The Zinch Report

A day ago, Sarah highlighted some of the options students have during the summer months. I agree that the way you spend this time can impact your college admissions process. Here's an example...

Between my junior and senior year in high school, I participated in the Leadership Education and Development Program in Business (LEAD). You can visit their site at: www.leadnational.org. LEAD encourages high school students from diverse backgrounds to consider careers in business. I had a high school counselor suggest I apply to LEAD. It was a selective process, so I was ecstatic when I was accepted. Here's what I found...

The experience was all I had hoped and much more. My peers in the LEAD program were all at the top of their class- bright individuals all seeking out opportunity and making the most of it. For an entire month we lived in college dorms, attended exceptional courses, and got to know top executives in personal meetings. We had business owners giving us their personal contact information and making very clear that they were willing to help us in any way. We were given 1st-class treatment.

As a high school junior, this left a strong impression on me. My experience also included a trip to Mexico- we visited a maquiladora (border business) and spent time with a local family eating lunch in their humble, dirt-floor shack. My mother is mexican, so the setting was somewhat sentimental. Ultimately, the experience is still very vivid- it gave context to everything I was learning. At the same time, I formed strong friendships with guys and girls from all around the country.

Personally, I can't imagine a better opportunity for me at that time in my life. Certainly the LEAD program is one amongst many opportunities to look into. The bottom line is when students are willing to sacrifice leisure time (which I also look fondly back on- I was a sucker for every 3-on-3 basketball tournament in my state) for educational opportunities and experience, they will come away better prepared for future opportunity.

I am certain my LEAD experience helped me in the application process. Let me be clear: this was one amongst many criteria (GPA, test scores, awards, other experiences) on my college application. But no question- I felt better prepared for college because of my LEAD experience. By way of note, I was accepted by each school to which I applied: Duke, US Air Force Academy, Brigham Young University, and the University of Utah.