<p>Yeah..that question pretty much sums it up. Say you go to a third world country, or maybe just a language immersion camp in a foreign country, will that look good? Or is it a waste of time and should I be looking at more educational summer programs? (i'm currently a freshmen in high school, i want to get into ivy league, if that helps or anything)</p>
<p>Just going won’t make much difference. It needs to weave into a narrative/story you are telling with your application. My advice is to do something you are really interested in/want to do. If you can do more/additional activities that are meaningful in that area each summer building toward college, that is good. Colleges are looking for demonstrated passion… it is a lot easier to show that when it is genuine, and a lot more fun for you to pick something you are interested in and pursue it.</p>
<p>So… if you have a really strong interest in the foreign language you would study, then what you are saying might be a good choice. If your 3rd world volunteer experience leads you to do something more that is related in a future summer, that is good.</p>
<p>I would suggest that you read the book, “How to Be A High School Superstar”, by Cal Newport. It puts things like summer programs in perspective, and has a great narrative about how to position yourself well for college admissions while still pursuing the things you are most interested in.</p>