My son has gone to a week-long overnight summer camp every year since 4th grade. He absolutely loves everything about it and had always planned on being an LIT (leader in training) when he was old enough. Its a 3 week program billed as a leadership development program…basically you are an assistant counselor, and then act as the leader for your group the last week.
I have no doubt he would enjoy it, and I always thought it would look good on his college application (he’s a junior). He is now saying he doesn’t want to give up that much of his summer. Should I push the issue? Would this “leadership development program” stand out on his college application, or would it be just another extra-curricular on the list?
Agree with Magnetron. If he has something more compelling to do, he should do it. CITs are a dime a dozen. On the other hand, if he has no other ECs, if he is planning to spend the summer in front of the tv or gaming, then yes, CIT is better than either of those options if a real job or career-relevent internship isn’t something he’s able to come up with.
Being a camp counselor is a perfectly good summer job. If he’d rather work closer to home that’s fine too. What he shouldn’t do is nothing. I do think he’d probably learn a lot from the experience.
I think being a camp counselor can be a big plus on college applications and in life (speaking as the mom of a daughter who started going to camp at age 7, working at camp at age 14, and didn’t stop until age 20). That said, I wouldn’t push your son if he’s not enthusiastic about the opportunity. My daughter was enthusiastic and still found it to be a very challenging job at times. For example, she worked for eight to 10 weeks per summer and had no more than one day off per week, if that. And the work days went from 6 or 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. or midnight. It was rigorous.
Agreeing with mathmom: it’s not so dazzling that it will tip an admissions decision (there are few summer activities that will, tbh), so if he doesn’t want to do it don’t make him.
Having said that, one of my Ds benefited hugely from doing just that (and stayed on as a full counselor the next summer). It did for real what you are looking for on paper: developed leadership skills (in her case, ones that had not previously been apparent). The maturity that came with it made her essay on that experience stand out over the essay about her experience in a flashier name brand leadership program that she enjoyed but required less of her in real life, and was the one she ended up using. Of course, ymmv!
D loves the camp she’s attended since age 6. She did the LIT program which then led to admittance into the CiT program. She’ll be a junior counselor this summer ( doesn’t turn 18 until fall).
She did it to develop the skills to become a counselor, not to pad her resume.
Thank you for all of your replies! He has always loved camp, so that’s why it took me by surprise when he said he didn’t think he wanted to do the LIT program. He wants to get a summer job and earn some money instead. (We would pay for the LIT program, he wouldn’t make any money.)
He does have other extra-curriculars…Concert Band 9-10, Basketball 9, Tennis 10-12, Key Club 9-12 (VP 11-12) and Laughing Stock Improv Comedy Troupe 10-12. Every summer he participates in a program called Love Begins Here. Its a week long mission trip, exactly as the name states, serving needy communities in our region - south central Wisconsin.
If he’s a senior I’d let it go. My kids were LITs following 8th and 9th grade for day camp for needy kids. After age 16 they usually want a paying job. The LIT hours were great volunteer hours.
Have you discussed what he’d like to pursue in the future? If it is something in line with management or company leadership then it may add weight on your son’s CV otherwise he’s simply doing what he loves
My S was a camp counselor, though after his freshman year of college. It fit nicely with his narrative when he applied to be an RA, and it fits with his overall narrative of leading organizations and helping people one by one.
No reason to push it to shine up his college resume, but no reason to set it aside as insufficient for his college resume. He should do something that interests and engages him, WHATEVER that is … CIT or grocery clerk or something that gets him out of the house and gives him a new experience he can learn from.
Encourage him to find a job where he works with people who have to support themselves full-time doing what he’s doing just for the summer. Real jobs involve waiting tables, sales in stores, childcare, etc…the kinds of jobs that remind high schoolers why a college education is valuable and that no matter how much they may dislike their job/internship, there are many people out there who don’t have the choice of walking away.
I don’t know if I’m sorry about this or not, but one of my daughter’s takeaways from being a camp counselor was that she doesn’t want to become a mother.
If your son wants to participate in the program and likes the camp, I’d encourage him to do so. Will this EC make the difference in getting accepted or rejected–probably not, but it can allow your son to obtain a skill set that will serve him well in the future.
My daughter gained great leadership skills and confidence as a result of being a camp counselor in an overnight summer camp. My D learned to work with her the campers as well as parents and fellow-counselors. For her last year, my D trained counselors. As a result, she has great people skills and can converse with anyone. I attribute this in large part to her experiences at camp.
I have no doubt he would thoroughly enjoy being an LIT and the experience would be valuable for him. My son is the one who is reluctant. He said he would think about it some more. I just checked and the deadline to apply is in March, so he does have some time to decide.
He has been talking a lot about getting a job at a local pet supply store, so that would be the alternative, I guess…along with a week of Love Begins Here.
I was unsure if I should really push the issue, and it sounds like I shouldn’t…that it would be a great experience but only if he wants to do it. Thanks again for your input!
Retailers often don’t want to hire high school students just for the summer. They may prefer that the student work year-round, part-time. If that works for your son, great. But if it doesn’t, a camp job (or camp volunteer position) may be better simply because camps are seasonal, and the times when they need people coincide with the time when students are available.
My daughter didn’t go quite that far – she only concluded that she didn’t want a career working with children. But she only made it as far as being a CIT. If she had been a full-fledged counselor, who knows?
