<p>I’m interested in whether you think there appeared to be any interest whatever at the admissions office in how you spent your summer vacations. Did you all save the rainforests or create successful start-up companies, or did you stay home and watch cartoons?</p>
<p>Summer before HS: Spent a month in Paris taking French classes at Alliance Francais
Summer before 10th: Worked at a coffee shop and spent August in Florida with my dad
Summer before 11th: Spent a month in Florida with my dad, worked at a clothing store
Summer before 12th: Worked at clothing store, Yale Summer Program, Continued working</p>
<p>I think they like to see people who actually get out and do something productive over the summer, whether it’s traveling, volunteer work, or just a regular summer job.</p>
<p>to continue the format…</p>
<p>Summer before 10th: Gov. Summer Program in Math
Summer before 11th: Spent my entire summer fixing up an old, crapped-up house that my mom and I later moved into (although I didn’t mention this on my app)
Summer before 12th: Nat. Cancer Inst. internship</p>
<p>ps- I still had plenty of time to watch cartoons :)</p>
<p>Summer before HS: Watched TV, sat around like a couch potato
Summer before 10th: Took summer school (Computer Science)
Summer before 11th: Quiz Bowl camp, Hiking with a bunch of community college kids in the Appalachian mountains, summer school (Pre-Calc)
Summer before 12th: NASA SHARP Research Internship in Los Angeles</p>
<p>I don’t know how important the summer before grade 9, and 10 are. They were spent working out and eating and sleeping and watching tv.</p>
<p>Summer before 11: Summer School (biology), summer rugby, worked out
Summer before 12: French immersion for six weeks</p>
<p>I spent my 4th-8th years at God Camp - worked there linstead of being a camper last summer. I described it as my most important activity and wrote both my essays in relation to it… I think it’s more about doing what you’re called to do. They look for someone comfortable with being themselves, not trying to fit the ‘perfect college student.’</p>
<p>Asterstar-- I wish I’d asked what everyone’s favorite cartoons were!</p>
<p>Liketenthousand – “God Camp” – a generic reference to a Christian camping experience? </p>
<p>I asked this same question on some other university boards. The Harvard responses have been particularly erudite and those students seem to think their summer experiences were probably some factor in their overall admittance decisions.</p>
<p>I had always viewed summer as the one time kids could still be kids and was somewhat horrified when I saw the essay question on S’s application asking how his last two summers had been spent. No cartoons for him, since his athletic commitment ruled out much down time, but also prevented him from indulging in the kind of travel or work experience that other students often enjoy. It made me curious about how others might have answered such questions.</p>
<p>Thanks! And congratulations!</p>
<p>before 9th: student exchange to Japan and basketball
before 10th: six week backpacking through china and basketball and x-country
before 11th: stanford math camp and basketball and x-country
before 12th: nanoscience research internship and x-country</p>
<p>Before 11th: Volunteered at Camp C.A.M.P. (for kids with disabilities), intensive three-day high-end ropes course leadership camp for band
Before 12th: Camp C.A.M.P. again, a little sporadic babysitting, leadership camp again, cured cancer and discovered a parallel universe (just kidding)</p>
<p>I wrote my supplementary essay about an experience I had while volunteering at C.A.M.P. I think it’s not so much exactly what you do, but how it affects you. I fought with my parents about volunteering at CAMP last year; they wanted me to do an internship because they thought it would look better on a college application. I emailed Yale, Harvard, and Stanford admissions asking which would be best, and basically all three schools told me to go with my passion and don’t worry about resume building.</p>
<p>And as a side-note, I still watched countless hours of cartoons, sitcom reruns, and “who’s the father of my baby?” talk shows.</p>