My kid is currently a 9th grader at BS. Before BS, she went to overnight camp, but she aged out. I need to come up with a new summer plan for her. She swims and plays water polo. We will probably sign up for a one-week swim camp and a one-week water polo camp. But, I’m looking for ideas beyond athletics. Any recommendations for summer courses at colleges (Brown, Hopkins) or travel programs? Open to other ideas too.
Since BS students can’t work during the year, a summer job is a great idea. The first year, my son worked as a camp counselor at a local sports camp, and the other 3 years, he worked as a janitor for our local school department. I think as a BS kid, being able to work a “down and dirty” job gave him legitimacy when he started applying for college jobs/internships in a field that required fieldwork with rough conditions.
We’ll never know, but I think there is an assumption about boarding school kids being pampered and I think having a job (especially one like a janitor) gave a better picture of a kid that would work hard.
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My kids didn’t go to boarding school (public school) but all worked part time starting at 14 (had to get working papers) full time during summers (babysitting, tutoring, garden center, restaurant cashiers, lifeguarding, reffing, delivering…). They also worked part time in college, full time summers, and never had any issue getting internships and full time employment after graduation.
DD did summer abroad program after freshman year through her BS, as did DS (4 years later, different school).
i personally favor life-enriching experiences over more classes. Job at local grocer, volunteer (or paid) camp counselor, visits with extended family, etc.
DD was (still is) a swimmer so regular training was always in the mix too.
My kid did a summer sports camp one year (not long, maybe a week or two), traveled with the family, and had a summer job. Many of his friends also had jobs. Kids who could lifeguard were in high demand and as that’s a seasonal job in our region (and every condo complex, health club, public park needed coverage), it worked well with the school schedule. I agree that jobs that are “real world” – like working at a grocery store – are great on a million fronts.
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My kids didn’t do academic type programs as they felt they needed some academic down time. But if she wants a summer program that is fine.
Can your D reach out to her camp and see if they have CIT program? She could also try other day camps in your area. Another idea is to volunteer at a place of interest to her. My S was a CIT at s camp and D volunteered with a non-profit.
While I second the work/volunteer suggestions (my DD has been a server at a nearby retirement community in the summer and will be volunteering with a mobile health clinic), I will also suggest you/your kid reach out to their school to see if they have any suggestions for summer programs. My DD was just emailed a list of summer research/leadership/STEM/art programs, most at universities, that have application deadlines coming up in Jan/Feb. I suspect most BS will have someone who is knowledgeable about summer opportunities (maybe in the college counseling department?) and could help him/her find a program of interest.
Our child worked over each summer - fast food restaurant, office support staff at local business, structured tutoring program. All provided great experiences working with others, taking on various responsibilities and being independent in the workplace, and managing work and other activities (e.g., friends, SAT prep, exercise). They also made some money so not to rely on mom and dad so much during the school year.
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Our bs child has traveled, done summer programs (that they researched and applied for), and worked full-time (they are currently a junior). They will work again this summer at the same place they did last year. The summer program they did that was a really big hit was the Center for American Archeology (that’s how they spell it) summer high school field school. They got a scholarship and it was a fantastic program. Now, this student wants to go into Archaeology/Anthropology so it was a great fit, so it may not be for every student. They also did a cultural program at a Native American reservation last summer through their school that was pretty impactful - and cemented their desire to pursue anthropology.
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I’m reading through these suggestions and realizing I’m a bit behind the curve for my daughter (Class of 2029). Now that it’s late April, some deadlines might have passed.
She has a busy school year, so we aren’t necessarily looking for ‘academic prestige’ as much as a meaningful way to spend 4–6 weeks. Given that she’s a rising sophomore, I’d love some advice on:
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Rolling Admission Programs: Are there any STEM or humanities programs that still have spots open this late?
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Skill-Based Ideas: Since she’ll be looking at more intensive internships/programs in future summers, what are some ‘foundational’ skills she could work on now? (e.g., specific certifications, coding, or life skills like lifeguarding).
Trying to avoid the ‘summer of nothing’ without the stress of a missed deadline…
There may be summer programs looking for help (CIT) this summer - especially day camps near you that align with your D’s interests. While it’s late, it may not be impossible. (My kid’s summer camp let all the older campers test-drive this role during their last summer as campers, and he realized that as much as he loved camp, he didn’t love being responsible for campers, so this fell off his radar.)
I’m not much help with the academic opportunities as my kid preferred to work. He was amazed by how many college interviewers wanted to talk about that!
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Another advocate here for getting a job. My son will be at a small cafe/store as cashier, table waiter and sandwich maker.
He will attend two short camps for his sport, get a driver’s permit, and log driving hours. He wants to make family dinners together and improve his cooking skills. We need a few things properly sanded and painted. He can do that.
It’s a great summer to build life skills. I was amazed to learn how many boarding students don’t get their driver’s license. One family told me there is no need in the age of driverless cars. We had to agree to disagree on that one. There are myriad reasons beyond transportation that a young person should consider learning and practicing the skill.
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I think a job is a great idea. Other than participate in his Scout troop, our son did nothing over his summers besides sleep, fool around, and torture his cat.
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Summer time is a great time to deal with driving lessons and getting the hours in. We were lucky that the driving instructor took a liking to S23 during the week long classroom portion of the class and understood that he attended school 2 hours away. He was very accommodating to prioritizing fitting him in when he was home on vacations. His sister, who was also getting her license, had a much harder time scheduling her on-road lessons and was livid 
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Also have a 9th grader. CIT is a great call, as its tough to get other jobs at that age and it develops great leadership and communication skills. Our plan for this summer is Club sports in June, Summer program at her school in July and music camp for two weeks in August. Thinking there will be more options for work next year, but I suspect the majority of that summer will be music-centric.
FWIW. Good luck.
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