It’s that time of year again. Summer! The words that come to mind may be things like fun, rest, and relaxation. However, while it may be tempting to be entirely laid back over the summer, there are still things that can be done. One of the ways a student can have a productive summer is by participating in “activities”. Summer activities are a great way to ensure that your kid follows their passions in an authentic way while also having the added benefit boosting them in college admissions.
So, what kinds of activities are considered “awesome” in the eyes of college admissions? Firstly, it is important to clarify that the “type” of activity that they do isn’t nearly as important as how “impactful” it is. What does this mean? It simply means that what activity the student does matters more than the student’s activity title.
A simple example is student A holding a job at a local restaurant vs student B participating in a research lab with a local university. To many students and parents, it intuitively looks more appealing to have a research lab rather than a summer job. However, let’s say student A over the summer worked really hard dealing with customers, collaborating with coworkers, and demonstrating leadership by taking extra shifts and training others. On the other hand, student B merely did their assigned tasks and never spent any extra effort to learn more or help out in the lab. In this case, it becomes more clear that student A's summer experience was full of impactful experiences which help demonstrate great character traits, whereas student B’s summer did not show anything out of the ordinary.
As we already discussed, the type of activity doesn’t matter so much as the impact that it has. One of the important parts about summer activities is that they should show character traits. The activities that a student focuses on over the summer don’t necessarily need to show every positive character trait they have, but they can help focus and show the student’s strengths. Certain activities, such as meaningful volunteering can demonstrate humility, selflessness, and commitment to a cause. Other activities, such as starting a small business in selling things, show that the student is driven, entrepreneurial, and tenacious. Of course, activities can also overlap on what character traits they show, but the main thing is that the summer activities give college admissions an idea of what kind of character the student has.
An added benefit to the holistic approach of college admissions is that it allows students to pursue whatever kinds of activities they want. It is important that the student follows activities that they have interest or a strong passion in. In this section, I will share a few examples of kids with different passions, and ideas of what kind of activities they could pursue to show their character and impact, and that often these types of activities can be done with whatever resources are available on hand.
A student interested in nature’s beauty could do a few things such as make a blog about things they find interesting, or simply journal about their experiences in nature. They could also work with local conservation officers to figure out ways to help better preserve the environment so that future generations can enjoy it. This would show character traits such as self-awareness and initiative.
A student interested in biological research could spend the summer researching and studying books, articles, and papers related to an interesting field of study. If the student begins to grow interested in bug biology (entomology), they could do various things such as create an informational website all about bugs, where they input scientific names of bugs, as well as interesting facts about them. They could also reach out to local professors after reading their research papers, and learn more about their research or participate in their lab. This demonstrates commitment and an inquisitive nature.
A student interested in history could start with their own family tree, gathering evidence from things such as family journals and stories. They could begin building and researching using various resources such as online databases as well as pursuing local genealogy clubs, or even starting their own. History also can entail joining large organizations dedicated to restoring history, such as those often hosted by Smithsonian. These activities would showcase a student’s patience, problem-solving ability, as well as a hunger for knowledge and love for history.
A student interested in art could spend their time simply perfecting their craft and creating their work which can be put into a portfolio. This work can even be donated to different hospitals or entered into competitions. The artist could also work or partner with local businesses/schools to create graphics or designs wherever necessary. These activities related to art show the student’s urge to improve their work, commitment to projects, as well as their creativity.
In conclusion, it’s important for students to enjoy the summer, but also spend it wisely. Summer activities are important to pursue because it allows students to apply their character traits into situations that allow both themselves and colleges to observe them. Finally, by tailoring summer activities to the interest(s) of the student, it can also create a passion that the student can follow for the rest of their life.
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