<p>I'd really like to do a summer service trip or something like that in a different country. Preferably in France, because I take French and would be able to immerse myself in the culture, as opposed to Spain, where I know two words of Spanish (barely). </p>
<p>Someone told me that service trips were pointless and that colleges would automatically think you did them to look good for college. I'm not sure if that's true? Thoughts? I really do like to volunteer and I want to leave the country for a few weeks, so it's not really for college. But, while I'm doing it, I would, of course, like for it to look good. </p>
<p>So are there service programs/trips that are well-known and worth it? I've seen a few (Global Works, Putney Student Travel), but I know nothing about them other than the fact that it's expensive, you do volunteer work, and you go to a different place. So, thoughts, comments, recommendations? </p>
<p>If you do happen to agree that service trips are a joke, do you have another more productive idea for my summer? I'm going to camp in August, but I want to do something in July & late June.</p>
<p>Hi blairbear29,</p>
<p>I went to global work service trip last spring break, and I think they do a good job of combining work and fun. We did legit amount of work and we also had tons of fun traveling. Generally I think it was better than just traveling as you can learn a lot more, but I doubt how much impact it has on college application. However, if you can write a good essay about your experience, colleges will definitely not think you did it just for the application.</p>
<p>I have to write to essays for Yale (my dream school), which are about someone who completely changed my life and made me who I am today, and about one of my ECs and how/why that influenced me to choose the major I want/how it changed my life. </p>
<p>I don’t want to do the service trip just so it will look good on apps, and I actually do love helping people, I just want to know that it won’t hurt me. Some say that service trips are just for rich kids & to look good on apps. Which is not what I want. </p>
<p>You liked Global Works though? It was fun? Where did you go/how long where you there? What kind of charity work was it?</p>
<p>The French are not in need of much service…</p>
<p>@RedRoses: hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.</p>
<p>I don’t know any summer camps/service trips that you can apply to NOW, since summer has already started, but you should take a look at LifeWorks International 
They have a trip to China (which is the country I live in!) I want to go to the British Virgin Islands… I have a thing for animals
But yeah, you should check it out. It seems like a lot of fun, and I mean, I’m really interested in it, so I thought I’d just share that with you:)</p>