By Dr. Montye P. Fuse

As the temperatures rise and students begin to look forward to exciting summer plans, I want to remind all of them to remain focused and finish the school year strong. As the end to the school year approaches, so do AP exams and finals and I encourage students to apply themselves and to stay focused so that their grades do not suffer. For rising seniors, this is especially important because many college applications deadlines fall in November and December so Fall Semester grades will not be included in your applications. Below are a few more notes for juniors and seniors. 

Rising juniors should participate in summer enrichment activities such as university-sponsored classes or camps, volunteering at libraries or hospitals, or even working. All these opportunities introduce students to real-world expectations and responsibilities beyond those they experience in high school. As the end of summer nears, rising juniors should begin preparing to take the PSAT (the second or fourth Wednesday in October) and the ACT or SAT.  

Rising seniors should also seek out summer enrichment opportunities.  Many students choose to travel abroad during the summer between junior and senior years, either on volunteer trips or via cultural exchange opportunities such as those offered by Phoenix, Scottsdale or Tempe Sister Cities organizations.  As for rising juniors, there are also many other volunteer and university-sponsored summer enrichment opportunities available as well. As the senior year begins, students should be finalizing their college lists, making sure that their test scores qualify them for admission to their selected colleges, and starting their college admissions essays. Vogel Prep educational services assist students with preparing for and planning to take standardized tests and with all aspects of the college application process.  Please call our office to discuss our services or to set up a college counseling appointment.