Hi- We live in a competitive city where many top students take summer enrichment courses at ivy league
and other top tier schools. My freshman could easily get into any of these programs but silly me, I believe that after working all year to be at the top of the class, he deserves a break. We also spend most of our summers traveling so a 7 week course is not possible. A 1-3 week course would be ok but does it really matter? I know those schools tell the students that taking their summer enrichment does not give them any sort of advantage in getting into their school but is that true? Am I crazy to give the kid a summer break or should I work him hard all summer too like all the other crazies?
Do NOT force him to do academics. For some gifted students summer programs are the way to be with others like themselves after spending the school year without true academic peers. IF there is an interesting to him class let him do it. btw, some of the smartest kids do not have the top gpa- they don’t work as hard. A well rounded childhood trumps maxing out on academics. Discuss with your son what his summer plans are. An entire summer of no plans can become boring. Perhaps there are local academic offerings that would be fun for him. Our gifted kid did a mix of both GT 3 week programs and local things his summers. It can be fun to explore computer programming, music and other subjects without any grade pressure. Summer soccer, tennis, swimming and other sports should be considered.
Remember that your child is multifaceted. Summer is a great time for him to explore and do things he won’t during the school year. Trips to the local library are a must for pleasure reading. Let your son’s wishes lead you.
I will never regret letting my son have a normal childhood instead of maxing out his intellectual capacity. Too much pressure can lead to problems in college years. Remember he is only a teen once, his life is meant to be enjoyed as well as prepare him for a future.
Most say these courses do not offer an advantage as college know that only kids that can afford them can attend. I would think, however, that if a course is something that truly interests the kid and is not simply resume building it could be worked into a narrative of growth and exploration in a subject area, especially if it is an area of study that is not possible to pursue during the school year. IMO, and many may disagree, doing something during a summer may look “better” than doing nothing and may also keep a kid from being bored. But working, volunteering in the community, learning something new (music, art, sufing), and family travel would also work in lieu of a high priced, high intensity course.
I would only consider it if your kid is asking (well actually begging) to do it because they are really excited about the program (and not because they’ve gotten the idea it’s something they have to do). Also keep in mind that academics all summer can lead to burn out during the year. My older kid did a program like that one summer and spent the rest on non academic activities, sports, family activities, etc.
My daughter did a summer Math program…but because she loves math and it would be a time where should could hang with other math oriented peers.
I think it is good to have some structure…working/camps/volunteering and not just hanging out.
It is not clear from the post if the child wants to go for any such program. I would always ask the child and see his/her commitment. I don’t believe in either pushing or keeping the child from doing what they truly want; unless there is either physical or financial barrier. Most children express what they want to do when asked. It doesn’t occur to my younger one on his own till either I ask him or he realizes he is bored; lol. He takes time to think before coming up with answer on such matter. I always ask him a question and conclude saying,“How about some more talk about this one in the afternoon?” YMMV.
My daughter did a 2-3 week summer art program at the School of the Art Institute for Chicago. This was critically important to her training and to developing her portfolio. I would think some other such short courses and camps can be helpful in other areas including music, math, and other subjects.
Summer between F and S year, my kid took Government online, had summer homework for Language Arts 2, and AP Euro, had sports camp about 15 hours a week and volunteered one week as a teen aide at Girl Scout Day camp. She also did some babysitting for $$. Gosh, that sure seemed like plenty to me. But she tells me, many of her friends did all that plus 4 hours of SAT prep a day!
I wish I was kidding, but nearly every senior at my children’s school heading to a top 30 U this fall did academic programs and mission trips every summer.
Kids don’t need “breaks” – and it’s not like academic camps are torture, my kids love them and claim they’re bored when they return home.
I think it’s good to meet a wide array of smart peers from all over the country/world.
If you are tony enough to travel most of the summer, then travel and see if he can do a project at any of your destinations. Certain that would be more unique than going to an Ivy program.
My kid loved going to CTY every summer, and looked forward to it all year, but A) that was only 3 weeks, and B) it enabled him to pursue intellectual interests not available in “regular” school. As other have said, if the the student really wants to do something like that, great.
Frankly, I do not have the impression that the general programs at universities are as rigorous or engaging.
My kid did a program summer between junior and senior year that I do believe was critical to her eventual college choice- because she got to know the school and the professors there. (Which brings up a point- if you are looking at a summer program, I personally preferred those taught by faculty of the school rather than simply taking place AT a university- but that may have to do with the type of program my kid was looking at). Both she and I loved the program and experience- it was fantastic. And it helped convince ME that it would be ok for her to go farther away from home than I had been planning, and go to a large college in a major urban area. I am a grad of an LAC, and had that in my head as ideal college experience- D wanted something different, and the summer program helped show me that.
With all that said- I don’t think you NEED to do a summer program after freshman year if it is not something you and your kid are passionate about.
My D did two such programs but because she really wanted to study these topics (neuroscience one summer and epidemiology a later one, with a very short engineering one in the summer between). I’d have never wanted to “work him [her] hard all summer”. She really loved the classes, the work, the kids, the independence, the time in a different area of the country, She was eligible for scholarships that made them very affordable for us so it was a no-brainer.
I do think they helped her with college apps if only because they both focused her interests in certain majors/careers and she followed them up with independent studies at her HS, in one case. They supported who she said she was in her apps (her GC mentioned in her rec that she’d done them and then synthesized them into her school-year education and how unique that was).
She did not get into the school where she did the summer programs, though. That’s fine, I think she liked it mainly because it was the most familiar to her at the time, she happily landed at a great school for her.
Also, this is not causation, probably correlation, but all the friends she made at the summer programs wound up at very selective schools. But I think that’s because they were the kinds of kids that WANTED to study something in the summer.
Follow your child’s lead. But for both of you, I would make sure there are some plans. DS had an hourly job at a local business, and it seemed to have fascinated adcoms during interviews. And amazingly, although he’s headed to his top choice college in the fall, he’s working there again this summer. It was an authentic choice for him, and that came through, I think.
What does your child think? I’m not a fan of allowing a HS kid to determine every aspect of family finances but I certainly wouldn’t do a program unless my child wanted it.
My son is going to be working and traveling this summer. He expects to get into college somewhere. Whether it’s his first choice or not remains to be seen. He took summer courses in middle school and he liked them but he would rather work this summer.
My kids didn’t do anything academic during the summer. When they were younger, I would double up on their music and dance training. They were doing well enough in school that I didn’t think additional enrichment was necessary. They were both eligible for CTY programs, but neither was interested in taking any of those courses.
D2 was interested in law, so she asked to join a program in Amherst for a course on law and on photography. The following summer she was admitted to a fairly prestigious program for students who were interested in studying about human rights. She had to write an essay with multiple recommendations from teachers. I think the Amherst program may have helped a bit. The human rights program helped her with her college essays and to demonstrate her interest.
What matters for admission is that he is busy with something productive for most of the summer. That can be anything – camp, academics, art, flipping burgers. It’s fine for him to do whatever he wants to do that isn’t video games or hanging out at the mall.
@hanna is making a key point, if you are targeting top 20 schools. Ask yourself what your student is doing this summer to be productive and learn something. It can be reading books, a computer camp, or a summer job, but it should not be nothing. It can be a great time to explore potential majors the student may be interested in.
Summer learning also demonstrates a level of commitment and can also provide good material for college essays.
It isn’t required, but if you don’t have a hard hook, it can give you an admissions advantage for top schools.
In my experience:
95% of teens prioritize lounging on the couch or on the lake, working at an ice cream shop, playing in mid & low level baseball-softball-swimming-soccer leagues.
5% prioritize 3- to 8-week summer academic programs, self-studying for APs, maybe tackle an online course, tutoring for SAT.
…which cohort is 20x more successful in elite admissions?
My ds did several academic summer programs. One benefit of such can be ELIMINATING a perceived interest. He took a course in CS at one program and came out of that learning that coding for hours on end in front of a computer screen was not something he was going to enjoy as much as he thought he would.