Junior Summer Experience (JSE)
About the Program
Junior Summer Experience is an opportunity for mentees to design an individual summer experience that propels personal growth and sets them for long-term success.
With the help of the Summer Experience Team, mentors, and other MMBay volunteers, mentees will spend a portion of their academic junior year researching, applying, and preparing for their summer experience.
What is a Summer Experience?
Summer Experience is an opportunity for mentees to design a summer experience specifically for themselves, based on their interests and their academic or career aspirations. This experience should be something that advances their college application as well as helps them develop personal skills in the process.
We will provide examples of what an experience could look like in the coming weeks.
Why Participate in a Summer Experience?
Having participated in a summer program (or a variation of one), our mentees have an understanding of life on a college campus and a particular field of study, 2 key aspects of a collegiate experience. Through a summer experience, we want students to hone in on those aspects and dive deeper into their interests.
Ultimately, students will spend the time reflecting on themselves and their past experiences, developing their self-reflection muscle that they need when completing college applications the following year. In addition, students will pick up new skills or cement existing ones, and in the process, will be creating a story that can be told in their college personal statements.
Self-Reflection
Reflect on experience from SSP
Identify areas for change and ways to grow
Social Development
Sharpen communication and/or teamwork skills
Prepare for the College Process
Practice deep-reflection and communicate your interests via writing
Personal Growth
Enhance college applications and resume
Take initiative in learning new skills or cementing existing ones
Overall Timeline of Junior Mentoring
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Orientation
[Quick Description]August 29–30
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No Session
Labor DaySeptember 5
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Session 1
[Quick Description]September 12
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Session 2
[Quick Description]September 19
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Session 3
JSE Introduction and Self-ReflectionSeptember 26
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Session 4
JSE Self-ReflectionOctober 3
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No Session
Indigenous People’s DayOctober 10
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Session 5
JSE Self-ReflectionDue: Self-Reflection
October 17
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Session 6
JSE Research Part 1Due: Self-Reflection Feedback
October 24
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Session 7
[Quick Description]October 31
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Session 8
JSE Research Part 2Due Initial List of Options
November 7
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No Session
Veteran’s DayNovember 14
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Session 9
JSE Check-In & Q&ANovember 21
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No Session
ThanksgivingNovember 28
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Session 10
Due: JSE Proposal (First Deadline)
December 5
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Session 11
[Quick Description]December 12
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No Session
Winter BreakDecember 19
December 26
January 2
MMBay Process from Now to Summer 2023
You’ve told me what Summer Programs are, what a program looks like, and why I will benefit from them. How does Minds Matter take mentees from their current status to actually attending the program?
We have 4 overall steps that take you through the process:
Self Reflect
Mentees spend this time reflecting on their overall goals and interests in terms of major, program length, and program location. Self-reflection is a key skill when applying to colleges in your senior year and long-term beyond college.
Research
During this portion, the Summer Programs team shares a few resources with mentees and volunteers that help with researching summer program opportunities. This is a process mentees will repeat their senior year when looking through the thousands of colleges and universities in the United States (or internationally, if they so choose), and narrowing down the list to a few options.
Apply
Once mentees have finalized a few options, they begin the application process, where they complete some personal statements, input information such as their GPA, school, and personal info, and also documents for Financial Aid such as parent’s recent tax return.
Prepare
After applying, mentees receive application decisions. Based on the acceptances, the Summer Programs team will be placing students into a program according to our criteria, taking into account the mentee’s preferences. Afterwards, we work to prepare each mentee to attend the program with any logistical planning if necessary and some guidelines and best practices.