Sophomore Summer Programs (SSP)
Our Sophomore Summer Programs
About the Program
Sophomore Summer Programs is a unique opportunity offered by Minds Matter, allowing students to experience a glimpse of college life by living on a college campus, taking courses from professors, and networking with students from different backgrounds.
With the help of the Summer Programs Team, mentors, and other MMBay volunteers, mentees will spend a portion of their academic sophomore year researching, applying, and preparing for their summer program.
What is a Summer Program?
Summer Programs is an opportunity for mentees to experience college life by living on campus for a few weeks in the summer, while taking courses or participating in a project. These programs are hosted by colleges and universities, and the courses or research projects are led by academic experts, such as professors or graduate students.
We will provide examples of what a program could look like in the coming weeks.
Why Participate in a Summer Program?
Through our experience having seen multiple classes of mentees participate in a summer program, as well as research down by educators, summer programs are amazing opportunities for our mentees that actualize the college experience. Going to college becomes a realistic goal versus a dream that’s shared with them from their parents, teachers, or adults like MMBay volunteers.
Aside from actualizing the college experience, there are other benefits to participating in a summer program that we have listed:
Academic Growth
Take challenging college level courses made for you
Explore career interests
Social Development
Experience dorm/independent life
Meet new people
Prepare for the College Process
Practice going through the college application and financial aid process
Personal Growth
Enhance college applications and resume
Learn new skills and/or languages
Overall Timeline of Sophomore Mentoring
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SAT Diagnostic Test
[Quick Description]August 22
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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
SSP IntroductionSeptember 26
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Session 4
SSP Self-ReflectionOctober 3
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No Session
Indigenous People’s DayOctober 10
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Session 5
SSP Wishlist WorkshopDue: Self-Reflection
October 17
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Session 6
[Quick Description]October 24
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Session 7
SSP Criteria DiscussionDue: Wishlist of 20 Programs
October 31
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Session 8
[Quick Description]November 7
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No Session
Veteran’s DayNovember 14
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Session 9
SSP Q&ANovember 21
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No Session
ThanksgivingNovember 28
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Session 10
Due: Finalized Wishlist of 3–7 Programs
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.