<p>I’m interested in whether you think there appeared to be any interest whatever at the admissions office in how you spent your summer vacations. Did you all save the rainforests or create successful start-up companies, or did you stay home and watch cartoons?</p>
<p>Haha... well no cartoons.. I wish I did however :)</p>
<p>I spent the last summer doing research at a nearby lab. It was a great experience, and I think perhaps it did play a role in the admissions process.</p>
<p>I've spent every summer at intense music camps, and I'm sure it had a good impact</p>
<p>Summer after Freshman year: 3 weeks at a program in Paris, doing French immersion and classes at American University in Paris.</p>
<p>Summer after Sophomore year: 5 weeks at CU-Boulder, taking SAT prep and a statistical math course.</p>
<p>Summer after Junior year: 2 weeks at track camp; rest of summer doing volunteer internship for a nonprofit.</p>
<p>I think summers are definitely crucial in admissions. Consider that the summer is nearly 1/4th of a student's year--adcom doesn't want to admit a student who spent 25% of their time sitting in front of a TV.</p>
<p>Post-Frosh: Worked at Rec Department, played football.
Post-Soph: Worked at Rec Dept, played football, did Cornell Summer College
Post-Junior: Played football, volunteered @ a hospital, went to Buckeye Boys' State.</p>
<p>just<em>forget</em>me --</p>
<p>were you by any chance a recruited athlete?</p>
<p>after 10th: entomological research at UC Davis's Young Scholars Program
after 11th: Harvard SSP</p>
<p>Wow. Everyone has exciting summers. Um. Summer before 11th, I took precalculus at a JC. I worked. And I had fun. Next year.. I worked and had more fun. I ended the summer by going to National JCL convention. (for Latin/Greek students). I felt bad that my summer was so idle compared to everybody else's. Eh, what can I say. I chose to take time off. I guess it was ok.</p>
<p>Dizzymom-Not at Harvard. A few DIII schools were interested in me for football, but I'm not big enough (or fast enough) to play D1 or 1A. If I was deferred, I was planning on writing/calling the Harvard coach and seeing if he could help me out, but I doubt he would have. I do think football helped me stand out, however.</p>
<p>Wow, you seem to have all had pretty impressive summers. Before I go on, I just want everyone to know you don't have to feed the third-world countries, find a cure for AIDs, or make bank with your new company to get into Harvard. Please please please, for those of you who worry... don't think you have to save the world to get into college... and I would also like to encourage not doing things for the sake of a future college acceptance but rather through intrinsic motivation because you like what you are doing... but I think if you are on this board you might already be in the process and it may be too late now.
Anywho, for all of my summers I went to work and was a camp counselor for the past two summers between working.</p>
<p>just -- I asked because my S was recruited by the Ivies. It worked out well for him, but it does seem, when you're an athlete, that your summer opportunities are limited due to the demands of the sport, which can be fun, but tie you down.</p>
<p>oh. athletics, right.
that all depends on the sport, i guess. many kids get the great opportunities to go to all those sport camps during the summer which i have begged to go to every year (but we dont have the money for that) and i can see that tying up a kid's summers.
i guess mine was easy because i was training for cross country during the summer, running at about 5:30 so i could be ready for work at 8, and if that didnt work out i would run TO work, haha. A team sport would be harder to do, though (but even my team sport is soccer, so there is a lot I can practice on my own).</p>
<p>Dizzy-Summers are definitely demanding for athletes. With just football, I was really lucky to be able to go to Cornell (I missed a lot of conditioning sessions). If I had been playing two sports (I quit playing baseball that summer), I never would have had the chance. My brother does three sports (football, baseball, basketball) and his summer is beyond exhausting.</p>
<p>CaliforniaCutie-Your soccer + cross country teams don't make you do summer conditioning, or play in a summer league? You're lucky! It seems like all the sports in my area are becoming more and more year round.</p>
<p>Well, my school in particular is more geard towards academics than athletics to say the least, so for soccer i am not required to do summer training. I AM required to do summer training for cross country, though, and I am hoping this summer instead of focusing on cross country all summer I will be able to be more into track, since that is what I want to do in college (I am not a long distance runner much- I love to sprint).</p>