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With Rachel Korn, former admissions officer at several top universities. HoH Video of the Week Playing Rugby View Video Enjoy Spring Break - Refresh Yourself HEAD Start Am I actually advising you to have fun? You bet! Handling all the work and stress of your school year and activities, coupled with the college admissions activities, is exhausting. It's time to stop for a moment and rest so that you'll be stronger for the last push through the spring semester. Working as hard as you do is going to lead to burnout if you aren't careful. For some of you workaholics, this may be a good 'forced vacation' of sorts. Try to refresh yourself and re-energize to give yourself the power to plow through the rest of the year on top. HEAD Lines It may seem obvious, but sometimes you need a little reminder to relax: Do absolutely nothing for an entire day! Read a book for fun (remember when you used to enjoy doing that?). Watch some silly movies and TV. Go out with friends. Buy yourself a small present for your hard work. Play sports and try some active things to get a good mood flowing.

Read More   Sign up for more great advice on: Freshman Year Survival (I know, we're telling you to relax and enjoy Spring Break - as well you should. But - just in case you can't resist the urge to visit a campus, or if you have too much time on your hands and want to read a little about visiting colleges, here you go:) There are numerous ways to gather information about a college. You can read about the college statistics (how many students attend from what parts of the country, the average test scores and GPA of the current freshmen class, most popular majors/programs, ongoing research opportunities, etc.). You can even take a virtual campus tour. But, nothing can beat an actual visit in helping you determine whether or not a school is a good fit for you. Tips for your college visits: You are on a fact-finding mission. Therefore, get the facts. Are you comfortable in this type of community urban/suburban/rural? Is this campus too big/small? Does this campus feel right? (You just know when you're on a campus if it is right for you or not.) Let the colleges know that you are coming. For many college tours and information sessions you do not need an appointment. However, colleges track your interest so let them know you are interested. After the tour, spend some time in the campus center to get an unvarnished view of the college. Grab a soda with some students who are milling around and ask them about their experiences at the college. For students with LD/ADHD: Make an appointment to meet with a representative from the Office of Student Support Services to determine whether the college can provide the level of service you need to be successful. When you are back in the car, write down your initial reaction to the school. Ask yourself, "Do I want to come back here tomorrow?" "Could I see myself spending four years here?" Finally, "Is this college worth keeping on my college list or do I hit the delete key?" Rachel Sobel rachelbsobel@yahoo.com www.collegepossibilities.com Web Resources Need a fun time-waster? Take some personality quizzes: http://web.tickle.com HoH Tips Contrary to popular belief, there's no "right" summer activity that admissions officers want to see. You have two choices: If you need to earn money, you'll need to get a summer job. Scooping ice cream, baby-sitting, lifeguarding, etc. are just as valid as any activity that could be considered "resume-building"- you won't be judged on what you do, only that you do something. If money's not as big a concern, follow your interests and explore. This can mean taking that summer class in psychology that your high school doesn't offer, or a trip abroad, or summer sports camp. You should pick activities you love and pursue them to their maximum. Don't waste your time on something to pad your resume - admissions officers can see right through that. Remember: To make sure you continue to receive Heads Up! Get Into College e-mails in your inbox (and that they aren't sent to junk folders), please add college@hundredsofheads.com to your address book.

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