Which Summer Programs Do Colleges Like to See?

Part #2: Travel Programs

Teen tour to Alaska? Mission trip to Costa Rica? Challenging hike through the Rockies?

Which has the most value?

The teen tour offers the exciting experience of seeing a striking new landscape, learning about the habitats of animals and indigenous cultures as well as greater environmental issues. Before my students leave, regardless of the destination, I tell them to keep their eyes, ears, and minds open. For many, the trips are purely social. But the tour is not a bad choice, just a missed opportunity for those unready to appreciate it.

The well-intended mission trip often spurs the classic clichéd essay: (“We went there to help poor people, but they wound up helping us when our bus broke down. I learned how fortunate I am…”) However, students who genuinely care about a specific mission’s purpose can learn how the environment and economics and politics (think supply chain) impact every aspect of people’s lives in the developing world. Students can get in touch with their power to help, as well as their powerlessness in complicated situations. They can observe how people problem solve with few resources, sometimes more successfully than those with more advantages. Best of all, students on mission trips can create relationships that transcend a language barrier and last longer than a summer.

What about an adventure trip that challenges both bodies and minds? An activity that benefits the student alone may result in a personal triumph. But when students team up, share tasks, and depend on one another for safety on a perilous hike, they bond in an intimate way that makes the joys of the experience unforgettable. These character-building personality traits put students in touch with their strength, vulnerability, and place in the universe.

Summer travels can enlighten students and spark powerful essays and interviews. It’s all about readiness and depth of engagement.

Which Summer Programs Do Colleges Like to See?

Part #1: Academic Programs

Parents often ask me me this question.

First off, summer programs that do not require acceptance are no more valuable than summer jobs, which help students earn money rather than cause parents to spend it. Jobs teach students valuable skills: independence, how to deal professionally with people of all ages, on-the-spot problem solving, time management, and sometimes mastering new technology. The opportunity to see how a business is run and even come up with creative suggestions to present to an open-minded supervisor is better stiil. Over the years, these experiences have yielded many engaging Common App personal statements and college-specific supplemental essays.

But there is a prevailing belief that a summer program, especially at a college, is better. These programs, while housed at colleges, are usually not connected to them, thus not enhancing chances of admissions (with a few exceptions). So while I don’t agree that pay-to-play programs, which are those that do not admit students based on their credentials and application, grab attention in the admissions office, they can personally benefit students who seek major/career direction while in high school, or those who have interests they would like to foster. The best programs allow students to produce something, which may include research, design, writing, working with a group on a presentation, or videos. Programs that are more passive (listening to speakers and lecturers, touring) have less value; students would do better to learn about a topic of interest by taking a free or inexpensive online course. Colleges are impressed by students who have academic curiosity, and with an online course, the point is developing knowledge.

If you want to choose a program with an eye towards admission, read about what happens in it. Choose one that is project-based. There’s still plenty of time for summer fun and exploration! Next week, I’ll focus on travel programs.

New test dates for the SAT and ACT

Outside of the U.S., all future SATs are in the new digital adaptive format. However, SAT will change to the adaptive digital format in the US starting in spring 2024. It is hard to prepare for both forms of the SAT. Colleges might superscore between the two formats or not, but we don't know for sure yet.

Sophomores in the US should plan ahead. As a general rule, those who next fall will be in Pre-Calc or a higher level of math should plan to take the ACT or the old format of the SAT in the fall of 2023. Those in Algebra 2 or a lower math level should take the ACT or the new digital SAT in the spring of their junior year. However, we know that most students achieve their highest scores in the spring of junior year or summer of senior year. That's why there is no pat answer and I will advise my students one at a time.

It's smart to take a mock exam of both SAT formats as well as the ACT test to compare which is right for you.

https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/practice-preparation/practice-tests

https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/digital/digital-practice-preparation/practice-tests/bluebook

Students working with me can access free SAT (current) and ACT tests. Free ACT tests are available online from many sites.