There are several ways in which a student can spend a productive vacation during the June to August break. While every teen needs some down time to relax, read, catch up on sleep, meet friends and be with extended family, the six weeks of freedom sometimes becomes too long for both the idle student and the busy parent. Depending upon the activity, NOW may be the time to make plans. Some of these activities require applications with teacher references, grades and other documentation.
Attending a summer course or camp in North America or Europe, performing worthwhile community service in a project that takes commitment, working a part-time job whether paid or unpaid, or undertaking learning a new skill, sport, language, or musical instrument are all wonderful options. Any of these activities offer opportunities for growth on a personal level and enhance the profile of the student applying to university, and even for jobs later on.
Summer courses or pre-college courses of several kinds are popular. Students may look for an enrichment course in a topic of interest, an academic course in a specific subject, a college or SAT preparation course, a career exploration course or a remediation course for a difficult subject. Ideally, a summer course will offer residency on the campus and supervised extra activities or excursions will be available in the evening or weekends to complement the academic classes. Some of our EA students have chosen to participate in language/culture courses in Europe and some have gone to sports training camps in the U.S. or Brazil.
While many options can be found by checking the Peterson’s Guide to Summer Opportunities for Teenagers at www.petersons.com , or surfing www.mysummercamps.com , there are also resources available with the Counselfing Offices of both the Middle and Upper Schools. One may also check online for pre-college courses offered by specific universities that are of interest to them or by the subject area or prospective career interest. A wealth of information available on the internet.
The benefit of a good experience during the long vacation has been a definite plus for some students in their application process to competitive universities. Admissions counselors ask, “How did this student spend his/her high school summers?” This question is also often asked in college interviews. Seeking an adventure that provides a learning environment on one level, and expands one’s repertoire of personal experience, brings immense value to the long vacation days.
Kristine Werner, College Counselor
