<p>I do not have the means necessary to attend a summer camp at a prestigious university. I looked for a job, but couldn't find one, but am still looking. What do I write down? I mean, all I did this summer was visit colleges, do a bit of reading, and play tennis.</p>
<p>Volunteer work? Job shadows?</p>
<p>Well, I guess you would tell them that you looked for a job, visited colleges, read, and played tennis. And don’t worry about not attending an expensive summer camp, colleges aren’t impressed by expensive summer camps. All it shows is that your family has money.</p>
<p>be honest about what you did. Not that many 17 year olds are saving orphans in Darfur or enrolled in pricy summer sessions at Columbia. What they really want to know is when time is yours to spend, did you sit on your butt in front of a TV or did you do something productive?</p>
<p>I seriously question if you score any points by saying you attended a summer camp. In my opinion, most of the ones for the “gifted” are open to anyone with money, and the admissions officers are fully aware of it. Even without a job, you can volunteer, or intern somewhere for no money, but just for the experience.</p>
<p>I don’t just sit on my butt. I’ve been playing lots of tennis. Tennis has been my main passion and love of my life.</p>
<p>Well then, that sounds like the perfect thing to put on your app.</p>
<p>I’m worried about that too, especially since I was very active my summer before junior year (full time internship + Habitat for Humanity every Saturday) and now I look like a slacker.
But I think working on your tennis is a great thing, esp. since it’s the “main passion and love of [your] life,” so say that.</p>
<p>:) you spent your time on CC and Facebook</p>
<p>Reading is a great thing to highlight especially if your reading habits take you
on the savory side and less so on a fast-food jaunt. A number of colleges
have optional prompts that ask you to highlight books that you read or
along similar lines.</p>
<p>I’ve been playing so much tennis. I mean, I’ve been thinking about it constantly, playing 15-20+ hours a week, read it, watch it several hours each day it is on, etc.</p>
<p>I just don’t want colleges to think I’m a loser for not volunteering, going to a summer program, etc.</p>
<p>I’ve been reading when I can, and doing summer work and such. I’m going to try and finish a few books before school starts.</p>
<p>Do you compete in tennis or simply play for your own enjoyment? If you are on your HS Varsity Tennis team, then you can say that you’ve been training for your last year of competition on the team.</p>
<p>I play on my school’s varsity tennis team, yes. But now, in the summer, I’m just playing with a few of my friends who enjoy the competition as much as I do.</p>
<p>put what you did that summer.</p>
<p>i have a question, I wrote that I went on a family vacation and attended a summer program haha. I do not want the adcom to get the idea that I am some rich snob (which I am not, family saved up for the trip for a year and summer program wasn’t a Columbia-like one). Should I leave it or change it to other things I did like play sports, volunteer, etc. (don’t have room to put it all)</p>
<p>Write down what you did in the summer before applications. Don’t try to game the system.</p>
<p>anyone else feel lazy this summer and just sit on their couch strumming their guitar like me lol</p>
<p>all ur productiveness makes me look bad :P</p>
<p>be HONEST but try to say focus on the stuff that you did that applies to college admissions (do not talk about how you were a party animal) / stuff that’s very meaningful to you (stuff the admissions committee would like to see)</p>