<p>“Would “other programs” mean something more community-based, like Habitat for Humanity, Fresh Air Fund, etc?”
yes! programs that exist ONLY to facilitate true community service work are more credible in colleges eyes to ANY that combine vacations in resort locations with a few hours of community service.</p>
<p>By “other programs”, these could be community based or programs that require travel in the US. Right now, I am holding back on RP because I’m not entirely comfortable with the idea of her going outside of the US. So, would appreciate any other suggestions -</p>
<p>Thank you!!!</p>
<p>The problem with performing service abroad, I think, especially through a special program which charges thousands of dollars, is that the implication is that these thousands of dollars could have been sent to Red Cross, or to X international relief agency, etc. but instead they are spent on high schooler wanting a trip. I think it most certainly would rub some adcoms the wrong way, no matter how much you try to rationalize it and say, oh but at least we spent 5K on that and not on regular soccer camp. It doesn’t really make the former choice look any better to say you would have done something even more useless.</p>
<p>I’m all for sending kids to summer camps they enjoy (my parents did for me and I had a great time!), and if what they enjoy is helping other people while experiencing a foreign place/culture, then these are fine summer camps. But they are just that, summer camps, and I certainly didn’t put down summer camps on my application.</p>
<p>I think the one exception would be if it is part of an application that in general shows a strong record of service that IS local/does not cost significant sums of money/etc. Then, it probably wouldn’t look so bad, but I doubt it gives you much bonus points either.</p>
<p>Tertiary effects of the program…such as fluency in Spanish language…job as soccer coach…etc. can of course all be mentioned on the app. And I even worked my summer surf campus into mine, since most of the apps had a section to list other interests…and I didn’t shy away from listing surfing and skateboarding right next to reading and writing!</p>
<p>Check out AmeriCorp for some true service experience!!</p>
<p>Don’t take these trips if you are looking for a bump in college admissions. They won’t help you any more than spending the summer in your own community building homes with Habitat for Humanity. But if you and your son or daughter really want to participate in a program like this, and you aren’t breaking the bank and dipping into future college tuition to make it happen, by all means go.</p>
<p>re #36- I don’t think you can spend just a few weeks in a foreign country and have any idea where to even start to begin to address the conflicts, the concerns and the issues involved- let alone without listening to the actual residents of the community first.
I would also find that pretentious if those questions were not addressed.</p>
<p>My younger daughter was very interested in spending time abroad and it was expensive, although the major portion of the expense was airfare- living expenses were minimal- she stayed for about 20 weeks & she would have loved to have stayed longer.</p>
<p>I would suggest programs like [LEAPNOW</a> | College Alternative | Gap Year Programs | Study Abroad](<a href=“http://www.leapnow.org/]LEAPNOW”>http://www.leapnow.org/) ,[Interim</a> Programs - Gap Year, Service Learning and Study Abroad Programs](<a href=“http://www.interimprograms.com/]Interim”>http://www.interimprograms.com/) or [Gap</a> Year Programs Abroad](<a href=“Gap Year Abroad | Projects Abroad”>Gap Year Abroad | Projects Abroad), which my daughter used to help set up her itinerary.</p>
<p>She had already applied and had been accepted to colleges before deciding on where to volunteer, so it wasn’t part of her application process.</p>
<p>You could also try wwoofing – it’s free!</p>
<p>[WWOOF</a> - World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms](<a href=“http://www.wwoof.org%5DWWOOF”>http://www.wwoof.org)</p>
<p>Volunteers work on organic farms, anywhere in the world, and are given room and board while they are staying there. Volunteers usually live with the farming family and…I bet the food is fresh.</p>
<p>I was trying to remember the name of that- sounds like a great program- I wonder if they are interested in a 50 something…
I have my own tools ;)</p>
<p>I have read most of these messages and for the most part no one has mentioned the dangers. I have a 15 year old who is very anxious to go to Figi - with her 15 year old friend. I am very concerned about the supervision while she is there. She will be attending the outreach program to help the children in the Highlands. My question to those who have attended is how safe would she be. Im not very rich but I would pay the price for her to have a wonderful experience as long as the program is well supervised. Rustic Pathways has a good standing but I need to hear it from those who have attended.
Please advise
Thank You</p>
<p>Concerned Mom—
My daughter went on a Rustic Pathways trip to Fiji last summer, at age 16. She had a wonderful, life-changing experience. The reason she picked RP is that she’s an introverted, stay-at-home kind of kid who really wanted to try something like this, but didn’t want to go away for too long (many programs of this ilk are at least 3 weeks).
Now this is a kid who doesn’t even like to spend the night at a friends, let alone consider summer camp. So we were amazed that she wanted to try something so adventurous, so we encouraged it, and off she went. The other kids? Mainly from Los Angeles, mainly rich, much more “worldy” than our wholesome kid. But when you’re all building roofs or teaching kids in an impoverished country, who cares? She LIKED them. She was lucky enough to latch onto a good friend the first day, but it would definitely be easier to go with a buddy—especially at 15.
Supervision? Casual. But everyone knows that ANY bad behavior means an immediate shipping home, so kids really followed the rules. She says that she never felt unsafe, this from a kid who easily feels unsafe.<br>
So, cost aside, I’d recommend it just based on my daughter’s experience. She’s not a fan of being away from home,primitive living, long hours of community service, the “popular crowd” kind of kids. This trip had elements of all of that and she LOVED every day of it.</p>
<p>AcsinGa…
Sorry for the delay in responding … but thank you very much for your reply … It helps</p>
<p>Did you ever send your child? Am considering the same program.
Thanks.</p>
<p>I figured I would put my 2 cents in. My son went with Rustic Pathways last year to New Orleans on spring break. He had an excellent time, the counselor in charge emailed parents every few days. He now knows more about what happened there due to hurricane Katrina and why it will happen again. He also felt that he had made a contribution to the rebuilding.</p>
<p>Rustic pathways now has a few other local US trips. No other company seems to have local and spring break trips for high schoolers. The trips are affordable, short so it doesn’t take up weeks of the summer and your teen does get to go someplace and meet teens from other states and also do some community service. I have found RP to be a very responsive company to work with and more together than a few I called that answered the phone with only voice mail.</p>
<p>I think it is unfair to jump on Rustic Pathways or any company for providing these type of experiences for teens and indicate that are less valuable for use on a college app. As if spending money on private college counselors or people to edit or even write your child’s college essay is more acceptable. Or even spending thousands on summer classes that are conveniently held at Ivy league schools to write down on a college app. </p>
<p>My son is going to Costa Rica this summer and I indicated to him that I would prefer to spend the money if he picked one with community service rather than just a fun trip. Because he had the such a positive New Orleans experience he readily agreed. I think trips like these set the stage for a desire to do similar trips later in life.</p>
<p>Lakemom- glad I read this post. Son is doing Rustic Pathways New Orleans service this summer. I was a little apprehensive but it seemed very organized and so we went for it! I hope he has a good time and it’s a valuable experience.</p>
<p>Glad my post helped. I hunted for opportunities here in the U.S. found very few. Those trips did not seem to be as organized as Rustic and cost more. Rustic now offers a couple other US trips which gives parents a chance to see what they are like before contemplating trips farther away. I hope your son has a great time!</p>
<p>I did one of these types of programs, and the fact that colleges think of it in the same category as a teen tour ****es me off.</p>
<p>First off in the British Virgin island Tortola, we stayed in a non tourist area, in the local community center on mats, with no air conditioning, short showers every other day, and only one temperature of water. 5 days a week we worked from 8:30-2 painting houses, picking weeds, and doing various odd jobs. Weekends were the only times we did necessarily fun activities. And you know what, we were looked at as heroes because of the work we did. The town knew the program, and we would always get an ovation when we walked by, because these people saw no signs of rich kids paying 4000 dollars(which we did) they saw the work we put out, and thought nothing of it.</p>
<p>Whereas a friend took the summer to do an 8000 dollar teen tour to Australia and New Zealand, where they stayed in hotels and did fun activities all day.</p>
<p>Difference? I think so.</p>
<p>My younger daughter did the New Orleans Spring Break trip last year and had an amazing experience…she was actually going to go back (to be with Lauren and Brad (or is it Paul?)) this year, but she was chosen to do a Habitat for Humanity trip this year…</p>
<p>We were very concerned when we first sent her because our older daughter, while she had a good time on her Fiji trip in 2008, didn’t think it was particularly well-run or organized (specific incidents)…</p>
<p>as with anything, it seems like Rustic Pathways is a great organization, but has its glitches (that seem specifically related to location staff)…</p>
<p>My younger daughter plans on re-visiting NOLA again during community service trips with her college…</p>
<p>JNeemz35, I agree with you as another poster had said something similar. You could have just laid on the beach all day but choose to do community service instead. I personally feel it is more enriching to have this interaction with the locals instead of just being part of a pack of tourists.</p>
<p>I find it frustrating that there are not more opportunities here in the US as if we don’t have our own need. It takes a lot to organize, supervise and manage a bunch of teens under the age of 18 so those running the program should be compensated and it shouldn’t matter if it is another country. Unless you belong to a church group where those adults are handling the details there are few programs to choose from locally.</p>
<p>Just wanted to mention that my D, 2014, will be spending two weeks with Rustic Pathways’ Spanish immersion program in Costa Rica this summer. She’s going with a friend from school and they’re very excited. We know several kids who went on different RP programs last summer and all had a great time.</p>
<p>Interesting to see this thread come back. I always thought Rustic Pathways was just too expensive to consider.</p>
<p>
The kids in our church group bring friends along on the annual mission trip to fix porches and roofs, build wheelchair ramps, etc., in Appalachia. I bet other church groups are similarly welcoming. (If you are from NE Ohio and want to come along with our crew, pm me - they’re going the last week of July.)</p>
<p>They drive 6 or 7 hours away and help people referred by the local county health and social services department. They generally sleep on sleeping bags on the floor and shower at a nearby high school or Y; most of the money spent on the trip is spent on building supplies for the projects. I like that.</p>
<p>Rustic is not cheap but it is cheaper than other companies probably because their trips are shorter. However, if they feel you were an active worker the first year you go, they offer a sizable discount on a trip the following year making it more affordable. </p>
<p>To be honest, I prefer service to be done without an affiliation to a church though I do admire that they seem to be the only groups that do trips. My son was in the scouts at one point and they did grace before meals at camp and said prayers other times. Even the preschools held in churches that were supposed to be non religious had certain components of religion which is not apparent to those of that religion. </p>
<p>I suggested to a local teen travel company they they consider service trips but they havn’t. I guess they don’t think they can make enough money.</p>
<p>In New Orleans, the groups work on the re-building but they also tour Tulane, go downtown and have bignets, listen to a Zydeco music performance. So they get both service and a view of a place really different than home.</p>