<p>Next I'll be a senior, I want to apply to Stanford. I'm having trouble coming up with what to do this summer...I already have loads of service hours. I'm taking a class over the summer. There aren't many academic-type programs near me that I could do. The only thing I haven't done is tried to get a job. I don't know what would be the best idea to enhance my application.
What do you think I should do? What did you do? How important is this?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>I take it you like general “engineering.”
Learn C/C++ if you don’t know it/them already. Write a program.
Become a part of some opensource philanthropy. Get a reputation online.
I didn’t do it, but I’d certainly be impressed.</p>
<p>Getting a summer job won’t wow someone, but it is certainly almost as meaningful than most academic programs.
i went to Governor’s School of International Studies (something that our state and some other states have), which is a very competitive NJ program to get into. If I didn’t get in, I was planning on going to Stanford’s Summer College. It has substantial financial aid for people who could not afford it, but I had to apply in January of that year.</p>
<p>To be honest, it is too late to apply for most things. Summer break has already started in many states. Find something you really like doing and make a meaningful impact with it, but I would just recommend finding a job. </p>
<p>What subject areas are you interested in? You can always try to find somewhere to intern. If you know business people, ask them if you can intern for a few weeks. You could try to shadow a doctor, or do clerical work in an office somewhere. It’s all better than nothing.</p>
<p>Also, your statement “I already have loads of service hours” completely defeats the purpose of doing something meaningful with your summer. Volunteering isn’t about the hours, and Stanford admissions knows that very well. You could serve 2000 hours and not learn anything, but it means more if you serve 10 and learn something from it. Get involved in something you are passionate about. You can find an organization and volunteer at their office.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You shouldn’t do things just to enhance your application. Colleges will see straight through that. For example, just because you have “loads” of community service hours already doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continue. Doing community service is a learning experience and incredibly valuable if you let it. Don’t do things just to get into college. Find a program in an area that you actually care about and embrace it. Make the most of it and don’t think about how it’s going to affect your application. Do things you love, and it’ll pay off.</p>
<p>^I second that.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>And I second that. 
I’ve already ranted about how important community service is as an optional, purely motivated extracurricular elsewhere, but know that the people that you’re helping are affected by your actions, and that’s extremely powerful. You have the opportunity to chance someone’s life. How does that pale in comparison to getting into a good college? Some people go to college to change lives, but through community service, you can change someone’s life even before going to college. You shouldn’t make changing someone’s life a tool to get into college.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That’s not necessarily true. There are plenty more fun things to do - perhaps more worthwhile, depending on the student - but I have only heard positive things about summer and school year jobs in the admissions process. It shows responsibility (and hopefully grounds students).</p>
<p>@applicannot
im sorry i should clarify what I meant
i meant that having an average job isnt something like winning the Intel Science Fair or being an olympic athlete or something really unique, but you can still learn a lot from it and have a great experience. I agree with your statement that it shows responsibility and tends to be looked favorably upon in college admissions.</p>
<p>Personally, I think you should do something that you are passionate about. Don’t do something just for the sake of impressing adcoms, like the others said. I accumulated very few service hours throughout high school, but I committed to what I love and it certainly paid off.</p>
<p>In your head, thinking out of the box, imagine something that the top 5% of students at stanford did during their summers while in highschool.</p>
<p>I did nothing lol.</p>
<p>Okay, I understand this concept. I know you don’t do it just for the application. What I mean is, I already have everything I need. I am prepared. I just want something to do over the summer that could add a tiny little more to my application. If it’s meangingless, but I am passionate about it, that works too. I am already doing that, though. Does that mean I am set?
Thanks for all the advice thus far, I will use it.</p>
<p>P.S.-Yes, I like engineering. I like industrial the most.</p>
<p>OP, here are a couple of suggestions for you:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Look in your community to see if you might be able to “shadow” an engineer in a field of potential interest to you this summer.</p></li>
<li><p>Start thinking about your essays for your Stanford application. (The topics have been similar from year to year, at least for the last few years.) If you do find some kind of “shadowing” or intern position with an engineering firm, you may be able to incorporate that into your essays in some way that makes your application more cohesive overall.</p></li>
<li><p>Realize that there’s no real way to be “set” with your application to a school with such a low acceptance rate.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Good luck.</p>