Hi all! I want to ask a question regarding my summer. This summer, when I planned to apply to internships and volunteer at the hospital as I usually do, I found out that our family would be going to Iraq this summer. That’s where I’m from, and my parents are both ecstatic as this is the first time they’ll be going in 15 years (I’ve been once as an infant). I’m really excited too (our flight is in a few days), but now I’m concerned that colleges will be “disappointed” in me for not doing all I could this summer. I obviously have to take a LOA from the hospital for the month and couldn’t apply to internships because most require attendance for the entire duration (which I understand). I’ll only have a month of vacation when I come back, which I plan on using to apply to as many scholarships as I can and write my essays (those new UC prompts, gah). Will colleges view this negatively? It’s kind of hard to explain a summer of doing (what they will see as) nothing in a college application.
I think traveling to your family’s home land is an acceptable way to spend your summer in the eyes of colleges.
@usualhopeful Thank you for your response!
Yeah, it’s cool. Keep a journal–it may come in handy in app essays. Enjoy the trip! @ninemuses
Experiences are what helps with college essays, whether they are by travel or internships. GPA and standardized testing, plus regular extracurriculars (for private institutions) are what really matter.
@marvin100 Thank you very much.
@jackisawesome Thank you for your insight!
I didn’t do anything particularly interesting for most of my summers—I volunteered the summer after freshman year and went to Yale’s summer program the summer after sophomore year and did nothing for the remaining month+, and didn’t do anything the summer after junior year. Still got into a top school. You’ll be fine.
“Discovering my homeland at 16” would be a great essay topic actually.
In any case, no, colleges won’t be “disappointed”. Especially if you can explain why it was important for whole family, what you thought about Iraq before going, what you learned about yourself from going.
@hufflepuffle Thank you for the reassurance.
@MYOS1634 That’s a great idea, I’ll keep it in mind as a topic for my essay(s). Thank you very much.