First, World Student Support has relocated to Chicago. After many years of living in Colorado, World Student Support left the Rocky Mountains behind and now has views on one side of Lake Michigan and the other- can see a bit of Wrigley Field- at least when the lights are on! World Student Support will still offer the same services, but in a different time zone- Central Time Zone.
Second, there are still some universities with spots open. Surprisingly, University of Colorado is on the list, though be aware that it is only some departments, not all. Knowing that the most popular/competitive departments are probably full-Engineering, Business, Music, exploring other possibilities may be worthwhile. In addition, exploring other campuses like the University of Colorado/Denver campus or the campus in Colorado Springs might be options. On this website:
Nacacnet.org you will find schools with openings. Some will be hidden gems, others, like CU, there will be surprises.
Summer
For students still looking for summer opportunities, surprisingly, there are still options out there. Patrick O’Connor from the organization: College is Yours has graciously shared several options and many are free on his latest blog and a special thanks to Patrick O’Connor-College is Yours. Note that these are his words, not mine. I am grateful for his resources.
To summarize, there are some amazing free options available for the summer addressing physical health, financial savvy, with thanks to Yale, Planet Fitness and a few more organizations:
A free online course on mental health from Yale. College professors noticed a significant uptick in student disengagement—basically, they saw students who showed up to class, took notes, asked no questions, and went home. COVID only made matters worse, since many colleges abandoned in-person meetings for a while.
Enter a psychology instructor from Yale, who saw the current mental health epidemic in the making. She responded by producing a course called The Science of Well-Being, a course which quickly became the most popular class offered at Yale. Ever.
The course has been reconfigured for high school students, and is called The Science of Well-Being for Teens. It’s being offered online this summer for free, and is a perfect resource for students who need a chance to look at the big picture in their lives. Any teen can take the course, and the materials are designed for students from all walks of life—you don’t have to be an Ivy League candidate to take the course and get your life back.
Free use of Planet Fitness The franchise that’s made a living promoting fitness for all is at it again, giving all teens ages 14-19 a free summer pass to use the facilities at the local Planet Fitness of their choice. Teens need to register online, and the free pass is only good for one Planet Fitness location—but being able to do something cool like going to the gym that’s air conditioned-cool is a real plus. Registered students also have a shot at earning money for their school, and making a video to be considered for a scholarship. Parent permission is needed for students under 18.
Free course in financial literacy Interest has never been higher in making sure students know how to handle money— so much so that about half the states have a high school graduation requirement for a financial literacy course. Ironically, that means nearly all online financial literacy courses for high school students comes with—you guessed it—a fee.
This article provides a wide array of free financial planning courses, many that address topics for adults. This page from Bank of America isn’t so much a class as a potpourri of videos and articles on financial basics, including paying for college—and again, all free. These offer a great way for students to customize their financial education.
Others For students who want to do something more with their summers in addition to improving their mental health, getting physically fit, and making sure they don’t go broke, Teen Life has a comprehensive list of summer programs, including about three dozen free online courses for high school students in a wide array of topics. Add in any local or state free courses you know of, and your last-minute students are clearly in the driver’s seat for a laid-back summer of personal growth, all at no charge.