<p>Hello parents, I need some advice regarding STEM activities. My son is a freshman in a public high school. Even though there are Physics and Chemistry clubs, the school does not participate in Science Olympiad or any other competitions. My son is planning to start programming club next year. He wants to major in Computer Science. He is planning to start math and science tutoring club for elementary and middle school students at the local library next summer. What other activities can he be involved in? Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>He’s should be involved in things he enjoys doing. There is no advantage in filling up your hours with activities he doesn’t enjoy.</p>
<p>Try <a href=“http://www.usaco.org/[/url]”>http://www.usaco.org/</a>
It’s the USA Computing Oympiad site for those who are interested in programming. Register and do the training and then enter in the spring exams.</p>
<p>Ditto on activities he enjoys. Don’t worry about which ones. This is the time of his life to explore many interests of HIS choosing. </p>
<p>For the best chances at the colleges he becomes interested in he should try to do his best in all classes and take the most rigorous ones available that suit him. He will evolve as a person over the next few years. He may become interested or lose interest in many different activities, and even class subjects. </p>
<p>Nothing wrong with being well rounded, either. If music or a sport (running is an excellent physical activity) interests him encourage him. If the drama club, great. Do not presume he needs STEM activities because he does well in or likes the subjects. If you read brief bios online for many different colleges’ math/science faculties you will find a diverse range of outside interests and activities. A love of math and science does not preclude a love of arts, sports or other interests. Having non-STEM activities on one’s HS resume while intending to major in a STEM field will not hurt.</p>
<p>Dreadpirit ,</p>
<p>If I’ll follow your advice, I will be sitting in a bar on Caribbean island now. Do you enjoy your work hours more than your vacation?</p>
<p>I am assuming that post #2 is talking about the after school hours. One can enjoy both work and play. The point is when able to choose how to spend time do it for enjoyment, not gaming the system to build a resume.</p>
<p>College is soon enough to become immersed in a field, although even as an undergrad there are breadth requirements. Also- the college will give him the necessary knowledge to succeed, not all students have the opportunities to do as much in HS.</p>
<p>@cali
The poster didn’t ask about how to make a living - although doing something you enjoy will tend to make you a more passionate worker and thus you are more likely to be successful. I enjoy my work and I enjoy my time in the Caribbean, just because I like one, doesn’t mean I can’t like the other - but I digress…</p>
<p>Looking for EC’s purely to make your college apps better you will be a fool’s errand. The only way EC’s that truly stand out are the ridiculously talented kids that win math olympiads and Westinghouse awards (I think its called intel now). These kids probably love what they do. If the OP’s kid was on that track they would know it right now.</p>
<p>Beyond that is 99.9%+ of the kids out there. For them, their EC’s should demonstrate commitment (and hopefully passion). The best way to do that is to do something you enjoy. A STEM application with 5 years of flute, participation in musicals and marching band, with leadership positions is a stronger application than a kid who shows a undistinguished list of computing club and physics club, and math team and …</p>
<p>Unless you are one of the elite HS minds (see above), your HS EC’s are not going to add much to your academic credentials, especially if you are unhappy!</p>
<p>The OP didn’t say anything about her son being unhappy in STEM activities. And if he were unhappy in them, then maybe that should be a red flag for pursuing STEM as a major and career. If he is going to apply for computer science, he may find himself having to write a lot of essays under the category of “why engineering” or “my interest and experience with engineering”. Talking about having flute solos isn’t going to cut it.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your replies.
@Dreadpirit - Since the school wasn’t exposing the students to science activities, I want him to take the initiative. I will never force him to do something that he doesn’t want to. If the child hasn’t tried anything, how would he know whether he would enjoy or not?</p>
<p>Some schools have a million activities–enough clubs that the kids could go to a different one almost every day! Other schools have just a few. It’s hard for a kid to know what’s “out there” if their school is one of the ones that doesn’t offer much. I think participation in STEM-related ECs can help a kid realize some passions and figure out what they do (and don’t) want to study further in college.</p>
<p>OP, is there a robotics team? Sometimes there’s one in the community if not at the school. Someone has to do the programming to run the controls. It’s a nice role for a kid who likes programming.</p>
<p>Our state has academic contests that have a compsci component.</p>
<p>Keep in mind not every activity has to be at school. My older son was a comp sci guy, but even in a big high school there was no one at his interest level. So all his computer science activities ended up being outside the school. He’d been introduced to java programming in middle school in a one week computer camp. He ended up teaching himself Scheme via MIT’s opencourseware and Linux on the Internet as well. He bought a lot of ___ for Dummies types books early on. He took a computer graphics course one summer via a college summer program. He got a couple of opportunities to do some programming for local professors via some local connections. He also volunteered at the local senior center and wrote some programs to make their life easier as well as helping seniors in their computer lab. Some college chapters of the ACM run computer programming contests for high school students. Eventually my son had enough experience he was able to get a job programming for pay while he was still in high school. He didn’t do any of this to look good on college applications, he was just doing what interested him. As parents we helped him find some activities, but much of this and all the self-instruction he did himself. </p>
<p>At school my son did Science Olympiad and was the main math/science guy on his Academic Team. Sona, it’s always a fine balancing act between pushing and facilitating what the kid wants to do. I think you sound like you are on the right track. It’s hard on this board not to sound like you are doing something just to look good for college, when often that a nice side benefit, but it isn’t actually your main impetus.</p>
<p>He should do whatever interests him and if it is programming – go for it! Doing programming on his own is an EC (doesn’t need to be in a club etc.).</p>
<p>Your initial question sounded to me lime you were reading off a laundry list of ECs that you read that STEM programs are looking. If you question was “what are some others that I missed”, then my answer stands. Ignore the list and do whatever interests him. </p>
<p>If your question is “what are some other ECs that a kid interested in STEM might like?” then I’m sorry I misunderstood the question. That is a much harder question to answer without knowing what is available in you community. Here are lots of STEM enrichment programs run by colleges for HS students. Do some research into what you can find offensive end by the colleges near you.</p>
<p>Also, want to add that even if your child’s school doesn’t participate in the AMC math tests, if he’s math oriented and enjoys problem solving, that might be fun for him. If he can’t talk his school into offering it, he can take it at a nearby “institute of higher learning.” Here’s the list:</p>
<p><a href=“American Mathematics Competitions”>American Mathematics Competitions;
<p>One year, we had to drive my son 90 minutes each way to take the AMC 10, but it was worth it. It was the first time he’d been exposed to questions at that level, and for him, it was a great experience. Doing well on those tests has opened up some opportunities for him.</p>
<p>There are also local math contests (usually at universities) where you often don’t have to be on a school math team to be able to participate. </p>
<p>Finally, there are a ton of great summer programs where a kid with STEM-interests who doesn’t have a community of other kids in his/her school can find their group–similarly-interested kids in a challenging, but fun environment. Summer programs have been life-changing for my son. He feels most at home with those kids and in that environment.</p>
<p>If the school has physics and chemistry clubs, then it’s already a better environment than many schools. There must be a reasonable number of kids interested in such things, so if they haven’t done something like science olympiad before, why not get them started? There are tons of math competitions available, most of which require no travel. The ones I can recall my daughter mentioning are AMC, math league, interstellar, rocket city.</p>
<p>When my D started high school, her school did not have a FIRST Robotics team. A couple of boys in her class joined the team at a nearby high school and were on those teams for two years. Then they started up a team at their own school. While your son may not want to go that far with it, he might be able to join a FIRST team at a nearby school if there is one. FIRST is terrific fun and the regional competitions are very exciting (think like a combo rock concert/sporting event held in a big arena). In fact, I just signed up tonight to volunteer for 3 days at the regional competition in March in our area. The FIRST season is just kicking off, if he checked around in the next two weeks maybe he could find a team to join in your area.</p>
<p>Another suggestion is after Junior year he might attend Operation Catapult at Rose-Hulman (engineering project-based camp).</p>
<p>If he is very self motivated, he could self study for the USA Biology Olympiad. He just needs a teacher to help him register for the test (can register the whole school for a pretty low fee, we paid it for our kids’ school for a couple of years so my D could do this). Then the teacher proctors the test when they take it.</p>
<p>A lot of quiz bowl teams also need a few science kids if he is interested in that, too. 
He may find “his people” there, too – my D2 did.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your replies. My son and I will look into the competitions/activities mentioned. My son says that there was just one Physics/Chemistry club meeting and not much happened. Like I said before, I want him to take the initiative and I am ready to help him.</p>
<p>I agree with intparent. If your son is interested in engineering or just how things work, see if there is a FIRST robotics team at his school. If not, check to see if nearby schools have them. The First Robotics Competition (FRC: [Welcome</a> to the FIRST Robotics Competition | USFIRST.org](<a href=“http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc]Welcome”>http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc)) has its kick-off in early January, so he may have time to find a team (that said, some schools may have try-outs)</p>
<p>As for the US Olympiad of Informatics, I suggested it because it is done on one’s own - I don’t think the school has to have a team. From what I recall, you work on your own on several tests and then take the “Open” exam in the spring. Even if your son doesn’t get far this year, he probably will connect with others and learn from the experience.</p>
<p>Son’s HS never had the Olympiads. They did have math team, amc , academic (lang arts, soc sci, sci and math?) academic competitions. No physics/chemistry club. </p>
<p>That flute experience would be for the student, not the engineering admissions people. There is a life outside of one’s major passion. btw- music and math go together.</p>
<p>"music and math go together. " Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t.</p>