So seems like we are saying summer programs can be interesting and valuable to your student, but don’t make much difference into getting into college other than you are doing something with your summer (which also could be that you are a camp counselor or have a job or whatever).
@bopper “So seems like we are saying summer programs can be interesting and valuable to your student, but don’t make much difference into getting into college…”
Attending the summer program at college X, does not matter to being admitted to college X, specifically, other than the ability to write a better essay.
@bopper “other than you are doing something with your summer”
What you do with your summer is a key differentiator for top schools. Did you demonstrate interest in learning about the subjects you want to study in college? Did you demonstrate curiosity and passion for your interests? Did you make the effort to learn something significant? If you are doing those things during your three summers of high school, then you will have really enhanced your chances and have a significantly better chance of being admitted.
For state schools, or less competitive schools, this additional effort will probably have less value. Many of those schools focus primarily on gpa and test scores.
Do many of the schools ask “What did you do with your summer” on the Common App? Or did your student write about “Summer at X,” Mission trip, and/or ice cream scooping on one of their 10 activity lines?
My rising junior is working at a restaurant this summer (her first job for pay aside from teaching dance during the school year) and she loves it. I’m surprised how much she loves it. This week, after a nice month off, she is going to begin some ACT prep (unofficial, but a joint effort between the two of us to keep her on track). That is all balanced between going to the pool, playing games on her ipad, volunteering and watching TV.
Everyone needs downtime, especially kids who are expected to spend 8-9 hours a day in school and then have another 5-6 after school of activities or homework. Everyone has different needs and desires, however, and for some a summer program is fun and not drudgery. If she really wanted to do it we’d find a way. She doesn’t, so we don’t. I would never force her.
I did nothing earth shaking, but it was an eye opening experience. Later (also in high school) I interned at the WaHigh school student “internships” are not real internships, and colleges know it.shington Monthly. I don’ remember exactly what I did, but one thing I did was help sort through the snippets of news that they used to put on their last page. I learned a lot about how a political magazine works.
You can also learn a lot from scooping ice cream.
@smcirish - my D’s applications did a section that asked for a brief paragraph asking for what she did the past few summers.
I interned at my little hometown weekly while in high school - they’d never had an intern before but I walked in and asked to work there. It was more free labor than internship, but what the heck. I walked away with a box full of bylines, which surely helped when it came time to apply and be admitted to one of the best journalism schools in the country (if I do think so myself, lol). I think if you can point to really concrete things that you can show or prove, it helps.
I’m with you, OP. I encouraged my kid to lounge, play, sleep, and just be a kid for the last few years he would actually be one. He did fine in the college game and is a healthy, happy, productive member of his family and society.
The beauty of these academic/leadership programs is it allows a student to build a resume which may assist them in overcoming other areas they aren’t very strong in come college application time.
Further many of these programs allow a student to determine if they are interested in a particular field or not.
Nowadays it takes so much more than good grades and test scores to gain acceptance to college. Many students with perfect GPA’s and test scores are completely surprised when they are wait listed or denied. Colleges aren’t just looking for smart students…they are looking for smart students who have shown themselves compassionate about becoming a part of their community.
@Happyface2018 "Nowadays it takes so much more than good grades and test scores to gain acceptance to college. "
I think that is only for about the top 100 schools. After that, they focus heavily on gpa and test scores.
“they are looking for smart students who have shown themselves compassionate about becoming a part of their community.”
The trend is for top schools to be looking for a level of demonstrated ability over contributions to the community. They give a lot of lip service to community contributions, then they admit the kid who won a national or state level competitions at something.
@Much2learn
My D was accepted to The George Washington University-Elliott School of International Affairs and the University Honors Program. She also received a Presidential Academic Scholarship. She applied test optional. I can only speak from experience as the GW admissions officer spoke specifically about how my D’s resume pushed her to the top.
While she didn’t win any national or state level competitions, she completed leadership programs which led to a board of directors 3 year term with a regional company, completed two language immersion foreign exchange trips and a rigorous foreign affairs focus program at Yale. These resume items, among others, increased her confidence, helped her figure out her interests and helped her overcome low ACT/SAT scores.
While GW was her #1 choice, she was also accepted to American- SIS- Global Scholars. She applied test optional and they too were very impressed with her resume.
I can only speak to what we experienced.
I think it’s fair to say that families should not consider the summer camps if they cause financial burden. If they are easily affordable and the student is excited about it, then go for it. Just don’t expect it to impact college admission outcomes.
From what I’ve read, there can be advantage to attending competitive free programs for high achievers.
There are also some competitive programs that cost money (but offer generous financial aid) that are supposed to be advantageous to attend.
…and there are not very competitive ones with terrific financial aid. (Brown).
Just curious, where does taking city college courses during the summer fit in? I know it’s academic, but it’s free for us in our school district, my daughter wants to take it outside of school so that she could free up a space for some other AP class(es) she wants to take at school, and I hope it will give her enough time in the afternoon to relax or maybe prep for PSAT, etc. Thanks!
@typiCAmom I think summer community college courses in California (maybe not in some other states) is quite reasonable as a summer option. There’s not really a need to live on a college campus just to take a summer college class. The living on the college campus is the fun and expensive part.
If your high school counts the courses as weighted, it can bump up her GPA (and free space for another class).
Make sure the courses she takes are at least UC transferrable (should be in the city college catalog). You can go to http://www.assist.org/web-assist/welcome.html to see how the course would transfer to a UC (though it varies by UC and major, so there is some guesswork).
Note that summer courses can be a lot of hours in the week if your CCC has 6-week summer sessions, but I’d guess you’ve already looked at that. DS took one class that was 6 hours/day in class and lab, 4 days a week. Our local UC campus also lets high school students register for summer classes, but those are expensive.
@Ynotgo, yes, my daughter plans to take one of those classes - chemistry. Her guidance counselor said they “highly discourage” this and recommend kids take this class at school instead, but my daughter sees too many advantages to this approach to give up without fighting for it. We’ll see.
@HappyFace2018 “She applied test optional and they too were very impressed with her resume.”
There are plenty of exceptions, and I am sure that your daughter did a great job of distinguishing herself. When I say that the trend is for top schools to be looking for a level of demonstrated ability over contributions to the community, I am talking about it broadly. I have no doubt that community service, especially in a leadership role, is a path to admission at many top school, but it seems to be a more narrow. In general, they are much more likely to look for hooked students how have demonstrated significant accomplishments.
Also, I don’t think there are any top 25 universities that are test optional.
@Much2learn In one of your initial post you mentioned top 100. Now it’s top 25.
Simply put my daughter applied test optional to GW with an outstanding resume which included a full IB private school education. Top 25 or not she achieved her goal of acceptance to her #1 choice through hard work and determination.
For the record, GW’s Elliott School of International Affairs is ranked as a top 10 program by many distinguished organizations including the following detail:
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/02/03/top-twenty-five-schools-international-relations/
Since she earned acceptance to an educational institution (GW Elliott School and the University Honors Program) that will provide her with an outstanding education and preparation for graduate school or law school, many would congratulate her on a job well done.
Thank you do your thoughts on the topic.
@Much2learn For the record, several LAC’s are ranked in the top 25 and are test optional. They include Bates College and Bowdoin College. 