Hi! So the past two summers I’ve been busy with volunteering, research, and science classes, and so I was planning on getting a job at a cafe or store this summer but working less days than I have past summers, and doing some less structured things like reading a lot and going on weekend trips with my friends. I will be a freshman in college next year at UChicago. I didn’t have any reservations about this until recently when my parents were surprised that I didn’t apply for any types of research programs or internships as I have done the past few years. So I’m wondering: is it necessary to do something more structured and academic like classes or an internship? Thank you 
I think you’ll be fine. Most of my classmates at Emory, if they worked during the summer, held those sorts of roles. They were able to keep up with the school work and many later obtained great research positions.
There will be an unbelievable wealth of structured and unstructured programs at Chicago. Working as a cashier in a cafe after high school will not affect your ability to obtain them. In many cases it may actually help since those jobs require different skills than a program aimed at high school juniors.
That is the one summer when you don’t need to do something super productive or academic. My kids both worked to earn money for college.
That summer before college is a great time to relax from the stresses of college prep, build some memories with friends, earn a little money, rediscover some of those hobbies you put aside in order to do resume building, etc.
I think your plan is fine. You should relax a little and hopefully you will be refreshed and ready to go in the fall. Both of my kids did just fine taking it easy right before college.
Well I was worried about the same thing. What I did was going over the most difficult class I was going to encounter the first semester which was calculus. It helped little but it did. I’m not sure if it was a good move. But I don’t think I spend a lot of time on it I tried to relax as much as possible as I didn’t know what was to come, you have done plenty youve been accepted youre going to college I would just relax for now !