This month

Leadership roles and volunteering benefits

• Feature — Leadership and college admissions
• Your turn — The health benefits of volunteering
• Stay on track — A checklist of "to-dos"
• Take notice — Important dates
• All about AIEmail — Subscribe, suggest, review

Feature

Leadership and college admissions

When you're looking for activities to get involved in, find ones that interest you. In addition, activities that give you the chance to take on leadership roles can show the college admissions counselors at the colleges you're applying to that you're a top candidate.

Let's take a look at a couple of examples:

• Worked at the Hamburger Hut
• Debate team member
• Baseball player

• Assistant manager at the Hamburger Hut
• Debate team captain
• Varsity baseball captain

Who would you be most likely to admit? Probably Applicant No. 771. Activities requiring leadership and responsibility are the most memorable and impressive.

When describing your roles, don't be afraid to brag a little. You need to highlight the importance of your contributions and responsibilities. Admissions officers like to accept students who take the lead both inside and outside of the classroom. If you are a student council member, don't just say "student council member." Put your volunteer position in context — "Ran against five other students for student council. My campaign included organizing a campaign committee, creating posters, making speeches, and handing out flyers."

Remember that you can take a leading role even if the baseball and debate team captain positions are taken. You can organize activities yourself. Anything that shows initiative on your part will stand out from the crowd. Ideas for taking a lead:

• Volunteer in a political campaign or local government. This requires more initiative than joining a group at school, and admissions counselors will take notice.
• Form a new group at school that supports a candidate, issue, or other activity that you might enjoy. This would be very impressive. It shows initiative, creativity, and leadership.
• Write a monthly column for the local or school newspaper or blog that gives you the opportunity to express your opinions and showcase your talents.
• Be creative, and don't be afraid of trying something unusual.

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Your turn

The health benefits of volunteering

Not only does volunteering help improve your community and the lives of others, it can also improve your physical and mental health!

• Volunteer work improves the well being of individual volunteers because it enhances social support networks. People with strong social support networks have lower premature death rates, less heart disease, and fewer health risk factors. (Fact Sheet: Volunteering as a Vehicle for Social Support and Life Satisfaction, Public Health Agency of Canada)
• Volunteering can improve self-esteem, reduce heart rates and blood pressure, increase endorphin production, enhance immune systems, buffer the impact of stress, and combat social isolation. (Research Summary: Graff, L. (1991). Volunteer for the Health of It, Etobicoke, Ontario: Volunteer Ontario.)
• Volunteering lowers the risk of physical ill health because it boosts the social psychological factors that healthy people have. (The Effects of Volunteering on the Volunteer, John Wilson and Marc Musik, 62 Law & Contemp. Probs., Autumn 1999)
• Medical and scientific documentation supports that volunteering results in a heightened sense of well being, improves insomnia, strengthens the immune system, and hastens surgery recovery time. (The Healing Power of Doing Good, Allan Luks & Peggy Payne)
• Volunteering puts people into highly social situations, increasing the opportunity for close interpersonal relationships and strengthening a sense of identity. (Peer Counseling Perspectives, April 2003 Survival News, Mary Lynn Hemphill, "Volunteer For Your Health")

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Stay on track

Checklist for this week

For freshmen

• Continue to study hard for good grades. Don't give up.
• Review your schedule for next year.
• Continue to investigate and plan summer volunteer activities.
• Watch for leadership opportunities in clubs and organizations, or start your own group or activity.

For sophomores

• Research summer job opportunities.
• Review your schedule for next year.
• Investigate summer precollege programs.
• Plan summer community service or volunteer activities.
• Watch for leadership opportunities in clubs and organizations.

For juniors

• Take care of last-minute studying for the April ACT.
• Register for the May and/or June SAT. June is the last time it will be administered until next October.
• Prepare for Advanced Placement exams.
• Review your schedule for next year. Make sure you have all courses needed for graduation.
• Attend any college presentations at your high school this month.
• Continue investigating precollege programs.

For seniors

• Begin preparations on the list of people to whom you will send graduation announcements.
• Review any admissions status letters you have received.
• Review financial aid information with your parents. Send in any necessary paperwork.
• Complete and return any summer orientation materials sent by your chosen college.
• Return any requested housing contract information.

For parents

• Review financial aid award letters (www.AIE.org/College/ccs_awardlt.cfm) with your senior.
• Provide any payments necessary for housing contracts, summer orientation programs, or other fees for your senior.
• Provide any fee payments necessary for your junior's ACT/SAT test registrations.
• Encourage your teenager to make plans for summer jobs and volunteer activities.
• Assist your senior with the preparation of graduation announcements.
• Encourage your teen to study for upcoming Advanced Placement exams.
• Assist with the completion of any college paperwork that must be filed by May 1.

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Take notice

Important dates

Mark down these dates.

To get more information on the SAT or SAT Subject Tests, access useful tools, or register, visit the College Board's Web site (www.collegeboard.com) or call (866) 756-7346.

To get more information on the ACT, access useful tools, or register, visit the ACT Web site (www.act.org) or call (319) 337-1270.

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