Mangoes and ice creams and raindrops on mud, swimming sessions and endless playtime and not to forget the vacations!! These are my memories of Summer!!

Running around the society premises playing hide and seek or bicycling endlessly in the heat. Boys  engaged in boisterous games of cricket or football pausing just to grab a glass of cool Rasna or Tang from the ever-caring aunties and rush back not to miss another moment of their game. Not a care about the sweltering heat or sun tan. 

Devouring mangoes and ice-creams took care of any worry about heat stroke, and grandmother’s tonic of the ever cooling “Aam panah”,  guaranteed that none of us ever suffer from dehydration.

Evenings were spent gossiping with friends, going for evening strolls or reading a book. Holiday homework was completed in the last week of the vacation. Though our vacations were spent playing as if there was no tomorrow, we also did help  washing the car with our father, helped our mother in the kitchen or just laid the tables. Small things indeed, but they yet taught us invaluable lessons in building family bonds, being useful and learning important  life-skills in the process.

But then suddenly life has changed for all of us. Today, with Summer comes the challenge for parents to keep their kids occupied in constructive activities away from PlayStations, Netflix, Instagram and all the other screen addictions.

The yesteryear’s structure of free playing, reading or learning has been replaced by classes- classes for academics, for Art, Music and coaching for numerous sports such as Football, Badminton, Swimming. The list of things to do is endless and the  children and parents are running from one class to another barely able to grab a bite in between.

Given the plethora of activities to engage in, can naturally create a pressure to not miss-out on one more activity and left behind. The pressure can even be so perverse that one might look at any free time as ‘wasted time’ to be put to effective and productive use by joining one more class. In this mindless race, we forget that childhood will never come back, children will never have ‘Summer Vacations’ to enjoy. Yet, some invisible pressure of ‘Competition’ seems to drive us all and effectively make this beautiful, carefree ‘Summer Vacation’ into a hectic race to catch up with one more class. 

So, here are few measures you can take to strike a balance-

1. Give them space- Allow children  their ‘Me time’ which is totally their own, not curated by you. When they know they have a few hours to themselves doing things they really want to, they will not resent when you want them to do something constructive or to enhance their profile. Giving them their space and time will encourage their creativity and independent thinking -key qualities universities look for in a student.

2. Lighten the burden- Do not burden children with too many activities. While you may be worried about how to make your child’s resume stand out, but the key is to make them do their activities with passion and consistency rather than making them run around in all directions at the same time. Identify 2-3 activities which can be done during Summer Vacations like pursue one hobby class, do an Internship or pick up a community service which they can continue over the weekends later. Or let them begin a project, they are passionate about. Plan smarter!

3. Bond- A good time for some family bonding. No upcoming exam stress, no pressing assignment, so use this time to relax, connect as a family. Communicate with your child, go for a vacation (and please don’t take textbooks  with you). Have an evening to just be  at home, watching a movie, eating popcorn. Trust me, you will miss this when you face an ‘Empty Nest’

4 Time Management-. Help children  create a schedule. Talk to them about the importance of time management, of not procrastinating. Make sure to discuss with them the classes which are important and  leave out the unnecessary ones. 

5. Break the Monotony- Plan different, plan interesting.  Let children explore different ideas such as  organizing  a senior citizen financial literacy program, surveying the local businesses and formulating a plan to increase their sales, designing a website for the local municipal school and so on.

Give children the opportunity to think, create and innovate for they are the ones who will shape our future!!

In Part 1 of this blog, we discussed why you need to have a strong profile. Now that you know why Profile Building is important, you may be eager to know how you can build a comprehensive and excellent profile. A comprehensive student profile typically encompasses the following key components:

1. Academic Records

• Grades/GPA
• Test scores (SAT, ACT, AP, etc.)
• Coursework, including advanced classes
• Academic awards, honours, and achievements

2. Extracurricular Activities

• School clubs and organizations 
• Sports and athletic involvement
• Arts programs (music, theatre, visual arts)
• Community service and volunteer work

3. Leadership Experience

• Positions held in clubs, teams, and organizations
• Organizing events or initiatives
• Entrepreneurial or business endeavours

4. Work Experience

• Part-time jobs 
• Internships
• Self-employment or freelance work

5. Skills and Talents

• Technical skills (coding, design, etc.)
• Creative talents (writing, art, performance)
• Language proficiency

6. Interests and Passions  

• Academic interests and intended major
• Hobbies, travels, and unique pursuits

7. Accomplishments and Recognitions

• Competition awards and recognitions
• Published works or presentations 
• Special certifications or training

That sure is a handful of things to take note of! Yes, a stellar profile paints a multi-dimensional picture using a blend of quantitative and qualitative qualifications/skills and talents. It showcases the student's unique path, skills, impact, and potential.

Let us now look at how one builds such a stellar profile.

Interning is a great way to build your profile. Our own social media intern at Lesli, Karen shares her experience.

“Interning at Lesli has not only allowed me to apply my skills but has also enhanced my own skill set. Earlier, I could only put “content creation” as one of my skills on my resume. But after taking charge of creating and executing content, I have also understood how to formulate “content strategy” that includes making “content plans” and deciding “campaign performance metrics”. It has been a great learning experience for me.”

Want to know how Lesli India helps students with profile building?

Here are some testimonials from parents and students of Lesli India.

“Profile Building is one of the most important steps in the application for studies abroad. Lesli suggested various activities, such as participation in online courses, blog writing, etc. Aadi specifically enjoyed blog writing. 

We have seen a good change in Aadi. He seems confident, able to express himself well, and has become proactive, which has resulted in some outstanding admissions at top universities in Canada. The journey of Profile Building has definitely helped develop Aadi’s personality- thanks to Lesli!”

Mr Sachin Tendulkar, - Parent 

“My experience with Lesli India has been the most rewarding. I started with my Profile-Building course, in which Shalini and Dipti Ma’am have been the most encouraging and have helped me explore new activities such as applying to summer schools, different sports, and trying out MUNs. By the end of one year, I progressed from being a Delegate to Chairing several MUNs. During the last year, I have been able to create bonds of trust with my mentors at Lesli; meeting them twice a month keeps me on my toes to ensure the completion of the activities assigned. Overall, it has been an experience, and I can't wait to see what's upcoming for Year 2.”

Kyna Sapra - Grade 11

Do you want to get started on your Profile-Building journey? Let’s get in touch.

What’s the best way to make sure that you stand out from the crowd? It’s by having a stellar profile. But what’s the difference between just a good profile and an amazing profile that can help you grip the attention of the admission committee or an employer? Let’s take a look.

A good profile and an excellent profile have many subtle differences.  Creating a stellar student profile requires going beyond just listing academic achievements and extracurricular activities. Here are some key differences between a good profile and a truly stellar one:

A Good Profile:

- Lists grades, test scores, and courses taken

- Outlines extracurricular activities like clubs, sports, and volunteering

- Provides basic details about accomplishments and roles

A Stellar Profile:

- Highlights a clear passion, talent or area of deep interest through specific examples and anecdotes

- Demonstrates intellectual curiosity, critical thinking and a love of learning

- Shows initiative, leadership and impact made through activities and projects

- Reveals well-rounded personal qualities like creativity, resilience, and empathy

- Paints a vivid picture of the student as a unique individual through powerful storytelling

- Articulates specific goals and how experiences have shaped their aspirations

A good profile simply checks the boxes, while a stellar one uses vivid examples to showcase the student's authentic voice, values, and journey of growth. It doesn't just list what he has done, but why it matters and how he has developed meaningful skills. A stellar profile makes admissions officers say, "I'd love to have this student in our community." It leaves a lasting, multi-dimensional impression.

But you may be wondering, Why is profile building even important?

Profile building is important for several key reasons:

1. College Admissions

A well-crafted profile can make a student's application stand out in the highly competitive college admissions process. It helps admission officers get a holistic understanding of the student beyond just grades and test scores.

2. Scholarship Opportunities

Many scholarships require students to submit profiles or resumes highlighting their accomplishments, activities, and goals. A strong profile increases the chances of earning financial aid.

3. Career Preparation

Creating a compelling profile helps students identify their strengths, interests and experiences - valuable preparation for applying to internships, jobs and further educational opportunities.

4. Personal Branding

In today's digital age, a polished online profile acts as a personal brand that can open doors and create positive impressions with potential mentors, employers, and so on.

5. Self-Reflection

The process of profile building encourages students to thoughtfully evaluate their journeys, discoveries and aspirations - promoting greater self-awareness.

6. Differentiation  

An impressive, unique profile helps students differentiate themselves and showcase what makes them remarkable candidates compared to others with similar academics.

By dedicating time to crafting an impactful profile, students gain a competitive advantage, become proactive about their futures, and learn to articulate their value proposition effectively. It's an important investment in their personal/professional development. 

Lesli’s profile-building services lead to eventually crafting a compelling resume that introduces you to the admission committee or employer. Therefore your stellar profile translated into a brilliant resume brings guaranteed results! Just look at Neeharika’s testimonial. 

“I wanted to share that I had applied for Deloitte USI through college and I got placed there. Thank you so much for helping me with building my resume and guiding me,”  

She bagged a full time job at Deloitte in her final year of college placements with the resume that our mentors at Lesli helped her build! The profile building exercise for her, an undergrad college student involved: 

1. Ensuring that LinkedIn profile highlighted noteworthy qualifications and certifications

2. Training for job search through LinkedIn by use of keywords 

3. Tailoring each application to meet prospective company requirements

4. Preparing for the job interview 

In the next article, we will share our secrets as to how our profile building exercise at Lesli gives a boost to your career! Stay tuned for part 2!