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June 4, 2013 by glablog 2 Comments

Get Ahead by Getting Away

How Volunteering Abroad in High School Can Kick Start a Future Career

For many teenagers, high school is mostly about getting great at video games, attending dances and football games, hanging out with friends and managing acne — oh, and making sure that darned GPA doesn’t jeopardize all the fun plans for college. Yet for high school students who expect more of themselves and look for more substantial rewards from these pivotal years, volunteering for an international community service trip during a break offers a remarkable opportunity to gain unforgettable firsthand experience living and working in a non-Western culture.

In fact, high school may be the very best time to volunteer abroad and experience world travel. It’s a singular time of life, when people aren’t hampered by the need to take leave from a job, stay current on monthly bills or ensure they don’t fall behind in other areas of life.

High school summer programs that allow students to travel and volunteer internationally can provide insights and experience that may not be available through any other type of experience, and this exposure may be especially beneficial for ambitious high-school teens interested in exploring careers that center on public service and global relations for work in politics or business. Employers will no doubt take note of a candidate whose resume includes living in an authentic, non-tourist community in the developing world. Such an accomplishment can distinguish someone as having the following marketable traits:

  • Demonstrated commitment: People who are truly passionate about global issues, human rights and service find a way to get involved. In other words, tackling major world issues requires far more than lip service. If you’ve been there and have the stories to prove it, you’re a stronger candidate than your peers who haven’t, particularly for employers who seek self-motivated and enthusiastic people with strong leadership potential.
  • Firsthand experience: Knowledge collected from personal involvement is credible and convincing. Instead of relying on someone else’s perspective and bias, direct experience gives you the facts and familiarity to draw upon when you interpret world events and global issues. Firsthand experience also fosters conviction, which improves your ability to persuade and motivate others.
  • Desirable character traits: Living far away from family, friends and your comfort zone to seek an understanding of another culture requires a certain level of confidence and open-mindedness. It also sharpens your self-awareness. Employers look for these elusive traits in new employees; they’re the attributes that no one can train for. That’s why, in many cases, proof of a person’s motivation to make a difference and an inclination to embrace learning opportunities are even more important than basic job skills for employers.
  • Valuable perspective: Gaining exposure to the day-to-day lives of people living in a community and culture significantly different from your own is remarkable and rare. For students seeking a career that centers on language skills, global relations, international policy and diversity, volunteer service work abroad may be the resume item that provides the no-contest edge over other candidates. It may help a person land the job to get a foot in the door and then stay on an upward path of professional growth.
  • Other perks of cultural immersion: Aside from helping students learn the colloquial language of another culture, high school volunteer abroad programs can facilitate a strong network of global contacts and like-minded peers. The experience also provides great training in leadership and resourcefulness, arguably among the most powerful tools in the modern business world. Encourage your teen to embrace everything about volunteering abroad in high school — from the chore of packing and airplane security to the foods he eats and the people she meets.

All in all, exposure to the challenges and advantages of life in other cultures can prepare people for successful careers — in every industry and line of work, including business, education, public service and environmentalism. But, of course, success means different things to different people; it’s defined by a person’s values and interests. Some people seek big money and prestige; others care more about professional freedom and flexibility. No matter what life goal teens have begun constructing, travelling internationally as part of a high school volunteer abroad program can help move them closer to achieving those goals by expanding their perspective and making them more aware of their own passions and priorities.

Filed Under: Archive, Bright Futures

May 16, 2013 by glablog 2 Comments

3 Myths: College Applications

Having interviewed candidates for Yale, my alma mater, I’m often asked by parents and students how Global Leadership Adventures can enhance a college application.  My standard response is to quote the Yale website: “Yalies set out to make our world better…We are looking for students…to become the leaders of their generation in whatever they wish to pursue.”

Great, but what in the world does that mean?!  How do high school students become leaders and make the world better?  Every year, parents and students misinterpret what colleges are looking for and invest time and energy into misguided pursuits.

While I don’t claim to know everything that happens in the admissions office, I’d like to dispel what I believe are three myths about college applications and summer programs.

Myth 1: Volunteering abroad helps you get into a good college

Simply volunteering abroad will not help you get into a good college.  Rather, it’s what you learn that can make a difference.  On a GLA program, you will volunteer in a developing country and experience a culture and lifestyle very different from your own in an authentic, non-touristy community.   In that environment, GLA teaches you to reflect on your experience:  How is this country different from yours?  How can you connect your knowledge and talents to those in need?  Where can your passion lead you?  This level of experience and reflection helps you unlock your passions and generate plenty of talking points for college essays.  That’s what colleges look for in a successful applicant.

Myth 2: Colleges define “leadership” as Student Council President, School Paper Editor, etc.

True, leadership is a key characteristic of the strongest applicants to top universities.  But it’s not just about accumulating a laundry list of titles.  It’s also about your level of maturity, the types of challenges you’ve faced, and a sustained commitment to helping others.  GLA believes leaders are made, not born.  Through group discussion, meaningful service, workshops, exposure to experts, and excursions, GLA students cultivate their leadership potential.  They  tackle tough questions, learn to welcome differing opinions, and  begin affecting change within themselves their communities, and the world.  That’s how colleges define leadership.

Myth 3: A so-so GPA or less-than-stellar SAT score will prevent you from getting into a good university.

Got some bad grades freshman year? Your GPA not quite where you want it to be?  Don’t worry, all hope is not lost!  There’s still time to turn things around.  Colleges absolutely do look at academic achievement.  However, they also want to see passion and a common thread that weaves throughout your application.  My college roommate at Yale had a so-so GPA, but was admitted for his non-academic achievements.

Do you like biology and animals?  Pursue that passion during the summer, whether it’s volunteering abroad to protect endangered species, starting an animal rights organization at school, or taking an advanced biology class at a local college.  That’s a concrete step towards turning it around.

I hope you found these insights useful and I welcome your feedback, anytime!

Sincerely, Mike Shangkuan

Managing Director – Global Leadership Adventures

About the author:  Mike Shangkuan graduated from Yale with a BA in Economics and received his MBA from the Harvard Business School.  He is currently Managing Director of Global Leadership Adventures.

Filed Under: Archive, Bright Futures Tagged With: featured

May 3, 2013 by Fletcher Walters Leave a Comment

3 Myths: College Applications & Summer Programs

Having interviewed candidates for Yale, my alma mater, I’m often asked by parents and students how Global Leadership Adventures can enhance a college application.  My standard response is to quote the Yale website: “Yalies set out to make our world better…We are looking for students…to become the leaders of their generation in whatever they wish to pursue.”

Great, but what in the world does that mean?!  How do high school students become leaders and make the world better?  Every year, parents and students misinterpret what colleges are looking for and invest time and energy into misguided pursuits.

While I don’t claim to know everything that happens in the admissions office, I’d like to dispel what I believe are three myths about college applications and summer programs.

Myth 1: Volunteering abroad helps you get into a good college

Simply volunteering abroad will not help you get into a good college.  Rather, it’s what you learn that can make a difference.  On a GLA program, you will volunteer in a developing country and experience a culture and lifestyle very different from your own in an authentic, non-touristy community.   In that environment, GLA teaches you to reflect on your experience:  How is this country different from yours?  How can you connect your knowledge and talents to those in need?  Where can your passion lead you?  This level of experience and reflection helps you unlock your passions and generate plenty of talking points for college essays.  That’s what colleges look for in a successful applicant.

Myth 2: Colleges define “leadership” as Student Council President, School Paper Editor, etc.

True, leadership is a key characteristic of the strongest applicants to top universities.  But it’s not just about accumulating a laundry list of titles.  It’s also about your level of maturity, the types of challenges you’ve faced, and a sustained commitment to helping others.  GLA believes leaders are made, not born.  Through group discussion, meaningful service, workshops, exposure to experts, and excursions, GLA students cultivate their leadership potential.  They  tackle tough questions, learn to welcome differing opinions, and  begin affecting change within themselves their communities, and the world.  That’s how colleges define leadership.

Myth 3: A so-so GPA or less-than-stellar SAT score will prevent you from getting into a good university.

Got some bad grades freshman year? Your GPA not quite where you want it to be?  Don’t worry, all hope is not lost!  There’s still time to turn things around.  Colleges absolutely do look at academic achievement.  However, they also want to see passion and a common thread that weaves throughout your application.  My college roommate at Yale had a so-so GPA, but was admitted for his non-academic achievements.

Do you like biology and animals?  Pursue that passion during the summer, whether it’s volunteering abroad to protect endangered species, starting an animal rights organization at school, or taking an advanced biology class at a local college.  That’s a concrete step towards turning it around.

I hope you found these insights useful and I welcome your feedback, anytime!

Sincerely, Mike Shangkuan

Managing Director – Global Leadership Adventures

About the author:  Mike Shangkuan graduated from Yale with a BA in Economics and received his MBA from the Harvard Business School.  He is currently Managing Director of Global Leadership Adventures.

 

Filed Under: #myGLA, Archive, Bright Futures

March 11, 2013 by glablog Leave a Comment

How to Make Your Application Stand Out to College Admissions Counselors

Applying to college can be unnerving. Demands on high school students grow every year, admissions counselors look for excellence and personality in prospective students, and applicants just have a few sheets of paper-applications, resumes and maybe an essay-to put their best foot forward in the application process.

You might think that resumes are just for job applications and internships, but they can also play a key role in the college admissions process, highlighting your experience in a way that an admissions form can’t.

So how can you make your application stand out? Here are a few surefire tips to ramp up your application and impress admissions counselors.

1. Be Choosy

Do your research before you decide which schools will receive your applications. Find out what potential colleges specialize in and how you can get involved. Don’t apply unless a school fits your lifestyle and goals.

When you submit your applications and/or essays to admissions, mention what you like about that school and the ways you believe it will be a perfect fit for you. If you’re struggling to come up with good reasons to go, that school might not be the best match for you. Once you’ve figured out where you want to go and why, having those reasons clearly defined will shine through in your application.

2. Let Your Personality Shine

When a university like Princeton receives tens of thousands of applications from students who all made perfect grades through high school, they have to narrow their choices somehow. As a matter of fact, admissions counselors say that perfect grades don’t guarantee you a spot… anywhere. Admissions offices are looking for more than that.

This is where your extracurriculars, life experience and even personality come into play. Admissions counselors say they want to get a peek at the person, beyond just a stack of impressive papers. Keep it professional during the application process, but don’t be afraid to be yourself.

3. Go On a Trip

One of the best ways to add weight to your resume is to participate in an exchange program or in an overseas pre college summer program. Universities know that well-traveled students have a more developed outlook on life, and tend to be more culturally savvy than students who haven’t ever stepped outside their comfort zones.

Participating in a high school volunteer abroad program is one way to get this type of experience; GLA offers a wide variety of programs that can give you language practice, environment and ecology experience and a look into the rich traditions of cultures on the other side of the world.

4. Submit Your Application Early

Just because you have until the last few hours of a deadline doesn’t mean you should take them! Getting your application in early gives admissions counselors time to thoroughly review your information, and it shows that you’re on top of your game. Some universities have early-admittance policies that favor students who turn in their applications ahead of time.

5. Be Specific

According to an interview with Fox Business, one of the best ways you can make your application and essays stand out is to give clear, specific details for your experience. Don’t just say “Worked at Safeway stocking shelves.” Tell admissions counselors about projects you’ve completed through teamwork and challenges you’ve worked through.

Make it clear how your volunteer and work experience and any awards you’ve earned have affected your educational goals.

Filed Under: Archive, Bright Futures

February 28, 2013 by Fletcher Walters

Prepping Your Application for College Admission

College Prep Tips for Perfecting Your High School Resume

From soccer game bruises to eternal study sessions to slushy-slinging bullies, high school can be intense. The cool news is that you can transform the intensity of your high school years into stuff that matters on a global scale. To do that you have to think of high school in terms of a resume.

As you engage in project partnerships, various academic clubs and sports, consider the experiences you’re collecting as resume highlights. This infographic offers tips for categorizing those experiences to build a solid high school resume. You’ll also find tips on how to match your HS resume highlights with the right college. You’ll even see how volunteering abroad can give you a foundation for future leadership.

So, yeah, the sports scrapes and the pop quizzes aren’t soft and cuddly. But they may just help you build a perspective that will inspire your community and your world to make positive changes. And that’s definitely a good payoff.

Prepping Your Application for College AdmissionGraphic brought to you by Experience GLA.


Sources:
http://www.collegebasics.com/applying-to-college/
your-resume/130-the-basics-of-developing-a-high-school-resume.html

http://www.usnews.com/
education/blogs/the-college-admissions-insider/2011/06/27/8-strategies-for-starting-your-college-
application-process

http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/
2012/09/18/tip-sheet-8-things-admissions-officers-wish-you-knew-about-applying-to-college/

http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/sat-reasoning/scores/averages

http://www.act.org/
newsroom/data/2012/states.html

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/19635441/more-students-take-act-
than-sat-for-first-time

http://www.act.org/
newsroom/data/2012/states.html

http://stoganews.com/news/acceptance-rates-hit-historic-lows/6764/

http://stoganews.com/news/acceptance-rates-hit-historic-lows/6764/

http://www.act.org/
newsroom/data/2012/states.html

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/19635441/more-students-take-act-
than-sat-for-first-time


http://www.act.org/newsroom/data/2012/states.html

http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/sat-reasoning/scores/averages

http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/
2012/09/18/tip-sheet-8-things-admissions-officers-wish-you-knew-about-applying-to-college/

http://www.usnews.com/
education/blogs/the-college-admissions-insider/2011/06/27/8-strategies-for-starting-your-college-
application-process

http://www.collegebasics.com/applying-to-college/
your-resume/130-the-basics-of-developing-a-high-school-resume.html

Filed Under: #myGLA, Archive, Bright Futures

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