HOW SUMMER PROGRAMS CAN BOOST COLLEGE APPLICATIONS

BY JANICE HALLER

ummer programs are a great way to explore new interests, follow your passion, and make new friends. You can participate online or in-person; stay overnight, or just attend during the day. You can experience a summer in the woods, in the middle of the ocean, or in the hallowed halls of some of the finest academic institutions in the world.

But a question remains: will a summer program boost your chances on your college application? If so, how? What kind of summer program should you look for? How can you use your experience to make you stand out?

Summer Programs Can Help Your College Application

Yes, summer programs can help your college application. But how it can help is up to the applicant and the school they’re applying to. Kate Sonnenberg from KS College Success emphasized that “the program itself matters less than what they learn about themselves and how they grow from the summer experience – whether it’s domestic or international service, a pre-college academic program, or an internship…”

However, she made it clear that “students must do things that interest them for the intrinsic benefit because it is always impossible to predict what will ‘move the needle’ in college admissions.” In fact, the biggest takeaway students and their families should walk away with is that “[a] ny growth experience is a good experience, as long as the student can explain it to colleges in their application.”

“Growth” is a constant running theme in college admissions. No matter the year or the incoming freshman class, college admission boards across the country want to know how their future graduates grew or will grow into their own on campus. However what is considered growth and meaningful isn’t a “one size fits all” situation. Growth depends on the individual, their interests, and their personal shortcomings.

Summer Academy: Join the conversation by reading great books at St. John’s College!

ANNAPOLIS SUMMER ACADEMY

June 23-29

Sight & Insight: A week with Socrates

June 30-July 6 Consciousness and Mind: Examination of the mind in works of literature, philosophy, and science

July 7-13

Order & Disorder: Patterns in mathematics, systems of government, laws of nature

SANTA FE SUMMER ACADEMY

July 7-13

July 14-20

July 21-27

Beginnings: Inquiring into the origins of politics, poetry, and mathematics

Civil Disobedience: Understanding the relationship between the one and the many

Love and Friendship: Austen and Aristotle; human goodness, virtue, and the relationships that bind us together

ONLINE SUMMER ACADEMY

June 24-28

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

The Odyssey by Homer

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Symposium by Plato

Additionally, Ms. Sonnenberg points out that students can use summer programs as a chance to push “themselves out of their comfort zone” and to be “in community with others” as a way to show growth and the positive impact they had on others.

Dr. Eric Endlich, founder of Top College Consultants, suggests you can also use summer programs as a chance to get a sneak peek of what college life could be like. You can attend your dream college’s pre-college program where you can live on campus and socialize with other, like-minded students. While attending a college’s precollege program does not give you an automatic “in” that school, it does show colleges that you are serious about taking the next step to higher education.

The experts agree: summer programs can make a meaningful and positive impact on your college applications. So how do you make sure it comes through?

How You Mention Your Summer Program Matters

There are many ways you can mention your summer program in your college application. Dr. Endlich points out that platforms like Common App or the UC Application ask you to list activities you participated in during high school. This can be “a great place to spell out how many hours you spent in the program and what you accomplished,” but the space is limited.

Not every college or university conducts interviews for incoming freshmen. If you do get an interview, then you have a chance to mention your summer program. However, Dr. Endlich and Ms. Sonnenberg both emphasize that it’s important to mention your summer experience if it is related to the question. Whether it’s an oral interview or an essay, it’s important to focus on answering the question and finding a natural way to mention your experience.

WHAT TYPES OF SUMMER PROGRAMS WILL BOOST MY COLLEGE APPLICATION?

While everyone hopes for a clear answer, the truth is that the program that will “boost” a student’s application is wholly dependent on the student.

For example, Dr. Endlich points out that students who are applying to a program that requires a portfolio (like art school) will want to look for a summer program that can improve their portfolio. He also mentions that students who have a field of study in mind, like becoming a physician, may want to see out programs that do a “deeper dive” into that field. Taking a pre-med program for high school students can indicate a long term commitment to your future.

In general, if you are eyeing a highly selective college or university, then summer programs with admissions requirements are considered more favorably. This would be a pre-college program that has an application, essay, letters of recommendation, high school transcript, or some combination of those requirements, and not all students that apply get accepted.

Three Ways Summer Programs Can Help Your College Application

College admissions experts Kate Sonneberg and Dr. Eric Endlich have weighed in. What are their key insights and advice?

1. Pick a summer program that can give you insight and a headstart on the next stage. If you need to build up your portfolio or get a sneak peek at life in your future career, then find a summer program that can do exactly that.

2. Don’t force it; mention your summer program if/when it comes up naturally. Whether it’s in an interview, activities list, or an essay, make sure your summer program is mentioned in a way that isn’t forceful. It is a part of your application and not the focus. For example, you could describe your leadership, conflict resolution, or other skills and how the summer program you attended helped you to develop them.

3. Selective summer programs are great, but you need to show growth in the end. While selective programs are indicators to colleges with low acceptance rates, it is not the biggest requirement. Showing that the program resulted in greater selfawareness and personal growth is what matters.

TeenLife’s Summer Program section is a great place to begin your search for a best fit program. Start by choosing several interests to explore and then use the remaining filters to narrow down the options. Then, when you have 2 to 4 good options, reach out to the programs for more information. We strongly encourage you to ask to speak to a past participant before making a final decision.

Get a glimpse of what’s to come.

Pre-College Programs at BU

Choose from 5 exciting options:

High School Honors

Take undergraduate courses and earn up to 8 college credits (six weeks)

Research in Science & Engineering (RISE)

Pursue scientific research at a highly ranked research university (six weeks)

Academic Immersion (AIM)

Focus intensively on psychology, medicine, business, or creative writing (three weeks)

Summer Challenge

Explore two subjects of your choice and experience college life (two weeks)

Summer Preview

Delve into one subject of your choice and preview the college experience (one week)

Programs take place in June, July, and August. Learn more at bu.edu/summer/highschool/teenlife.

By AMEYALI CASAÑAS Global Leadership Academy

I chose to participate in the Global Leadership Academy because for me it was the best summer camp of those I had reviewed. Then, when I attended for the second time, this was because I loved my first time there. I wanted to experience it again so I could be able to learn more about myself in a moment where I felt lost, which helped me a lot.

I decided because of the schedule and activities that took place in it, as well as the fact that they give you the opportunity to actually help your own community with a project. It was a great opportunity for me to do something to make a difference because I've always felt that spirit of service in me! I got to do that while connecting with teenagers around the globe, and I was also getting to know a beautiful country and living amazing experiences with incredible people.

A typical day starts with getting ready for breakfast and getting to know your roommates. After that we have our morning coffee (not coffee, actually a game!) and then the amazing activities start. It depends on the day because they are all different, but for example the first morning we had lots of activities to get to know each other. Then it’s lunch, then we have another block of activities where you have a lot of fun, either on or off the campus! Believe me, you never get bored! Every activity is made to make you learn and while doing that have fun. After that we have dinner, by the way the food is always really tasty. Then we have the last block of activities, followed by free time, where you can either play, talk to your parents, hang out with your friends, dance, read, and so on. Finally we have lights out at 10 pm, to have a good sleep to get ready for the next day!! Overall, each day is different and awesome, you get to know people from a lot of countries and backgrounds.

The most memorable moment of the program was when my home group and I did our service challenge, which was a fundraiser about protecting the environment and letting people know about this problem that concerns us all. At the beginning we didn't know what direction our service challenge was taking, but at the end, with the help of the staff as well as our ideas as a group and the good atmosphere that we created to work together, we made the service challenge an amazing experience. We learned, had fun, challenged ourselves, and obtained really good results, and lifetime friendships, and experiences. I also loved the creation of everyone's Dream Projects, seeing my home group members working on their passions and ending up with amazing projects. I also loved getting to know different cultures!

If you are considering the Global Leadership Academy, I can tell you: Go for it! You won't regret it, believe me. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience! GLA helped me in the process of gaining confidence in myself, knowing my potential, as well as my purpose in life. I truly learned the power of teamwork. Plus, I also learned strategies to use these abilities that I have to develop a project where I can help my community and how to apply the strategies. GLA allows you to find your passions as well as get inspired by others. It helps you build your future in an amazing and positive way! You learn how powerful you are and the impact you have on those around you.

By BRYANAH HOUSTIN Boston Leadership Institute: Intro

to Surgery

I took Intro to Surgery, described by BLI as a one-week medical program that introduces students to basic surgical skills, such as surgical knot tying and suturing. It allows us to translate these skills to mock surgeries. Students focus on cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery bypass grafting. Students additionally complete, in groups, a slideshow presentation involving cardiothoracic diseases and their surgical treatments. They will then practice their presenting skills as they present their work to the rest of the class. They learn skills that will aid them in the process of applying to and succeeding in pre-med and medical programs in their futures.

During my time attending the BLI Intro to Surgery program, I feel that it impacted me in many ways. I learned skills early on that I otherwise would have had to learn further in my academic career. I was taught verbal study hacks by my amazing instructors. These helped me not only remember the materials better but also how to be more attentive. Overall, I learned skills that will help me down the road to further my education and lead me to be the surgeon I one day hope to become. I was able to perform mock surgeries such as a gastric bypass and a CABG as well as learn and apply many different suture techniques that I still practice today. I was also taught the proper way to check someone's blood pressure.

This skill enabled me to be able to check my dad’s blood pressure when needed, which I was unable to do prior to my BLI experience. Being involved in hands-on learning helped me understand and physically see what I was learning to prepare me for the work I will be executing in the future. Apart from the medical skills I took part in, I learned how to be a leader and the importance of collaboration skills. I learned how to work together when in groups/duos and listen to other people's thoughts and ideas. I gained the ability to better my public speaking when presenting my own ideas to my peers. All in all, I learned leadership skills that I now apply to my everyday life. I am involved in multiple clubs at my school, some of which I lead to excel in the community and accomplish great goals. I am forever grateful and blessed that I had the opportunity to learn such amazing things at BLI.

By MEGAN VU

Future Physicians of America

In my quest to pursue a future as a physician, I actively sought opportunities to strengthen my foundations in clinical research while recognizing the significance of collaboration. I specifically chose FPA because ) it was the only high school program I found that guaranteed my being able to perform and actually publish my clinical research and 2) its focus on interactive learning.

While teaching me important skills such as advanced cardiac life support, reading an EKG, and managing traumatic wounds, FPA also helped me apply those skills. In fact, my fondest memory was the medical simulation in which we had to resuscitate a mannequin that was actively trying to die on us! This experience accurately represented the urgency of the situation, with the stressful beeping and ominous EKG tracings demanding us to make life-saving decisions on the spot.

But FPA wasn't limited to performing CPR. I also learned suturing, splinting, point of care ultrasonography, endotracheal intubation, intraosseous access, using an AED, performing a neurologic exam and draining an abscess.

Another huge highlight of FPA was the opportunity to learn how to write a medical paper. The faculty taught me how to perform my own clinical research, including data collection and statistical analysis. I was able to publish 3 papers in PubMed indexed journals by the time I sent in my Early Decision application to Brown PLME.

A typical day at FPA usually starts off with a lecture, introducing the new knowledge and techniques. Then, the second half of the session is devoted to putting into practice what we learned. And, it's okay to mess up! The faculty provided a comforting, stress-free environment that actively promotes learning. (Thank goodness because I can't sew sutures for my life).

Finding good pre-med summer programs can be hard, but a good starting point is to consider your preferred learning methods. For me, I learn best by lectures and hands-on methods. I loved the interactiveness of the faculty, and their ability to break down the complex material. There was a ton of learning, but the small class size made for a lot of engaging discussion, so I also had a lot of fun. And, I also tend to mess up a lot, so the welcoming environment of FPA was a great fit for me.

I cannot overstate how great FPA was for me. Because FPA provided me with a solid foundation, I can confidently pursue my academic goals at Brown University as a 1st year PLME student.