Summer program quandary

Parents Forum
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<p>Summer program quandary</p>

<p>Looking for advice about my 9th grader from all you knowledgeable folks. He’s a great kid – outstanding student, outstanding musician (has won significant regional competitions on his instrument), and a natural leader. (He lacks a humble mother, however.) From this vantage point (an admittedly distant one) I believe he has the potential to be at the top of the pool when it is his turn to apply to colleges. Here’s the dilemma. </p>

<p>Every summer for the past four years, he has spent the full summer at camp, which he adores. Straight ahead summer camp. Just sports, sun, and fun. That is his plan for this summer, too. I have suggested that we explore a different type of summer experience for him this year: I’ve suggested the obvious, music camp. I’ve suggested a math program (he loves math and is a talented student). I’ve also suggested that we look for something in another special area of interest and talent (don’t want to disclose it here, as he might be recognized, which would embarrass him). I’ve suggested that we look for something that would still allow him to go to his camp for part of the summer. But although he loves school, loves his instrument, and loves this other area I alluded to deeply, and although he works tirelessly and happily at all three throughout the school year, he is firm in this desire to relax and just have fun at camp all summer. </p>

<p>There’s a piece of me that says of course, you work like a dog all year long. You deserve to kick back during the summer, if that’s what you want to do. But there’s another piece of me that worries that, unless he does something more “substantial” during the summer, his college chances may be jeopardized. And he’s already told us that next summer (the summer between 10th and 11th grade), he REALLY wants to go back to camp for the full summer, because he’ll be in the oldest bunk, with special privileges -- a sort of ersatz counselor position. </p>

<p>My sense is that this summer (between 9th and 10th grade) it’s fine to let him return to camp. I’m more concerned about the following summer (between 10th and 11th grade). Has anyone had a similar experience? Any words of wisdom?</p>

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<p>I wouldn't worry about NEXT summer now! Let him go to camp this summer. He will be growing and changing a lot in the next year- he may have a whole different agenda by next fall. Several of the bright, talented 9th graders around here wound up getting kicked out of school for drinking in 10th grade. Not that your son will do that, but you are getting way ahead of yourself.
If going to camp instead of to an academic or music program hurts his college chances 3 years from now, we all need to re-evaluate things. While I love the information on this board, I think it is easy to lose sight of reality. These are KIDS!</p>

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<p>Phillips Academy's Summer Session is awesome. I went 2 years (after sophomore and junior years) and i LOVE it. You take 2 academic classes, a major and a minor. The major meets 6 days a week, and the minor 5. On Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, they offer trips, or you can take the train with friends into Boston (its like $5 round trip if you get a group rate). You also do an afternoon activity - they have everything from swimming to ice skating (and you can use the pool and rink during free time, too) to choir to social dance. The absolute BEST part though is the community - the SS is 1/3 international, and if he has a roommate (you can request a double or a single), he will most likely not be American (my two roommates were from Aruba and France). The program is 5 weeks, and is wonderful :) definitely consider it.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the responses. Just want to add, lest I come off sounding hopelessly shallow, that we also believe an experience aside from camp would not just aid in developing the college resume, but also (and more importantly) the whole person!</p>

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<p>It's perfectly fine to chill during summer. Lots of high schoolers prefer to hold a job, play sports, maybe do some traveling or volunteer work, in sum, do things that they do not have the time to do during the school year. All these are worthwhile activities, and many kids feel that summer is a good time to recharge. Some feel that the school year is rather boring and cannot wait until summer to pursue their academic or artistic interests at a more intense level. For these students, there are many different types of camps, with different lengths of attendance, different levels of intensity, different combinations of academics and fun activities.</p>

<p>My younger S went to Exploration Summer as a 5th grader; if I remember correctly, the session was one month-long. There were classes in the morning; the afternoons were devoted to sports and fun activities. He liked it a lot, but decided that he wanted a greater focus on academics, so the following year he went to a CTY camp. My older S went to a music camp where music lessons were held in the morning. In the afternoon, students practiced and also rehearsed for end of the week performances. For him, it was the right mix of music and relaxation, but one student decided she wanted a more intense musical experience and decided to attend a different music camp the following summer.
Karenindallas is right that there is no point being concerned about the summer after next. But you might see if your son is interested in attending a camp that is not entirely focused on academics. If he is not, let it drop.</p>

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<p>Thanks, all. Marite and Karen, I think I'll send him off to camp this summer, and take your advice and worry about the following summer later. The miracles of maturation may change his ideas about what he wants to do then. But Karen, based on your example, I certainly hope reform school won't be among the options we're weighing next year! ;)</p>

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<p>wjb:</p>

<p>I forgot to note that CTY camps are 3 weeks long, which leaves quite a bit of time to relax! Friend of my S attended Circus Smirkus. Not academic, but apparently tons of fun.</p>

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<p>Wjb,
If your child has ample opportunities during the school year to explore and extend interests in depth, then I think the regular summer camp option is wonderful- if that is what he wants to do. I attended the same camp for 11 years as a child- until I became a counselor, and I would consider those experiences formative and very meaningful...not to mention great fun! Of course, this was in the pre-millions of options- era. </p>

<p>For some people, and we are in that category, summer has been the only time to do a range of things not available to us in the school year- so that has been the choice we have made, but I have regretted that my kids haven't had any "regular camp" time.</p>

<p>The Yale Daily News/Stanley Kaplan book called Summer Opportunities for HS Students is a comprehensive resource on options. There is everything under the sun in that book- and more. </p>

<p>My sons never did the "take a class on a college campus" or "go to a prep school for a month enrichment" type activities. I think there is something to be said for these sorts of things, for some kids. I think the summer should be a combination change of pace, fun fun, and doing things in depth you might only have a little time for in the school year...</p>

<p>By and by, my nephew has gone to the same camp for 9 years now. He is a stellar student and has been college-focused since he was in diapers (my perspective). As to why he hasn't done the others..(he qualified for CTY, is a top tennis player, etc..)...He really just wants 8 weeks per year where the agenda is different- he recharges his batteries and gets on for another intense and furious school year... I am sure, given my nephew, he has already figured out a way to make this a "strength" when it comes to actually filling out the college applications...there is no chance he hasn't thought about it from that perspective!!</p>

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<p>Wbj, your daughter goes to Colgate, yes? I'd like to bring your attention to a fantastic music camp at Colgate during the summer. It's not competitive (you don't have to audition or make a tape), but it's a great place to go for music and fun. It's not all intense, and the people (the directors in particular) are amazing. It's a lot like a summer camp in that you get to hang out and play volleyball and go swimming with lots of other kids, but during the day you get to play music as well. I went to this camp for 6 years and met the best friends I've ever had there.</p>

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<p>Let him go to camp. He has plenty of time to do other things. A music program is not a definite entry into an "Ivy", nor is camp an "ivy" killer.
Many children go into programs so that they can pad their resume. Childhood is a time for fun. Camp is a great experience. Let him go for as long as he likes!!!!</p>

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<p>Roby: Thanks for the book title. We may take a look at it, but not quite yet! You have all convinced me that for this year, it's back to regular summer camp for my son. I like your perspective that for many kids, summer is a good time to do what you cannot do during the school year. I believe that for my son, camp is offers that opportunity. It's a world away from our big city suburban life, completely uncomplicated and just plain fun. As I recall, you live abroad. I imagine your sons have had distinctive summer experiences. And maybe my son will follow in your nephew's path. We shall see. I do hate the feeling that college strategizing must begin so early. It's so hard to avoid getting sucked into the vortex. Glad I asked about this one. It's refreshing to hear a uniform voice saying it's good to let him be a kid. </p>

<p>Rabo: Yes, my daughter does go to Colgate. Didn't know there was a music camp nearby. Thanks for the info. Is it affiliated with the college? I see from your profile you're from the area. So beautiful, and such nice people. Through the community service program at Colgate, my daughter is helping in a 2nd grade classroom each week and also mentoring a "little sister" in the community. She loves the kids, and her little sister's family has taken her under their wing in a way that I think is unique to a rural area, which Hamilton certainly is!</p>

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<p>The camp is not affiliated with Colgate, but takes place on campus. If you want more information, there's a website somewhere. You could do a google search for Eastern US Music Camp, or have your D pick up a brochure if she's ever in Dana. That's great that your D is helping out and doing the big sister program and having a good time.</p>

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<p>When you consider that a lot of kids will be watching tv, playing video games and sleeping till noon all summer, camp sounds like a winner.</p>

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<p>It sounds like your son has a wonderful connection with this summer camp, and that the program for next year is a special one. </p>

<p>As I'm a working mom, my sons have always had fun, but planned, summers - backpacking, visiting relatives, summer day camps, sports camps, etc. In the summer after 10th grade, my older son took a trip to Spain for 5 weeks. For the past two summers he has worked at the family camp that we have gone to for over 10 years. One of his college application essays was about his job at summer camp. This coming summer, my younger son (completing 9th grade) may also work there. I think these are invaluable experiences, and IMO this is what summer vacation is all about.</p>

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<p>I definitely think your child should go back to his beloved overnight camp for as many summers as he would like, even if all the way up until college. I feel strongly that there is NO need to do a different summer activity for either the experience or for the college "resume". The concept of picking summer programs with college aspirations in mind, never occurred to me until I visited this forum the past couple of years. In my experience, not only did I spend my summers engaging in what I wanted to do, so have my kids. Their choices were never with college in mind. However, I think they most certainly have spent their summers in worthwhile ways. I think THAT is what colleges care about, more than WHAT that endeavor was. I think sometimes on these forums (not talking the OP post though), there is a tendency to think that summers must be spent doing something academic or similar. While for some kids, these experiences are a strong passion and right for them, this is not a "better" way to spend one's summer. </p>

<p>As a point of reference, I went to overnight camp for 8 weeks for ten summers growing up. The summer prior to college, I was a counselor at that same camp. That camp (in the Poconos) was one of the highlights of my childhood. Remember, camp involves many worthwhile interests/activities and other things like independence/friendships. ONE summer, at age 17, I did not go to camp but went on a teen travel trip to Europe, cause I wanted to do that instead of being a CIT at my camp but it is not like I made a change for any other reason. </p>

<p>My oldest daughter (just talking of summers in middle/high school now), went four years to a performing arts camp. In fact, while I do not think your son should switch camps (as kids get attached to their camp from past summers), but I will mention this one camp she attended for four years because it combined everything that a regular camp might have but also an extensive and intensive array of performing arts opportunities such as music/orchestra/band, theater (36 dramas and musicals, plus classes), dance, full circus offerings, and every other activity under the sun. It is called French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts. Each kid picks their own focus. Hers were musicals, dance, tennis, and waterskiing. While she loved this camp, SHE said she wanted to do travel programs before high school ended so switched her focus those last two summers because of this desire (I would not have cared if she continued at her camp though). One summer she did a six week trip around the western US, western Canada and Hawaii (LOVED it). The summer prior to senior year she did a competitive tennis tour of Europe. Had she had more summers, she would have wanted to do some type of cultural exchange/study in France. She even has ideas mapped out for her four summers of college along various interests of things she wants to do. Again, it is all about what she WANTS to do or how she wants to spend her summers, not with any long range educational goal necessarily. The summer before college, she worked, her first summer home in ages. </p>

<p>Second child has spent her last seven summers at her beloved theater camp out of state. She even says that her sister's travel programs look quite enticing but she would never give up her camp to do them, which is fine by me. She knows she can study abroad in college, whatever. While it has turned out that she is applying to college to study theater, she never chose her camp with college in mind. It is more that her college choices are an outcome of her years of delving into this passion, where her camp was one of the most significant experiences that has inspired her college and career pursuits. But she did not attend there so she could get into college. When she picked that camp at age nine, who was thinking of college? LOL. While I now realize that the top kids from that program have gone onto the top college programs in that field, it never was a factor in choosing to go there and is only something I have now observed after the fact. </p>

<p>I am ALL for having kids spend their summers doing activities/programs they enjoy and for that reason only. If a child has some passion, finding programs/experiences to fuel it are great. But they need not HAVE to go to a summer program that is educational or connected with college aspirations or anything like that. In your son's case, IF he wanted a summer program focused on music, then I would look for it. If he loves his regular camp and engages in music activities the rest of the year, that is just as good. I would take HIS lead as to how he wants to spend his summers. I could see making a switch in summer plans in the coming years IF he was seeking out these other kinds of programs/interests but not because he SHOULD do that.</p>

<p>Colleges will look just as favorably on summer camps as academic enrichment programs....and likewise with summer jobs too (including camp counselor). Doing something of interest that is worthwhile is what matters more than WHAT that is. What looks the least favorable is just hanging out all summer. </p>

<p>That is my take on it....from a former camper. </p>

<p>Susan
PS, my kids have several friends in Circus Smirkus too.</p>

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<p>my son is also very devoted to "his" camp. It's a math camp, but a very free-wheeling, fun one. (<a href="http://www.mathcamp.org%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.mathcamp.org&lt;/a&gt;). He has attended the past 4 summers, and plans to have one more year as a camper before continuing there as a counselor. This past summer he was only able to attend part of it because of overlap with another, much more selective and prestigious program that other kids would kill for, but which he didn't like nearly as much. I encouraged him to switch, in part because it was the summer before college apps. But I think he would have been happier if he had just spent the whole time at "his" camp.</p>

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<p>I want to add that when my daughter wanted to spend a summer abroad and eventually after much research, explored the program she did end up doing which was a competitive tennis tour of Europe, when she was talking to the director on the phone to get more information, HE commented about how this program would "look good for college" (he also was a former guidance counselor), to which neither my D nor myself ever remotely contemplated! I then realized that most of his "clientele" came from communities where this notion is very important (picking summer programs that contribute to the college application). That did not matter to my D. She just wanted to go abroad and liked the idea of combining her sport with that endeavor. It truly was about what she felt like doing, and nothing more. </p>

<p>Susan</p>

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<p>I agree with everyone else; let him go both summers, if he wants. From my own experience, lack of summer "programs" did not hinder my kids at all. Both were invited to CTY and "gifted" kid programs at a local university--wouldn't have touched them with a ten-foot pole. (Not putting them down, just not what they wanted.) The only camps they did were very short, half-day, local programs for part of the summer in music or sports. Spent a lot of time hanging out, reading, and yes, playing video games. (don't tell.) If they'd been interested in anything more, we'd've found a way, but it was just not the norm in our town. Both got into very fine colleges.</p>

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<p>Thanks Soozie, Garland, and everyone else for your replies. I truly appreciate them. You've all informed and reinforced my decision. What a great resource the parents on this board are – smart, practical, and generous.</p>

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<p>Relax!</p>

<p>My youngest daughter is a junior at "HYP", and one of her good friends there is famously loyal to the plain-vanilla camp he attended from boyhood onward, including every single summer of high school. And beyond: he still returns every year to be a counselor and intends to do so this coming summer, the one before his senior year in college. It obviously didn't hurt his ability to get into an ultra-selective school.</p>

<p>Another daughter, now in graduate school, was a serious musician who eventually tired of "regular" camp and during high school attended a couple of specialized music camps. These experiences turned out to be critical to her decision to get a music performance degree instead of a liberal arts degree. I don't know what instrument your son plays but if you'd like I'd be glad to recommend some programs that I'm aware of.</p>