<p>Hi,
I know that this is the wrong place to post this, but the Summer Program forum seems to get very little traffic and my threads there were busts. </p>
<p>Anyway, I am looking for a program that looks good on a resum</p>
<p>Can someone help?</p>
<p>You don’t necessarily want a prestigious program. You want a unique program. Try and find something that fits your niche. Try and find a mission trip or something.</p>
<p>Usually if you have to pay for a summer program, colleges don’t really care about it. They want life experiences, not a vacation. That’s what I’ve heard though.</p>
<p>Anything constructive will do fine. The summer programs will market themselves to you and your parents as if they’re the college application panacea – they aren’t necessarily. They are there to make a return on an investment – i.e to make money.</p>
<p>Sure, some are fantastic and enriching. But so is reading some great books and working at Dairy Queen over the summer. I’m not kidding. And colleges know this too.</p>
<p>Anything free and competitive to get into. RSI, TASP, Governors schools.</p>
<p>Paid for at the ivy league are to be avoided if you aspire to top colleges.</p>
<p>What will look good on your apps is something you love doing, something that will help schools get to know you, will help them see what you will add to the admission class. Schools don’t want cookie-cutter applicants who got standard answers to such questions.</p>
<p>vossron is absolutely correct. Just do what you love and maybe even a something that is unique… something that not all the other million HS kids are doing. For example my S loves the outdoors and conservation. He is applying to work with Student Conservation Assoc. It is a FREE program that is very competitive. It also is something that he is passionate about. College admissions is the furthest thing from his mind. You would have to be okay with NO showers or bathrooms and sleeping on the ground for a month. He is also getting his advanced rescue scuba cert. and working up in the mountains on a search and rescue team.</p>
<p>Congratulations on a great psat score. Agree that the free selective programs does look good on an application; otherwise pick a subject that resonates with your interests. Take a look at the University of Chicago courses that will give you college credit. My son’s summer course there consisted of Grad student & other university students (only 1 other high school student in his class). He had a great time in the planned activities for the HS students and exploring Chicago. Plus, for him it was very exciting being invited to the professor’s home for class discussion parties. Gave him a good taste of college life.</p>
<p>My daughter has been riding horses since first grade. She has used her love for riding to cross over into her volunteer work and Ecs.</p>
<p>She has taught moderately to severely handicapped children how to ride and care for horses every summer for 2 weeks (all day camp) since middle school at a therapeutic riding ranch.</p>
<p>I am just using my daughter as an example for using what you love to do to inspire you in your volunteer work…</p>