Inform Your Advisor: Summer Experiences

Frequently Asked Questions

What is "Inform Your Advisor?"

Inform Your Advisor is an online questionnaire in ISIS you complete to record some basic information about what you did during the summer. It is part of an ongoing effort to help students reflect with their advisors on their own college experiences, to help advisors advise, and to help the College improve support for students as they navigate their college years and integrate experiences in and outside of the classroom.

What will my information be used for?

It will go to your advisor to help keep up with what you've been doing. Other faculty and staff who advise students on summer and post-graduation plans can see it with the goal of improving their ability to advise you. In rare cases it might be used to ask you more about your experience - for example if we are hoping to regularize an internship opportunity for the future.  Your answers will also be merged with others, anonymously, to form a pool of aggregate information that will help the College better plan for and support students’ summer needs.

What will aggregated information (not identified with you) be used for?

Aggregated data will help us understand better how our students spend their summers so we can improve our support programs (like support for summer research and internships, study abroad, etc.). We hope to use this information as a basis for putting the funds we do have where they will do the most good, and for seeking new funds to support summer opportunities. The information may also help us plan pre- and post-summer workshops or other activities to help students make the most of their summer experiences.

Am I supposed to have done an internship or summer research?

No. While some students do internships or research, many students spend their summers other ways. Regular jobs to earn money, family commitments, travel, summer school, volunteer work, athletic commitments, relaxing, reading books and combing beaches are frequent choices. Whatever!  You know what's best for you or required of you in any given summer; we just want for your advisors to know what that was and for the College to have an accurate general picture of how students spend their summers

What if I didn't do anything this summer?

“Relaxing” is one of the choicesI so if you spent the summer chilling or reading romance novels, that's fine. You know best what you needed. If you ended up doing “nothing” for other reasons, check “Other” when you’re asked for your primary activity and add a phrase to describe your experience (“sick” “unsuccessfully looking for work”, whatever). 

Will this go on my official transcript?

No way. It will appear on the display of your academic record that advisors see.  It is for internal use only.

Will it be used to publicize the great things that MHC students do?

No. We learn about plenty of great things without using these responses.

Is it required?

Yes, you need to respond to the questionnaire in order to register for courses (unless you are not enrolled as working toward a bachelor's degree). If you want to, though, you can elect “I choose not to provide information”.

What if I think it's an invasion of my privacy?

Please do look at the questionnaire. We think you'll agree that it's not overly personal. We hope you won't elect “I choose not to provide information.” Learning about your summer experience will help us improve our ability to advise you and ensure that our overall picture about Mount Holyoke students’ experiences is as complete and accurate as possible.

When is the deadline for entering my Summer information?

You must enter your answers about the previous summer every year in the fall, before November registration (or whenever your next registration is, if you are not registering in November).

What if I don’t enter my information by the deadline?

A registration hold will block your registration until you enter at least minimal data about the preceding summer or elect not to provide any information.   The moment you submit your data in ISIS, the hold will be lifted.  Please make sure to get any holds lifted before the Academic Advising period begins in November.

Can I enter summer information for earlier years?

Summer 2006 was the first year we collected this information.   You may add or amend answers for any summer from Summer 2006 forward, but please note that we’re not intending to capture information for summers before your admission to Mount Holyoke. 

Where can I go if I have a question about how to enter my information?

The “ISIS Instructions" page on the Registrar’s Web site has a how-to sheet of instructions. The staff in the Registrar’s Office on the ground floor of Mary Lyon are also happy to answer questions and provide help.