4 ways students can use the holidays to shine

While it's important to rest following the final matric exams, high school students with ambitions of studying at a top-ranked university abroad will need to spend their December holidays wisely. Those looking to stand out in their applications will need to be proactive and productive during their summer break.

“Every student has their own personal goals and it is the pursuit of these passions that will put them in good standing to gain admission to the likes of Harvard, Stanford or Yale,” says Rebecca Pretorius, country manager for Crimson Education, a global admissions mentoring company.

According to Pretorius, success requires a carefully curated application - one that benefits from a summer holiday well spent. “Admissions officers can get a good gauge on a student’s academic ability through their school grades and standardised tests. To stand out however, students need to showcase their passions, strengths, and personality through their extracurricular activities,” says Pretorius.

She offers some advice to students looking to better their chances of gaining admission to their dream university:

Go beyond typical extracurricular activities – instead of simply volunteering or doing school community service hours, lead a project which solves a problem, or makes the world a better place. Admissions officers look for innovative leadership, which means starting and leading something independently. This goes beyond holding a leadership title like prefect or sports captain.
Read and upskill yourself – it’s common for students to apply for a major or course, without having done any activities or read anything about it that shows your interest and passion. If you’re interested in Computer Sciences, learn a new programming language; if you’re interested in medicine, read some medical journals or log on and do an online course.
Get a job – on-the-job training and experience in a business, or the specific profession you are interested in, is valuable. Apply for internships or speak to a family member about job shadowing them for a few weeks. It is important to use your holidays to show your interest and passion about a profession that interests you. You can always use this experience to check if you’re going in the right career direction.
Do an activities audit – list all your weekly extracurricular activities. Which activities have the greatest potential for your development? Which areas or skills do you want to develop over the next three to six months? How could you reallocate your time to further your development?

“Colleges look for and fund students who demonstrate that they’ll use the university’s resources to the fullest – they want to see initiative and the potential to become a leader in your field,” says Pretorius. “The best time to build these skills is during your holiday break.”