<p>My d is looking for a summer program (summer between soph and junior year) that isn't an on-campus educational thing. She'd love to travel, even if it's only for a week or two. Any ideas for amazing summer programs?</p>
<p>You have a broad question here. It would help to know more about what your daughter is interested in, time frame, budget etc. For things like this, there are many options. I am a believer in the student choosing something that has meaning to them, rather than starting with what “colleges like to see”. I actually think that people pursuing sincere passions is what they want to see. As a parent, I like to see what my kids are interested in and how they go about connecting the dots between ideas and options. They get a lot out of the process.</p>
<p>^^I agree with Sep200</p>
<p>Please do not worry about what colleges “want to see”. Have your D do something meaningful to her. We have cousins that volunteered building houses for Habitat for Humanity…a few times! They did it because they felt they were actually contributing toward a useful purpose…</p>
<p>Start with her hobbies or go online and look under “teen summer programs”…</p>
<p>I guess I could tell you what they don’t like to see…they don’t like to see paid(funded by you) volunteer work. Sophomore year summer is not as important. Have her find something which compliments her academic or hobby. As an example, D2 likes photography and ballet. She did a Putney program (photography and law) last summer. It was in a very relaxed setting, and she really enjoyed it. This year (as a junior) she is applying to few competitive summer programs, and few writing/journalism programs. </p>
<p>Kids shouldn’t do something if they are not interested in it, but how someone spends his/her summer is important when it comes to applying tippy top schools. The good thing is there are so many programs, it shouldn’t be hard for a kid to find something interesting to do.</p>
<p>I generally agree with others here. Don’t have her do something she’s not already inclined to do. Colleges want to see kids with honest passions and interests, not someone who is manufactured to meet a college specification (and yes, they can tell the difference). I spent my summers in high school working, vacationing with my family, and going to camp for a week each summer.</p>
<p>I guess I put this wrong. D wants to travel and I want her to learn something about the places/cultures/art/whatever of wherever she is going. Your point is well taken about colleges – that is not the relevant point.</p>
<p>some kids do community service through their churches/community groups in other parts of the country.
NOLA for example- now I wouldn’t want to go to New Orleans in the summer- but it would be travel plus having something constructive to be doing, not just seeing the sights.</p>
<p>Westcoast Connection’s 360 tours are wonderful and combine adventure with philanthropy.</p>
<p>Looks great! But wow, $$. She may just have to work!</p>
<p>My S is interning with Student Conservation… it has groups of kids 15-18 working on conservation efforts all over the country… it is absolutely free if accepted… it is competitive. Your D would have to be okay with sleeping on the ground and not having access to daily showers… something that doesn’t bother my S in the least. I have heard it is a life changing experience and the kids really bond. I believe my Junior S will be interning all summer.</p>
<p>Going fishing with granddad. Then she’ll have something worth writing about.</p>
<p>You could look into Projects Abroad. They have a lot of 2-week summer programs for high schoolers. They can be a bit expensive, especially if you choose somewhere far away that requires lots of vaccines, but they’re a really great chance to travel while doing something constructive. I did one to Ghana this past summer and it was a fantastic experience.</p>
<p>Thanks, I am starting to research!</p>