<p>Hi, I just ended my sophomore year, and I was wondering how to structure my summer. Due to circumstances outside of my control, I will mainly have to stay at home and won't be able to attend local programs or university courses.</p>
<p>I feel like that this will decrease the strength of my application to selective colleges. Note that I am not concerned with colleges like HYPSM but more with those such as Harvey Mudd, UTexas, UC's, Johns Hopkins, University of Michigan, University of Rochester, University of Illinois, etc.</p>
<p>Does the following list of my summer activities seem to be negative, positive, or neutral in regards to its impact on college admissions? And to what extent do the colleges I listed (and similar) expect applicants to have outstanding summer programs or experiences?</p>
<p>Summer Activities:</p>
<ul>
<li>Volunteer 4 hours/week</li>
<li>Prepare for the (P)SAT</li>
<li>Research colleges and more or less decide on the ones I want to apply to</li>
<li>Read a bunch of books</li>
<li>Start studying AP Physics C in advance</li>
<li>Self-study Multivariable Calculus and other math for AMC competitions</li>
<li>1-2 college courses through Udacity, Coursera, or AoPS</li>
</ul>
<p>Potentially positive.
Positive, particularly if you may be applying to some schools with NM scholarships.
Research is positive but you’re still early; although you might want to understand the financial side of applying to OOS publics. Deciding is a negative (way too early).
Positive on a personal level, neutral for admissions.
Positive I guess, if it helps you get a better grade.
I don’t know much about AMC.
Neutral, only do it for your own interest.</p>
<p>Summer experiences are what you make them, many ‘pay to play’ programs and courses are not as helpful to admissions as things that you can do for free or for pay (don’t forget getting a job as a possibility). Try to find activities that you enjoy or that broaden your POV, life’s too short to direct everything towards college admissions ;).</p>
<p>I agree that your list is potentially positive but it seems a bit light to me - probably no more than 20 hours or so each week. I would call it a good start.</p>
<p>More importantly however is that it does not currently reflect any passions of yours. Remember that in admissions, you will be competing against: athletes who will attend camps, network with coaches and play on multiple competitive teams; musicians who will continue, even increase their lessons and practice sessions as well as band activities and special performances; civic leaders who will continue their volunteering efforts and start new projects; entrepreneurs who will create value in their business.</p>
<p>The only hint of passion that I see in your list is a vague STEM academic orientation and a desire to be accepted to college. Use your summer to better understand what you love doing and find new and unusual ways to pursue these loves. Even if your true passion is math and science, you already spend nine months a year with your nose in a book. You have other ways to demonstrate excellence along this line. Use your summer to try tutoring, or contact a local professor or business about helping on a project.</p>
<p>Can someone please answer how the colleges I listed (Harvey Mudd, UTexas, UC’s, Johns Hopkins, University of Michigan, University of Rochester, University of Illinois, etc.) will likely view my summer as it currently stands?</p>
<p>And to what extent do the colleges I listed (and similar) expect applicants to have outstanding summer programs or experiences?</p>
<p>I am pretty sure Johns Hopkins and Mudd both will be looking at your summer activities. Not sure about the rest. I do know that state universities tend to be more focused on your numbers - test scores, GPA, etc.</p>
<p>Don’t overlook the idea of picking some science subject or hobby and digging in on your own this summer. My kid is interested in entomology, even though she wants to study physics in college. So part of her summer activities was working on her bug collection. A small thing, but she certainly mentioned it in her Common App and her Mudd essays. She was accepted to Mudd. Don’t think it was a major factor, but just saying that finding something you can do on your own in the summer is a good idea. Rocketry? Electronics projects? One summer she tried to build a battery from mud that took advantage of small electrical releases from bacteria in the mud – she didn’t succeed, but I saw someone got a gold medal in an Intel category this year for a project that was based on that idea! Do you have access to join a FIRST robotics team during the year – if so, learn the CAD software or try to learn about some robotics concepts that will help you next season? Note that kids at our school were able to join another school’s team for a couple of years before they started a team at our school.</p>
<p>1-2 college courses through Udacity, Coursera, or AoPS</p>
<ul>
<li>course here are most likely 8-12 hours a week if you look on the descriptions page; therefore, 16 hours for two courses as a conservative estimate</li>
</ul>
<p>These two activities ALONE are 20 hours a week.</p>
<p>Plus if you ask me the others don’t take so little time each week either.</p>
<p>Classic Collegeconfidential BS that demoralizes and belittles and sets unbelievably high but fallacious standards (ie. “this is only 20 hours a week, you need 20 more activities to get to 50 hours/week” (in reality the original activities already take 30 hours/week))</p>
<p>Thanks, tomatox1! Yeah, the activities listed are going to take much more than 20 hours a week, without any doubt.</p>
<p>Also, in regards to concerns about exhibiting my passion, all my activities besides researching colleges and preparing for the (P)SAT will be centered around STEM subjects.</p>
<p>I expect my academic record to be very good (4.0 UW, 2300+, tons of AP’s) and my EC’s to be like 4-6 on a scale of 10. I just want to know if my plans for the summer will have negative consequences in regards to admissions to the colleges I listed.</p>
<p>Thank you to anyone who can answer my concern!</p>
<p>This is always positive and a good idea. However, it will be even better if it is not just a “bunch” of books but they tie together in some way. For example “the american classics” or the “Russians” or an author you love or related to a geographic region or a dear subject. It can be STEM related but not purely science or tech for example the life and work of Tesla.The choices are endless. It becomes more like a project and I think more satisfying. Not just for colleges but for you. </p>
<p>My personal opinion is that any study not related directly to prep will be more rewarding and a refreshing break.</p>
<p>If all fails try to increase your volunteering hours.</p>
<p>@tomatox - your estimate is 30 hours, based on OP taking 2 Udacity classes although it was originally stated as 1-2 classes. If OP takes only one class, then your estimate drops to 18-22 hours/week and fits with my esitmate.</p>
<p>Regardless, 20-30 hours per week is not a taxing schedule, even basing it on a couch-potato standard and ignoring the hyper-intensive CC standard. That works out to 3-5 hours/day, six days per week. Since all activities listed can be accomplished from OP’s bedroom there is no commuting time or other time wasting logistics.</p>
<p>It is not unreasonable to expect a teenager to work a 40-hour job AND accomplish a number of the items on OP’s list.</p>
<p>It is unfortunate that OP cannot get out and do everything possible. However, s/he should understand that many other applicants to highly selective colleges will not have similar restrictions.</p>
<p>I stand by my original recommendation that OP try to find and investigate his/her passions beyond what is typically accomplished during the school year.</p>
<p>“It is not unreasonable to expect a teenager to work a 40-hour job AND accomplish a number of the items on OP’s list.”</p>
<p>Wow, is this what we have really come to? Expecting this of a 16 year old? Many adults don’t have this kind of schedule. I have about had it with the ridiculous expectations promulgated on this site. My kids go to a highly competitive high school, and I have never heard of this kind of expectation as to how rising juniors are supposed to spend a summer. And by the way, how many teens can find a 40 hour per week summer job? This is ridiculous.</p>
<p>I think you need to do more volunteer work - that was highlighted on the UC application. And get a part-time job. Forget the academics, it’s summer for heaven’s sake.</p>
<p>I taught my daughter how to sew one summer and now she has a job where they needed someone who knew how to sew and she is using that skill in her summer job. You never know what fun summer activity will later help you in life.</p>