Hello,
I am an immigrant to this country and not aware how the system works here. For my D26 we only applied for a few summer programs not knowing how competitive they are. She did not get into any of the program. I am seeking guidance as to what should she plan for the summer for her to make the best use of the time.
She is still undecided on where she wants to head as a career path, so all options are open including medical, engineering and business etc. I was hoping a summer program will give her some insight into a particular pathway and help her make the decision.
Any guidance is appreciated.
Thanks!
Getting a normal summer job is often a great idea, including because it is a typically an excellent opportunity to learn something about a business.
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Taking classes at a nearby community or 4 yr public college can help with exploring interests.
There are some less selective summer programs that she could apply to for next summer. Those are great for helping them figure out their interests. For example, Michigan Tech hosts a bunch of different summer courses for high schoolers. And Rose-Hulman operation catapult isn’t super selective – my kid did this one, enjoyed it, and it really helped him narrow down his interests (realized he didn’t want to focus on computers).
For this summer, she can get a regular job. That’s a fantastic way for a kid to spend the summer. Start the process now, before the school year ends and all the jobs are taken. Take your kid around to a bunch of places and go in and ask if they’re hiring and what the application process is. Then guide her through the process of submitting the apps this week, and then help her practice for her interviews. I bet she’ll get something. In our community, the places that hire a lot of teens include the grocery stores, some of the restaurants, and nursing homes (they work in food service there). Luckily we live close to stuff and so we could restrict our kids to applying for jobs they can walk to. A job is one of the best ECs an applicant can have. She could also try some job shadowing if she’s considering medicine.
If she continues the job next summer, she could take a couple weeks out to attend an engineering camp or whatever to explore her interests. And taking 1 or 2 summer classes through a local college is great too – mine did that (took a CS class) and it helped him confirm that he didn’t want to focus on computers.