The Teenager's Guide to School Outside the Box

I'm a junior in high school and I've been reading this book bit by bit this semester to look for ways I can enhance my college applications. I've done all the typical high school stuff like being assistant editor of the newspaper, run track, and am the president of a couple of clubs, but I really want to stand out when I apply to colleges next year. I found a lot of great ideas in this book for doing just that--such as finding a study abroad program for this summer--I found one in Italy--and organizing a service program at my school.I highly recommend this book to anyone who's looking to be a unique applicant in the college admissions process--especially if your college counseling office isn't very helpful at providing good ideas to students--mine sure isn't.

I bought this book for my two daughters after reading about it in a newsletter. I thought the title and premise sounded interesting: a book aimed at teens who are looking for "something more" from their high school experience than just joining a team sport or working on the high school yearbook. Not that these activities aren't great--they are--but some teens want to "go outside the box," just as this book's title implies. My girls were interested in filling their weekends with some interesting activities, and this book gave them--and me--a ton of ideas. For instance, the chapter on study abroad has given both of my daughters the idea that they'd like to spend next summer studying abroad in Europe. This book tells them exactly how to find a good program, how to prepare for departure, and what to expect while studying abroad. The chapter on mentoring gave them the idea to both look for an adult to teach them more about a hobby they enjoy doing. One has located a watercolorist to teach her more about the art in exchange for helping out at her studio; my other daughter is shadowing a pediatrician once per week, and has a wonderful mentor who is teaching her lots about the field.I am enthusiastically recommending this book to other parents, in the hopes to get more teens out in the world, doing things that will help them better understand themselves.

I'm a tenth-grader and I found Ms. Greene's book to be very helpful. My mom was always tired of me complaining about all the boring after school stuff at my high school so she got me this book. I was really excited after reading it because of all the great ideas she wrote about. I never knew that high school kids could take college courses-I'm already planning on taking some at the university next year. It will get me really excited about college. This book also gave me some other great ideas. I liked her chapters on finding an internship and being a youth apprentice. It really opened my eyes as to what's out there. I also liked all the examples she put in the book from other teens out there because it really made everything she talked about seem much more real. Ms. Greene is a very good writer and I am definitely recommending this book to my friends as well. Thanks.

When I picked up this book, I knew I was looking for something to do this summer, but I had no clue what. This inspiring book gave me more ideas than I knew what to do with, from volunteering to studying abroad to interning. Now, I have a great internship this summer with a newspaper, thanks to all the great tips in this helpful book.

The Teenagers' Guide to School Outside the Box is inspiring! It's perfect for any teen who is looking to do something "different" with their high school experiences other than choir or student council. This book full of interesting ways to "break out of the box" and explore the world of alternative learning experiences, and it shows you step-by-step how to get the most out of opportunities like study abroad, adventure camps, job shadowing, internships, volunteering, etc. I loved the first-person stories by teens--they made me realize that I can do something as wild and crazy as climb a mountain in Tibet or do an apprenticeship with a blacksmith, all during high school! Before reading this book, I never knew just how much is out there. Now I do. If you read this book, you too will realize that there's a whole world out there to explore!