internships - Tips on Trips and Camps

Often I speak with parent’s of high schoolers who want help finding a summer experience that will “look good” on their child’s resume and translate to something positive on college applications. Which experience, they want to know, will be best for that? Community Service? Language Immersion? Classes on a college campus?

This is in interesting question and the reality is complex. What college advisors have shared with me is if a child has a passion and chooses a summer experience in the field of that passion, it can demonstrate commitment and devotion which is generally well received by schools. An example of that would be a medical internship or one in photography or cooking particularly if this in an area that the student volunteers in during the school year. A one summer stab at photography, for example, will not be as beneficial if it is not in the context of an ongoing passion.

However in my experience both with my own children and the families with whom I consult, any summer experience can offer a plethora of topics that can translate into that infamous college essay. Not the “How I Spent My Summer” type of essay but rather the slice of life events that resulted in a student having a better understanding of who they are and how their life experience fits the bigger picture. One of my son’s who was on a community service program in Costa Rica described the moment he understood a joke in Spanish and was able to participate in the retelling.

So can a summer program help in college admission? Maybe yes, maybe no, but expanding a student’s exposure to new and different experiences can certainly be broadening, and if they look it just might offer a topic for their college essay.

When both camper and parent realize that the camp experience is no longer challenging, the question is what’s next and what is it’s value?

There are quite a few options to explore: academic studies on a college campus, teen tours, wilderness adventures, sailing, language immersion, internships and more. Although different in purpose and content, all the experiences share some common characteristics exploring different levels of independence and challenging a child’s decision-making skills.

Your child now becomes part of the decision-making process when taking part in group decisions – it may not go their way.

They have an opportunity to make personal choices – do I go here or there, do this or that, or do I go with my friends.

Keeping track of personal belongings, especially if they are traveling, is a challenge. No one is picking up after them.

Learning the tricks of doing laundry is eye opening. For many, this is the first time they may realize that clothes don’t come out of the machine folded!

Keeping a budget for the duration of the trip often initiates the question, “ Do I really need that? Will I have money left for……”

Confronting social dilemmas if they arise, and deciding on behavioral choices that may or may not be popular is a huge challenge. The social decision making component is often a life changer. Sometimes mistakes are made and consequences follow. In other situations, teens learn about themselves and their convictions carving out their personality and molding their values.

Whatever the experience, whether glitz and glam or rugged to the bone, all situations offer the opportunity for your child to take on responsibility and challenge their decision making skills….. all while having a great time!

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