to attend, you must weigh the opportunity cost as well as any actual costs of these programs. Summers do offer students a wonderful amount of free time, but each day only has so many hours. 

Our final suggestion is that students interested in recruiting, but who aren’t sure, should take the most advantage of the shorter sports camps offered by universities, especially those they are interested in attending. This is their best option to connect with coaches, and to see what the level of competition is, what other students are interested and drawing interest. Students who are not yet officially being recruited, sophomores especially, can benefit from this. 

Final Thoughts

Sports have a long history at high schools and colleges, and are one of the most popular extracurriculars for students across the country. This same popularity breeds an intense level of competition; even with how many college athletes there are, very few high school students who dedicate themselves to sports continue their passions in college.

We hope that this article has shown how summer programs can help you in these endeavors, and how they may have a high opportunity cost as well. There is no single correct approach, and what the best choice for you is depends on your own circumstances and goals. If you are looking for advice on your particular situation, or want help navigating the admissions or recruiting landscape, then łÔąĎąŮÍř can help. Our mentors are skilled at every aspect of college admissions, and we’ve helped plenty of budding athletes continue to compete in college; schedule a free consultation today to learn how we can help you. 

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In this article, we’re specifically going to look at some hot topics in economics, five fields (and their related subfields) where a lot of exciting new work is being done. These aren’t the only fields you can publish in, far from it. We want this to serve as an introduction, to let you sample what’s on offer, and what you might want to explore further. 

1. Artificial Intelligence and Labor Markets 

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation is transforming labor markets and production  processes. Economists study how new technologies affect employment, wages, productivity, and  the distribution of economic gains across workers. Technological change has historically generated both job losses and new occupations. Current research examines whether AI represents a  continuation of this pattern or a more disruptive technological shift. 

1.1. Automation and Job Displacement 

Automation occurs when machines or software replace tasks previously performed by workers. Economists study which occupations are most vulnerable to automation and how technological  change affects employment across industries. There is evidence that automation tends to affect routine and middle-skill occupations, such as manufacturing or administrative work. However, recent developments in AI may increasingly affect higher-skill jobs that involve data  analysis or pattern recognition. 

1.2. Skill-Biased Technological Change 

Another important research area examines how technological progress affects wage inequality.  Economists refer to this as skill-biased technological change, meaning that technological progress increases demand for highly skilled workers relative to low-skill workers. AI tools often  complement highly educated workers such as engineers, analysts, and researchers. As a result,  wage gaps between workers with different skill levels may widen. 

1.3. Productivity and Firm-Level AI Adoption 

Researchers also study whether firms that adopt AI technologies experience productivity  improvements. Economists use firm-level data to analyze changes in hiring, output, and innovation  following AI adoption. Productivity gains often vary across firms depending on management  practices, data availability, and workforce skills. 

Possible research question: 

• Does AI adoption increase firm productivity more in technology-intensive industries?  
• Which occupations face the highest automation risk? 
• Does AI adoption increase wage dispersion within firms? 

2. Industrial Policy and Geopolitical Tensions 

Industrial policy has re-emerged as an important area of economic research due to rising  geopolitical tensions and disruptions in global supply chains. Industrial policy refers to  government efforts to promote specific industries through subsidies, regulation, or strategic  investments. Recent geopolitical competition, particularly between major economic powers, has  increased interest in strengthening domestic production in key industries such as semiconductors,  artificial intelligence, and clean energy. 

2.1. Strategic Industry Support 

Governments often support industries considered essential for national security or economic  competitiveness. Examples include semiconductor manufacturing, defense technologies, and  advanced computing. Economists study whether these policies increase innovation and  productivity or distort market competition. 

2.2. Supply Chain Resilience 

Recent global events including pandemics and geopolitical conflicts have exposed vulnerabilities  in global supply chains. Economists analyze how firms diversify suppliers and how governments  encourage domestic production. Policies aimed at supply chain resilience attempt to reduce  dependence on single suppliers or politically sensitive regions. 

2.3. Trade Restrictions and Technological Competition 

Governments increasingly use tariffs, export controls, and investment restrictions to protect  strategic industries and limit technology transfers. Economists analyze how these policies affect international trade and innovation. Geopolitical tensions also have led to restrictions on advanced  technologies such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence components. 

Possible research question: 

• Do subsidies for semiconductor production increase domestic technological capacity? 
• How do geopolitical tensions such as wars affect global supply chain structures? 
• How do export controls affect global innovation and technological diffusion? 

3. Behavioral Economics and Financial Markets 

Behavioral economics integrates insights from psychology into economic analysis. Traditional economic models assume individuals behave rationally and make optimal decisions. Behavioral  research demonstrates that real-world decisions are often influenced by cognitive biases and  emotional responses. In financial markets, these behavioral biases can influence investor behavior  and lead to deviations from traditional models of market efficiency. 

3.1. Investor Overconfidence 

Investors often overestimate their ability to predict financial market movements. Overconfidence can lead to excessive trading and increased volatility in financial markets. Behavioral finance research shows that overconfident investors may underestimate risks and react too strongly to new information. 

3.2. Herd Behavior 

Herd behavior occurs when investors imitate the actions of others rather than relying on  independent information. This behavior can amplify market movements and contribute to speculative bubbles. Financial markets often exhibit herd behavior during periods of uncertainty or rapid price changes. 

3.3. Market Sentiment and Asset Price Bubbles 

Investor sentiment can influence financial markets even when underlying economic fundamentals  remain unchanged. Behavioral economists study how optimism or pessimism among investors can  drive asset prices away from their fundamental values. These dynamics can contribute to financial  bubbles and market crashes. 

Possible research question: 

• How does investor sentiment contribute to asset price bubbles? 
• Do retail investors exhibit stronger behavioral biases than institutional investors? 
• How does news sentiment affect short-term stock market volatility?

4. Climate Economics and Environmental Policy 

Climate change is one of the most important challenges facing modern economies. Economists analyze both the economic costs of environmental damage and the effectiveness of policies aimed  at reducing emissions. Environmental economics focuses on designing policies that balance  environmental sustainability with economic efficiency. 

4.1. Carbon Pricing Policies 

Carbon pricing policies place a cost on greenhouse gas emissions to encourage firms to reduce  pollution. Two common approaches are carbon taxes and emissions trading systems. These policies  create economic incentives for firms to adopt cleaner technologies. 

4.2. Climate Risk and Financial Markets 

Climate change introduces new risks to financial and insurance markets. These risks include  extreme weather events, financial stability, and shifts in energy demand. Economists study whether financial markets incorporate climate risks into asset prices. 

4.3. Green Innovation and Renewable Energy 

Government policies often encourage innovation in renewable energy technologies such as solar  and wind power. Lower costs of renewable energy technologies have been partly driven by policy  incentives and technological innovation. Economists study whether subsidies, research funding,  and regulations accelerate technological progress. 

Possible research question: 

• How do carbon markets affect emissions reductions across industries? 
• Do firms with high carbon emissions face higher borrowing costs? 
• How do government subsidies affect renewable energy adoption? 

5. Inequality and Wealth Distribution 

Income and wealth inequality have become central topics in modern economic research. Rising  inequality has implications for economic growth, political stability, and social mobility. Economists study how labor markets, education systems, taxation policies, and financial markets  influence the distribution of income and wealth. 

5.1. Income Inequality 

Income inequality refers to differences in wages and earnings across individuals and households.  Researchers analyze how globalization, technological change, and labor market institutions affect  wage distributions.

5.2. Wealth Inequality 

Wealth inequality focuses on the distribution of assets such as stocks, real estate, and business  ownership. Because wealth accumulates over time, it tends to be more concentrated than income. 

5.3. Intergenerational Mobility 

Intergenerational mobility research examines whether individuals can improve their economic  status relative to their parents. Economists analyze how education, geography, and labor market  opportunities influence economic mobility. 

Possible research question: 

• Does access to higher education reduce income inequality? 
• How does stock market participation affect wealth inequality? 
• How do regional labor market conditions affect wage inequality?

Final Thoughts

We have only scratched the surface in terms of what’s possible in economics in this article, but we hope you’ve gained some idea of the kinds of questions economists ask and try to answer when undertaking their research. Like all academic fields, there are vast reams of knowledge waiting to be uncovered, just waiting for some curious scholar to ask the right questions.

If you want help asking those questions, or undertaking your own research projects (in economics or otherwise), then łÔąĎąŮÍř can help. Our research mentors are masters of their fields, all with a depth of scholarship and mentorship experience. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more about how we can help you begin exploring the wide seas of wisdom.

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A Brief Note on Internship Locations

Banking internships are generally in person, and take place at physical branches of these banks. Now, where these are located varies, but it is generally going to be easier for students living in cities to have access to at least one of these internships. This is not universally true; not every city has every bank or internship on offer, but cities as a whole offer more of these than more rural areas.

Because these internships are in-person and do not provide housing, you may find your ability to participate limited by geography. Many of these internships will only accept students who are local, or those who can demonstrate that they will have a place to stay during the summer and can positively commit to the entire period of the internship, taking responsibility for their presence and performance.

If you are located in an area without these internships, and do not have the ability to travel, then you may need to look into alternate ways to spend your summer. We have some great articles on that as well. Note that while these internships are great opportunities, they are not required to get a career in finance. They are a great addition, not a pre-requisite.

Fidelity Summer Internships for Students

Fidelity offers a selection of for students. While many of these are aimed primarily at students who are already in college, some are intended specifically for high school students. Notable among these is their program. This offers internship and shadowing opportunities specifically to female high school students.

These are summer internships, and last up to five weeks. Note that these are location dependent, and are hosted by Fidelity branches across the country; you are in charge of your own housing and transportation during these programs. Internships can last for up to five weeks, though some of these are shorter programs. The goal is to give students a sample of what a career at Fidelity is like, and to increase access to and interest in the field of finance. 

There are not currently high school internships widely available at Fidelity, but we do recommend students who are eligible take advantage of these offerings. While the high school programs are not as in-depth as what college students experience, they are still a great introduction to the field of finance.

CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen, never actually called all that, and the no spaces is intentional) offers a summer internship program specifically for high school students, designed to give them hands-on experience with accountancy, and to inspire them to pursue accounting careers in the future. As one of the largest global accounting firms, they are well positioned to do this.

These internships are organized centrally, but are offered and administered by separate CLA branches, and you must apply to the specific branch you wish to intern at. Not every CLA branch offers these internships, but there are opportunities across the US. As with all of these internships, they do not provide housing; for this reason, students generally only apply to internships which are geographically close to them. 

The internship lasts for four weeks in the summer, and interns work a full shift, from 9 am to 4:30 pm. You must be at least 16 to apply, and most internships require you to be under 18; this is an ideal internship for the summer before your senior year. You must be able to commit to the full program, and you must be eligible to work in the US without requiring a visa.

KPMG High School Internship Programs

KPMG (Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler, which nobody uses (seriously, try saying that five times fast)) is one of the Big Four accounting firms. It’s technically a British multinational, but it has a major presence in the US. It is interesting as it has offered high school internships in the past, and may again, but it has currently discontinued them in the US.

In Canada, however, KPMG offers a pair of for high school students interested in finance and accountancy. The SPARK event is a short engagement, where students attend a brief lecture and workshop on careers in accounting, and get to assess what these offer, and whether this field is something that really interests them.

They have also collaborated with a number of partners in Canada to offer coursework and scholarships to students. Their primary internship through this is a six-week summer program specifically for black students in Canada with an interest in finance and accountancy. This provides both an internship experience, and a college scholarship to participating students.

1435 Capital Management Internships

Run by a smaller and more local (but no less interesting) firm, offers a summer internship to high school students interested in the fields of venture capital and finance. This is a hybrid internship based in Princeton, New Jersey; students are expected to be able to commit to both the virtual and in-person portions of the experience.

This internship is aimed at students currently in their junior or senior year of high school; you must be aged 16-18 in order to apply. Applications are processed on a rolling basis. Technically, this internship is open to US students regardless of origin, but due to its nature as a hybrid internship, is generally only suitable for students local to that area. If you live in New Jersey and have an interest in venture capital, then this is a good opportunity for you to consider. This is a paid, ten week opportunity, and you will be working full time for the duration of the internship; this is quite valuable for the length and intensity, which most internships lack.

This is a program in Chicago, and is only open to Chicago students. It is fully funded by the local business community in Chicago; students who apply are partnered with a mentor from that community, all of whom volunteer to work with the program. These are paid opportunities, and exist to give students in Chicago an entryway into the world of business, particularly (though not solely) finance. 

The application is online, and is open from February 1 to March 31. The program has strict eligibility requirements, more so than many of these internship programs. These are: 

• You must be a resident of the city of Chicago
• You must be a current sophomore or junior, and have a GPA of at least 3.0 unweighted
• You must have a family or household income of $80,000 annually or less

The application itself requires a high school transcript, a resume, an essay response, and two letters of recommendation. They are looking for students with the drive and capacity to excel if admitted into this program. You must be able to commit to the full duration of the program. 

During your internship, you will both work directly with your mentor, and attend learning experiences with other interns; workshop, seminars, and other events where you will hear from business leaders and professionals. The goal is to give students a full introduction to the business landscape in Chicago.

Boston Federal Reserve

The Federal Reserve Bank in Boston runs in partnership with Boston’s Private Industry Council. This program is specifically for Boston-Area students, and begins with a summer work experience, followed by the option for a full-year internship program. Depending on student and program, these can last up to three years. 

This program is only available to students who attend public schools in Boston, and is specifically intended to increase the access of low-income students to careers in business and finance. You must be a current sophomore to apply for this program, and able to commit to the full duration of it. 

This is a paid internship program, intended to be an option for students from low income backgrounds who may otherwise need to work during the summer. Who you end up working with and what exactly you are doing depends on the corporate partner you are placed with, though all students have shared mentorship and group experiences as part of the program. This is a very good program for Boston students, and we recommend applying if you live in the area. 

Final Thoughts

Getting involved in finance and business is difficult for high school students, but difficult is not the same thing as impossible. All of these are competitive programs, and require a lot of work once you are admitted, but that’s a large part of what makes them so valuable. Colleges want students who are unafraid of hard work, and who are eager to actively pursue their goals; these programs are a great way for you to demonstrate these traits. 

If you’re having trouble finding summer programs that match your own interests, or want advice on applying to one of these rather competitive programs, then łÔąĎąŮÍř can help. Our mentors are masters of helping students find and develop their passions, and in helping them get into the best programs for them. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more about how we can help you.

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In this article, we’re going to explore the answers to these questions (though spoiler, there are very few actual beavers at Beaver Works). We’re going to explore what this program is, how you can get involved, and whether or not it’s a good option for you to pursue with your time this summer. Let’s jump right in!

Understanding Beaver Works Summer Institute

Beaver Works is a collection of programs at MIT, all of which are devoted to introducing promising high school students to advanced STEM topics. The most prominent of these is the (generally abbreviated to BWSI), a four week program hosted on MIT’s campus each summer. 

During this program, students take part in hands-on project based learning, using newly developed skills to tackle real world problems and challenges. Note that there are both in-person and virtual courses ; students choose their ideal course and secondary ones when applying. These courses, both in-person and virtual, are full-day affairs (with breaks for meals of course). 

Note that while some of these courses are only offered in-person, BWSI is not a residential program. Students taking part in these in-person courses are responsible for finding their own housing, and parents are required to supervise them during this month when they are not on campus. There is a fee of $2,350 to take part in BWSI. This fee is waived for families earning less than $150,000 annually. Proof of income is required in these cases. 

The courses cover various fields in STEM, though many have computer science, engineering, or robotics components. You will be asked to list three preferences when applying (more on how that works in the next section), but you are not guaranteed to get your first choice course. 

Applying to Beaver Works Summer Institute 

BWSI has one of the most convoluted application processes we’ve encountered, and that’s saying something. It isn’t necessarily more difficult or competitive than other applications, but there are many moving parts, and it’s easy to get confused. We’ll break down how it works in detail to help you understand it. 

All applications for BWSI begin and are done . Here is a timeline for how the process works: 

1. Students register for online courses. Note that these are not the online summer courses offered by BWSI, but are self-paced online prerequisite courses designed to both give the students the skills they need to manage BWSI, and to help select which students will be admitted to the program.
   1. Note that students can self-register for these online courses, or may be nominated by a teacher.
2. As part of the online course’s prerequisite program, students must take an individual benchmark exam (which measures their progress and learning in the course) to be eligible for summer.
3. Those students who are eligible then are sent the application link for BWSI, and must complete that application.
4. All students who enroll in BWSI must complete the online course prior to the start of the summer program. 

It is possible to complete the prerequisite online courses without enrolling in the full BWSI. This can be a valuable learning experience even if you don’t qualify for Beaver Works as a whole, and it is worth considering registering for these courses if you have a strong interest in STEM.

Note that students not in the US may enroll in these online prerequisite courses, but only students residing and attending high school in the US may take part in the full summer institute. Homeschooled students within the US are allowed to participate fully in both programs. 

Registration for the initial online summer courses opens in December. Registration and login information for these is sent out in mid-January.

The Beaver Works Prerequisite Course

The prerequisite courses are one of the most important parts of the Beaver Works application, which is something that surprises many students, or catches them off guard. These are serious courses, and require a significant investment of both time and effort to complete. Moreover, your actual performance in them matters. You don’t need to master every topic, but you do need to be seen trying, putting forth your best effort into what’s asked of you. 

These courses are online and asynchronous, and can be done at more or less your own pace. We say more or less because you need to have completed half of the course’s modules done by a certain point in time to be considered for your application; how much must be done and when depends on the course, but usually this first milestone must be reached by the end of March. 

Courses have various modules; lectures and readings on a specific topic, mirroring the format of a university course (which is what it is intended to be). There are discussion sections as part of these, where you must put in your own response to the material, and respond to that of another student. Instructors are specifically looking for you to go beyond summarizing the content of the reading or lecture, but to bring in original ideas, thoughts, or conclusions based on what you have learned. 

These courses are a lot of work, and presented at a collegiate level. In total, you can expect one of these courses to require fifty hours of work, for watching the lectures, doing the readings, and composing your responses. There aren’t any tests or quizzes like an ordinary course, but the work you do still matters. It prepares you for what you’re going to learn during the summer, and lets the teacher of the course evaluate if you are fully prepared. This is their initial evaluation, before even what is asked on the application itself. 

The Beaver Works Application

The Beaver Works application requires several specific components. First, of course, the online course we discussed above. Next is the application itself, this has standard demographic questions, three short essays, and asks for a single letter of recommendation. It is not the easiest summer program application, but it isn’t the bulkiest either (outside of the prerequisite course). 

When you apply, you are asked for your first, second, and third choices for summer courses. They recommend (and we agree) entering all three, even if one is your clear favorite. Each course has its own prerequisite course, but you are only expected to do the one for your first choice. If you instead get your second (or third), you may switch partway through; you must finish the entire online prerequisite for the course you end up being admitted to. 

The essay questions are the most important part of the application itself (though we have already discussed how important the prerequisite courses are). These essay questions change each year, but always relate in some way to your interests in STEM, and the Beaver Works program.

When answering these questions, your goal should be to highlight how you are a good fit for this program, and any prior experience you have had with these fields. You want to be very genuine in your answers, and showcase real passion for the topics at hand. MIT is known to like students who like learning and exploration for their own sakes, and this is true in their summer programs as well. 

Your letter of recommendation can come from either a teacher or a mentor who has worked with you on STEM projects in an academic setting. The letter should not come from a family member (even if they fall into one of those categories). This letter is due by April 3, and should be sent to Beaver Works directly by your recommender. We recommend asking for these well ahead of time; composing a good letter takes time. 

Is Beaver Works a Good Program for You?

This is always the question with summer programs, for they don’t exist in a vacuum. The point of any of these is to help you explore topics you are interested in that you might not find in high school, and to help you prepare for what you may be studying in college. 

To that end, Beaver Works is incredibly helpful for some students. If you are interested in STEM, especially computer science and engineering, then you can find a number of excellent programs and learning opportunities here. If instead you are interested in the social sciences or humanities, then this may not be the best program for you to pursue. 

Beaverworks is somewhat unique in terms of these programs because of its multi-part structure, and how freely accessible the prerequisite courses are. Thus students can benefit from this part of the program without ever intending or partaking in the latter part. 

Note that simply taking these Beaver Works prerequisite courses isn’t a major activity, and is not something generally worth bragging about in your college applications. Instead, this is something to do if you have a deep interest in one or more of these fields, and want a guided approach to studying and exploring it in more depth. Many of these are subjects which high schools do not regularly teach, and getting to explore collegiate level coursework in them is a great chance to see if they are something you are truly interested in. 

The program itself is a good opportunity, if not in the very top tier, and is something worth applying to if you are interested in these fields. We advise having it be an option if you are applying to other programs focused on technology, engineering, or other STEM fields; even if you end up attending another program, the coursework you take to prepare for Beaver Works will set you up well for that as well. 

Final Thoughts

There are many options for summer programs, especially for students interested in STEM, but Beaver Works offers something unique, even in this crowded field. The prerequisite courses are a lot of work, but that same work is highly beneficial for students if done with intention, even if Beaver Works may not be the perfect summer program for your goals. We hope that this article helped you understand what this program offers, and whether taking part is a good way to spend your summer. 

If you are trying to find exactly the right summer program to match your interests, or want help managing the coursework required to apply to Beaver Works, then łÔąĎąŮÍř can help. Our mentors are masters of helping students apply to summer programs, and teaching you the techniques you need to manage your time well. Schedule a free consultation today to learn how we can make your summer program applications easier, we’re always happy to hear from you.

The post What is the Beaver Works Summer Institute at MIT? appeared first on łÔąĎąŮÍř.

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Many summer programs, unfortunately, cost a lot of money. Free ones do exist, but are rare and competitive. Some students can’t afford these, while others want spending money of their own, and the freedom that brings. This brings us to summer jobs, often a staple of teen life. But are these a good way to spend your time in this era of hypercompetitive college admissions? In this article, we’ll explore what admissions officers think of summer jobs, and what some options for you are. Let’s jump in!

What Admissions Officers Think of Summer Jobs

On the whole, admissions officers approve of summer jobs. This is not universally the case, but getting and keeping a job for the summer shows a degree of maturity, the ability to work with others, manage your time, and complete tasks as assigned. These are all things you have to do in high school of course, but jobs have a higher stress level and are seen as a step up in maturity; high schools generally can’t fire you. 

The reasons you get a job can impact perceptions as well; students who need to help support their family are often seen as valuable additions to a campus. Interestingly, getting a job is also one of the best ways for well-off students to demonstrate grit, and convince admissions officers that they don’t just live lives of privilege. 

You do have to tell admissions officers about this job of course, but we have found that many jobs make for fertile essay writing material. The lessons you learn interacting with the public, managing your income, or filing taxes for the first time are all beneficial, and showcase your maturity, how you had to grow as a person to handle what these new responsibilities threw at you. 

Jobs are not necessarily better than other options, and are not always the best option for your own summer. They are, however, generally regarded as a positive thing by admissions officers, and are a good way to spend your time if you aren’t taking part in a more formal summer program. As always, the only really bad way to spend your summer is doing nothing at all. 

Potential Summer Jobs for High School Students

There are myriad employment opportunities out there, and while we can’t go through all of them, we will go through some of the most common, and list pros and cons. Note that the jobs you can get will also depend a lot on your state’s child labor laws. 

In most cases, we recommend only working part-time, especially if you are working during the school year. You should also know your rights as an employee, and not let your bosses take advantage of you. Many will try if you are a teenager, scheduling you for longer hours or not paying what you are owed. Even if you are still a minor, you have rights, and employers need to honor them. 

Food Service (Including Fast Food)

Food service jobs are a quintessential experience for many teenagers, and for good reason. They offer a number of upsides, though they aren’t right for everyone. Working in fast food is very different from being a waiter at a sit-down restaurant, both in terms of responsibilities and atmosphere. 

Pros:

• Easy to find. Every town has restaurants, and a rush of summer business means many of them hire teenagers for a few months in the summer. 
• On the job training. Restaurants are used to hiring and training new people regularly, so this is an expected part of the experience. 

Cons:

• Pay rate. Waiters at restaurants have a lower minimum wage, with tips meant to make up the difference. They can, and usually do, but these jobs can be much more erratic in terms of income. 
• Customers. We recommend not working at any restaurants which serve alcohol, especially for young women. 
• Hours. Hours at restaurants are often irregular, and tend to be busiest during times of relaxation; afternoons, evenings, and weekends. They also tend to be busy during holidays, though this is generally less impactful during the summer.

Retail

Stores need employees, people to man the cash registers, help customers, and make sure there’s actually something on the shelves to sell. Not all shops are created equal, but this is a job that often has high turnover, and is willing to take on students for a limited-duration employment. 

Pros:

• More consistent hours. You won’t always get the shifts you want, and they can change week-to-week, but hours are more consistent than in food service.
• Easy to find. There are stores in every town, and many are hiring on a regular basis. This is more common in towns which see a summer tourism boom however. 

Cons: 

• Customers. This is going to be a con for a lot of jobs, but customers are often somewhat mistifying to interact with., 

Camp Counselor

Summer camps often hire former campers to return as counselors. Sometimes this is only available to college students, but many high school students get to take advantage of these opportunities as well. These can be excellent opportunities, and help you keep connecting with a community you have already built over previous years. 

Pros:

• Enjoyable. These are often some of the more enjoyable jobs available to high school students. It’s not the same fun as being a camper, but you do get to take part in a lot of the same activities.

Cons:

• Limited availability. These jobs primarily go to students who have already been campers at these camps (though others are hired as well). There are just fewer of these jobs, and that makes it harder to get.
• Limited duration. These jobs only last for as long as the camps do, less than the full duration of the summer.

Informal Work: Babysitting, Petsitting

These are some of the most common jobs high school students hold, during the school year or over the summer. These jobs are most commonly gained via word-of-mouth; beginning with family friends and then spreading as you build a reputation. These jobs are best if you are looking for something part-time, rather than a more full-time formal job. 

Pros:

• Flexibility. These jobs only require as many hours as you’re willing to put in, and are the easiest to work around other activities in your schedule.

Cons:

• Effort. These jobs often take more effort to find; you need to actively pursue each customer and opportunity, rather than simply working the same job each day. This is the flipside of the flexibility these jobs offer.

Your Parent’s Company

Working for your parents has been a thing for as long as parents have had tasks they needed kids to do. If your parents have their own company, then working there is often anywhere from natural to expected. This can be a valuable experience, but we recommend taking it seriously. Getting paid for your labor and not taking advantage of your relationship with the business owners. 

Pros:

• Easy job to get. If your parents own a company, it is generally pretty easy to get a summer job there. Now, they might not always want to pay you for it, but it can bring many of the other benefits of summer work.
• Chance for enhanced responsibilities. Your parents are well aware fo what you are capable of, and may give you opportunities or responsibilities you wouldn’t encounter in other fields.

Cons:

• Access. Not everyone’s parents own a business, or have enough pull at where they work to land you a job there too. This isn’t something all students will be able to take advantage of, and it’s pretty much down to luck whether or not you can. 
• Expectations. Your parents may have their own expectations for what you will be doing (and what you will be paid for it), especially if this is a family business. You should have a serious discussion with your parents ahead of time before embarking on one of these work experiences.

Jobs We Advise High Schoolers Not to Do

While jobs are generally weighed equally by colleges (more on that in the next section), there are some kinds of work we advise high school students not to do. These generally encompass jobs which are not safe for high school students, and which can cause disproportionate harm. These include: 

• Industrial jobs. These often require extensive safety training and checks, and any company hiring high school students is likely looking to cut both costs and corners, and is unlikely to provide a safe workplace.
• Construction. Construction is a high paying career, especially in specialty fields. These have their own training programs, and learning on the job as a high school student is not advised.
• Anywhere alcohol is served. Some states allow teenagers to work selling alcohol. We generally advise against working in these positions, especially for young women. 

These jobs are not inherently worse or unworthy, but create unreasonably high risks to expose students to. 

How to Tell Colleges łÔąĎąŮÍř Your Work Experience

This is the real trick. Just as a tree falling in the forest doesn’t make any sound unless someone is there to hear it. Things you do in high school don’t actually happen unless you brag about them to colleges. We’re being a bit facetious here, but only just; colleges only know what you tell them, and can only evaluate you based on that. Thus, telling them about all of the cool and interesting things you did during your experience of employment is rather essential. 

There are two places that you should do this. The first is in your activities list. This is generally one of the first things admissions officers read when reviewing your application, and it gives them their first impression of who you are, the outline of the story of you. You can’t cover every detail of your job here, but you should definitely mention it. More intensive and long term jobs should end up higher on the list, to emphasize the time and effort you put into them. 

Here is an example of what an activity list entry about a job looks like:

• Cook, prepare, package food, train and oversee newer employees when needed, ensure coworkers are supplied, working well, not falling behind

This student was working an entry level job in a fast food restaurant; this is how they spent their summer. They got into UCLA and UT Austin; not directly because of this, but their work in this job did help them demonstrate the traits those schools look for in students. 

Summer Jobs and Essays

You do not need to devote one of your essays to a summer job, but they often provide fertile soil for essay topics. Explaining how a job taught you time management, or teamwork, or allowed you to take on responsibilities you’ve never held before are all things that demonstrate your maturity to colleges. 

Your essays are how colleges get to know you, and writing about a job can showcase beneficial elements. Here are the most common ways students write about a summer job, and how each can work. 

• Personal statement. If a job has been your main extracurricular, or was truly transformational for you, then it can make a good topic for a personal statement. This shouldn’t focus on the job itself, but on how having this job, this new level of responsibilities, helped you change and grow as a person.
• Leadership essay. Even if you don’t have a leadership role at your job, talking about the responsibilities you have been trusted with shows you have the traits associated with being a good leader and team member.

Note that if you worked a job specifically to support your family, that information should be included in the additional information section, even if you discuss the job itself elsewhere in your application. This is important context for colleges to understand you and the choices you made. 

Final Thoughts

Getting a summer job is rarely the best possible option to set you up for college success, but it is far from the worst way to spend your time. If you didn’t manage to get into the summer programs you were aiming for, or if you want a bit of extra cash, now or for college, then getting a job can be highly beneficial. We hope that this article helped you understand the range of possible employment opportunities for you, and which might be the most beneficial.

If you are looking for the perfect summer program for you, or aren’t certain how best to tell colleges about what you’ve achieved, then łÔąĎąŮÍř can help. Our mentors excel at guiding students to opportunities that best suit their passions, and crafting their stories for college applications. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more, we’re always happy to hear from you.

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