Deciding on summer activities for S26

Parents Forum
1

S26 is interested in a STEM degree. He is planning for summer activities before Junior year. A number of choices (not mutually exclusive).

  1. Prepare for PSAT - try for National Merit Scholarship
  2. Do Math W54 from Berkeley - transcript available
  3. Do CS50 from Harvard - verified certified available
  4. Attend summer school at Stanford or similar univ
  5. Do research at ASDRP
  6. Go for robolabs & try VEX competition

Any guidance here? Any more choices to consider?

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Consider programs like STEP at Purdue, just one week - not to get him into Harvard but to see if something STE, specifically engineering will even work for him - if he’s able to be accepted. I was wrong - need to be a rising senior. Put it aside for next year.

Or Operation Carapult which he could do now at RHIT.

Prep PSAT - sure but for the entire summer - heck no. 30 mins a day - great.

I think summer activities are fine.

School is not necessary. How about a job ?

Let a kid be a kid.

https://www.rose-hulman.edu/admissions-and-aid/early-planning/operation-catapult/index.html

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What does he WANT to do? What sounds like the most fun/interesting to him?

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4

It’s a marathon, not a sprint. If he’s immersed in academics during the year, I vote give him time off, time to do something he loves that has no pressure.

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5

I agree. Why does he need to do some “program”? How about a regular summer job…and some time to spend doing recreational things with friends.

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6

Another vote for letting him do something fun

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7

I guess you are soliciting advice here about which of these activities would looks “best” from a highly selective school application standpoint? The answer is pretty simple: let your kid decide.

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8

If he turns 16 before school ends, summer after sophomore year is great for driving lesson and practice.
Vex is a good idea too. He can try engineering and programming and see which way he likes more.
I tell my students that a summer activity that pays you is better than one that bills you.

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9

That would be my first recommendation along with getting a regular job and holding it down for a few years. You are probably familiar with the really competitive programs like MITES at MIT but I honestly do not know if they ultimately make a difference.

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My kid did Operation Catapult at RHIT and it was a good experience. He did it not to list it on an application, but rather to get a feel for staying on the campus, and for the types of majors that might interest him. It was really helpful for those things.

I think a STEM-type thing only if it is fun and interesting to the kid and a summer job sounds like a good plan.

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