DS does beta testing for various tech companies from home ie they send us the products (like NEST thermostats, photo scanner, air freshener linked to NEST) etc… and they give him gift cards and also they let him keep some products (he got 2 NEXT thermostats each is worth $200+). Can he show them as work experience on college apps and also writing it as a unique skill? He doesn’t have any other paid work experience. He is also teaching chemistry to some students but again no pay.
Dd has spent her summer working on a book translation that she is also illustrating. Her Russian teacher wants her to try to get it published. We were just going to self-publish. Her Russian teacher wants to send it to someone she knows to see what she thinks of her translation. We will make a decision how to proceed after that.
Pitt: We stayed at the Wyndham on campus and it was super convenient for both Pitt and CMU. The Pitt Admissions office is right behind the hotel so making it there at 9:00 AM was no problem. We also ate at the Porch and it’s fine and easy to walk to from the hotel. If you want to drive into town Gaucho Parrilla Argentina is a great, not fancy Argentinian place.
Games: Exploding Kittens is the new fave. We’ve played a lot of Munchkins in the past and the various Catans.
Talked with S17 yesterday for the first time in two weeks. (He comes home tomorrow.) He was all sad that yesterday was his last day of camp as a camper. He was on trail for 11 days, a 100 miles of hiking. 
He’s full of plans to apply as a counselor for next year & feels fairly certain that they will want him. I have no idea if this is realistic or youthful optimism. But i’m glad he has a plan already for next summer.
Buying a car today. Picked it out yesterday, got all the paperwork just have to get everyone in the room that needs to sign it in the right place. It’s an “econobox” mostly for D12 to drive but S17 is pleased because it means he will be able to keep borrowing my car when he needs it. In reality we do family cars & trade around who drives what as needed, but 4 drivers and 2 cars was going to cut it this year. And I’m happy because I won’t need to become and unpaid uber driver nor have my kids bickering about who has the car the time. It’s going to be a tough year with DS in his last year of H.S. & my daughter moved home. We have made trade-off, we don’t have a large home but do have $$ saved for college. So this year we will be on top of each other.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek, your d’s experience could make her jump out of page to colleges. 
@srk2017, that is neat that your ds is a beta tester. I think it’s an unique skill and having adult-level responsibility is always great. I am not sure if that is called work or not. My d had to fill out forms (can’t remember if it was W2) for her stipend.
D is a swim instructor. She works for our large, club swim team, at one of their three smaller auxiliary pools in their pre-competitive lesson program. Most days she’s in the water teaching but some days she’s the supervisor. This is her second year teaching there and she loves it.
Foreign language- she took Spanish 1A/1B in 7/8 grade and 2, 3, and 4 through junior year. She got a 5 on the IB SL exam and a 3 on the AP exam. So passing, but not stellar. She originally wanted to take the 5th year and take the IB HL and second AP lit test but last year realized that was not going to happen. We went to Spain for Thanksgiving week her Sophomore year and Chile her junior year. Both trips made me wish she could hAve done more time abroad. The difference between being in the classroom is amazing.
Poll: Did your ‘17 child spend the summer
A. At a summer program offered at a local college - ** no **
B. At a summer program offered at a college away from home - ** no **
C. Traveling - mission trip, etc. ** DS went on a "school’ sponsored trip our of the country with a teacher & classmates for 10 days. Had a blast. (I’m purposely being vague.) **
D. Summer school (local or online at home) - ** no **
E. Working - ** no **
F. Hanging out with friends ** no **
G. Other (please specify) ** Wilderness Summer camp for a month where he was a CIT (Councilor in Training). **
He will still be doing AP homework, taking online health & 2 week of band camp before school starts.
@4beardolls From your keyboard to adcoms to ears! I really do hope so.
I worry bc she has so few ECs from 10th and 11th bc she was sick. For scholarships that want heavy ECs and leadership roles, she is extremely weak. If they value the type of leadership which is demonstrated by students owning their own lives and designing their own educations and taking charge of their path, she will be a strong candidate.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek …I completely understand what you are saying. My S is a great student…super good kid yet doesn’t really have any community service other than tutoring math this year. He has no time for community service with…band…UIL competitions…honors classes…dual credit classes during the school year. Where do you find the time? Summer he has been to 2 camps…UIL Math camp and LEAD camp next week…Band camp and worked. Summer time is crazy busy for him. I told him that if that stopped him from getting in a college or getting a scholarship then so be it. We are doing the best we can.
@2muchquan ND kept them well entertained. A few examples, a trip to Chicago, ice-skating, bonfire, and a dance party.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek We can only hope that there are schools who still value that type of leadership. And if a school doesn’t choose your daughter it’s their loss. Around here there is so much “fake” leadership from H.S. kids that I would think your daughter’s strengths would look refreshing.
- One example of fake leadership is starting a club that meets only twice a year, so that you can write your were the president of a club on your college apps.
D’s big leadership role is kind of oddball and will take some time to describe. Her high school Girl Scout troop goes to a competition every year where they camp on the beach. At the competition they tie knots, sail, kayak, swim, take tests on various nautical topics, march in formation, do signal flags, sing nautical songs, and so on. She was the team captain Jr year and will be again this year. She coordinates practices and meetings and assigns the events to the girls. It’s a pretty big job. The title is GAM OD. Gathering of all Mariners. Officer on Deck.
Poll: Did your '17 child spend the summer
A. At a summer program offered at a local college [color=red]NO[/color=red]
B. At a summer program offered at a college away from home [color=red]NO[/color=red]
C. Traveling - mission trip, etc. [color=blue]only for visiting colleges and the bridge tourney[/color=blue]
D. Summer school (local or online at home) [color=red]NO[/color=red]
E. Working [color=blue]yes - mostly paperwork at our business[/color=blue]
F. Hanging out with friends [color=blue]YES - thanks to Pokemon Go[/color=blue]
G. Other (please specify) [color=blue]volunteered at a summer camp teaching physics, outreach with his FRC team, worked on the CA essay, finally finishing up requirements for Eagle Scout, spending way too much time playing games both on the computer and in person, being a typical teen and not saving the world[/color=blue]color=green[/color=green]
A. At a summer program offered at a local college No
B. At a summer program offered at a college away from home No
C. Traveling - mission trip, etc. Spent 4 weeks in Germany this summer as part of an exchange student program
D. Summer school (local or online at home) No. In past years, we got some text books from the school on loan for the summer and the kids would review for the coming year. My son did a lot more of that than my daughter. He sometimes would be halfway through the year by time the school year started
E. Working No
F. Hanging out with friends Lots
G. Other (please specify) Has volunteered at an animal shelter Saturday mornings for about 3 years now. Rides horses once a week. Takes flute lessons. Band camp will start in a couple weeks with squad leaders reporting early.
** Leadership: ** As I write this post my son is ** leading ** a group of his friends on a Pokemon hunt. Does that count as leadership? Is there a place for this in the Common App?
My son’s only leadership role is being a CIT at camp. He didn’t end up taking any official leadership roles in band nor in the one club he’s involved in. So I’m counting on the fact that he’s been working in leadership role with younger kids.
@VickiSoCal I would count the G.S. as leadership. It’s just how to fit it in & write it out. (I was a leader with them for years & am still involved still volunteering twice a year) Anyway for her to get a leadership pin or badge for her work? A title for her job? I’ve not kept up with all the recent changes in what you need to do to get various pins & badges. This will make it easier to put on a college app.
@STEAM2017 LOL. He should start a H.S. Pokemon club and he can be the president, add a few friends as other officers. And they all get leadership credit. 
@stem2017 If your son is able to catch all of the Pokemon by app time I’d say that was significant achievement.
That would be a funny EC to tack onto a resume somewhere. I’m sure the admittance office would have to at least chuckle when they read that.
Her title is Officer on Deck. I think she might qualify for the leadership torch pin, she should check. She’s got the 20 hour service pin at every level as well.
They always say that colleges are looking to assemble a well rounded class. So they can’t possibly want an all-type A-leaders class. I can’t imagine that would be a place anyone wants to be.
Just from the last few posts, one ecology/animal researcher, one beta tester, one Russian book translator and illustrator, one band kid, one GAM OD, one Pokémon hunter (and others I may not have included), it looks like we are assembling a great class together!