Planning your Summer break whilst thinking about university applications? We know there are countless options you might be thinking about to enhance your CV: from internships to volunteer trips abroad – there is a lot to consider.
At CAS Trips, we have taken the time to help you determine what you can do to best stand out from the rest. We are certain there is no better way to enhance your university application than by volunteering abroad – just be careful to approach it the right way. Here are three key suggestions we love to share with our students:
Volunteer long term
We are not going to lie – volunteering abroad has become more frequent than ever. The key is to go above and beyond a “normal” volunteer experience. At CAS Trips we recommend you join one of our unique trips, such as in Bhutan or Medellin for example, and take what you’ve learned abroad and apply it to a long term volunteer project back home.
CAS Trips operates around the UN Sustainable Development Goals and we try to teach our students everything they need to know to become active advocates in their local community based on these principles. Taking the Medellin destination as an example, you will learn about the deforestation activities specifically in this region, but who says you cannot apply that knowledge and start a similar project back home after your trip is over?
Reflect on Volunteering
You can volunteer at a hundred places but if you cannot communicate your activities in a creative manner, you will lose credibility. So here is the key: do not write a checklist of things you did because everyone can do that. You need to reflect and get personal – how did it make you feel when you visited the animal shelter in Peru or how was the interaction with Syrian refugees in Berlin? Explain your learning curve to your admission officers; what did go through and how volunteering abroad leave a lasting impression on your awareness of the world in a global context but also locally within your community?
What’s great about CAS Trips is that we know reflections can be difficult, so as part of every trip we develop a reflection guide that each student fills out before embarking on their journey. This reflection guide is continued during and after the trip as well. And in case you’re not the biggest fan of reflection work – maybe the chance to win a free trip will keep you motivated.
Immersive Education
Education is key when you want to get into a good undergraduate course but that is not new news. CAS Trips helps transform classroom lectures into immersive education programs, something that is highly appreciated at universities and colleges worldwide. We help schools step away from the history book by having them join us on one of our trips to explore history in action. Are you thinking about pursuing your education in history, the arts, literature, or social science? Contact us to learn what trips might be perfect for you and your school!
- Experience the arts first hand by joining our Berlin or Medellín trip and learn how graffiti art has transformed the city
- Learn more about the Holocaust and WWII by joining our trips to Berlin and Krakow and meet Holocaust survivors first-hand
- Understand social issues by undertaking an in-depth study on the causes of homelessness on our trip to Prague
We hope you are no longer unsure how to spend your Summer break and what you can do to enhance your university application. Check out our destinations here or Contact Us today CAS Trips can put together the perfect trip for you and your friends this Summer!
