What Should I do this Summer?
What should high school students do in the summer?
There is a lot of anxiety around this question, so let’s frame it with our objectives. There are always two questions in play:
1) What should I do for my personal development?
2) What will help me look attractive to colleges?
I urge all my students to think about pursuits first from a personal development perspective and second from a college admissions perspective. Moreover, the first question will by its nature take care of the answer to the second question. The activities that enrich you will add to your college portfolio because they will present a picture of you that is a story the admissions committee can understand. So, ask yourself, what is my story, and how do I want to write it? Knowing the answer to that will help you decide how to spend your time this summer.
What if I need to work or take care of family members this summer?
Sometimes teens have more than their own welfare to consider: many kids need to earn money for the future or even to support their family in the present. Families also may rely on teens to help care for grandparents or younger siblings and cousins. All of these are important roles, and they are a huge positive on the college application. The Common App activities list includes line items for paid work and family responsibilities, and my experience is that colleges look favorably on students who step up to help financially and otherwise. See Which High School Activities Really Matter for College Admissions for more on filling out the activities list.
Should I pay for a pre-college summer program?
Generally, no, but specifically, sometimes. We parents often feel the need to spend thousands of dollars on summer programs to fill the summer months because we think the programs impress college admissions officers. That’s not a good reason for enrolling in these programs because most of these are not in themselves impressive. A rule of thumb is that if you are paying a lot of money, an admissions committee isn’t impressed by the program just by the fact of it.
What is a good reason is if the program itself offers learning or enrichment that builds on a student’s interest in a unique way. Just taking a pre-college program at Columbia over the summer is not itself building a case for admission to an Ivy league college. On the other hand, taking summer after summer of accelerating coursework at a college to prepare for pre-med courses can make sense for the right student, especially if she is coupling it with real-world learning, like volunteering as a junior EMT.
Other programs that can be useful are those for developing special skills in, for instance, music, such as at a summer program at Berklee or NYU, or portfolio development for art or architecture.
CTK College Coach Pro Tip: Students can make connections with faculty at these specialized programs, though do your research, as some schools hire adjunct faculty for the summer who will have no real connection to the college admissions process.
Does it matter that the school offering the program is “elite” or in the Ivy League?
Some summer programs that are held at selective colleges are themselves selective and may carry weight in the admissions process. These programs include the Stanford summer math camp and MITES at MIT. In most cases, though, you should consider the merits of the program much more heavily than the location at which it is held. In fact, many summer programs are run by third party vendors that simply use the host space and are not otherwise affiliated with the college.
What if I need a break this summer?
Please take a break if you need one! Life is long, we hope, and it requires periods of rest. Ideally kids aren’t just hanging out watching YouTube all summer, but taking a break from academics to try out a new skill or work a job is a great way to take a vacation from the typical pace of life. One of my favorite types of summer activities is when students travel to their parent’s home country. They pick up language skills, deepen family relationships, and learn to appreciate a whole other way of experiencing the world.
How do I demonstrate my interest/experience in a particular academic subject?
Think about the summer plan in the context of what you want to do next. If you have a specific area of interest, academically or otherwise, this is an ideal time of year to dive deeper as you write the story you want an admissions office to read. You can take a course at a community college, volunteer, or create your own program. I have seen students do lots of creative things, and I think colleges are particularly impressed with self starters. Take these ideas for example:
Planning to pursue teaching? Start a summer camp with friends to serve local families
Are you entrepreneurial or have a special area of interest? Volunteer or run a business to teach younger students using your special skill (coding, music, soccer, etc.)
Do you want to serve your community and even build your work portfolio?
Make a weekly or monthly commitment to a local food pantry– even better, use your social media skills to help coordinate and promote the work of the place where you volunteer.
Start a business to raise money for a cause you care about
Use your Girl Scouts Gold or Boy Scouts Eagle project to serve a need that matters to you
Are you interested in studying history or politics? Canvas for a local election or volunteer for a local candidate’s office
Are you pursuing a particular technical major? Get ahead and gain skills on your own or through coursework: build that drone in your garage, teach yourself a new coding language, or work at your local department of public works to gain construction skills.
Whatever you do, do what matters to you, and don’t be afraid to pursue your own path. The ideas above are just a jumping off point. Get out there and live your best life, through work, service, personal development, or helping your family.
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