<p>It is important to do something with your summers, but expensive programs and camps certainly aren’t required. Working is well respected, and volunteering is good, too. Travelling or getting involved in community service can give you experiences to highlight in your essays. </p>
<p>For me, summer activities definitely gave me a boost in college apps. They also helped me decide what sort of colleges to apply to and what majors to consider. I went to a selective NASA program in Puerto Rico (free), a chem seminar at Columbia (expensive), and I picked up some college credits at Colorado College (cheaper than my regular college credits will be and a pretty good preview of LAC life). This summer I’ll be working.</p>