Hi! I got into two summer programs one being volunteering at a hospital and the other being “Girls who code” I don’t mind doing either activities and I can’t do both which one should I do
this is girls who code:https://girlswhocode.fluidreview.com/
and this is the hospital: http://health.maimonidesmed.org/Main/Volunteer.aspx
Both look good. I’d let your career interests drive you. If you think you want a career in medicine, try that out with the hospital. If you are thinking about tech or engineering, go with the coding one. You may find your interest in whatever you pick is heightened, or that it isn’t for you after all. Either way is okay. For me, I think the coding one sounds more fun – but that is just me.
@reddumplings Impossible to answer which camp is better for you in the absence of information regarding your experiences so far, your future goals, and other opportunities for your summer. If you want a thoughtful response, please provide this kind of information. In general, I advocate experiences which stretch your preconceptions, challenge your assumptions, grow your capabilities and expose you to people, places and points outside of your comfort zone.
The preoccupation with the prestige and selectivity of summer programs, as evidenced by the intense discussions on other summer activity threads on CC, is misplaced. The top schools look beyond the superficial trappings of summer programs to explore the context of the experience and how much value the student gleaned from the experience, be it jetting off to a developing country to build a school or cleaning toilets in a modest retirement home down the street. Ask yourself, what new information would a student convey to admissions officers by getting into an elite summer program? Are the data redundant with what the student will convey on the Common Application (GPA, class rank, etc.) or do the data reveal something about the student’s character and capability that wouldn’t be obvious from their Common Application? Sometimes, the main piece of information the student conveys by getting into a prestige program is the willingness and ability of the student’s parents to pay for such programs. Which might help the student get into schools which place importance on ability to pay. But the top schools which tend to be well-funded can afford to relegate the ability to pay criterion to minor importance in favor of character and capability.
I would pick Girls Who Code. You can volunteer with a hospital during the school year or on your weekends. My sister already went to her “meet and greet” and fell in love with the program. It appears many of the skills you learn in GWC will follow you long-term and the connections you make with the other girls might come in handy in the future. It is an experience few will ever have. I’m being very biased towards GWC, but coding is very fun and empowering!