As an independent counselor, I have spent nearly a decade working with hundreds of high-achieving high school students and their families on their college plans.
My students regularly enroll in top schools such as Harvard University, Stanford University, and Princeton University. In addition to academics and extracurricular activities, a big part of my job is helping students plan meaningful school vacations.
Summer is an important season for children. It’s an opportunity to recharge, form new relationships and explore their interests. When planning a summer vacation, the most successful parents of children avoid the following mistakes:
1. It’s never too late to start
In late spring, we receive many inquiries from families who are just starting to make summer plans. Unfortunately, many options are already off the table at this point.
Some of the most competitive programs and internships have deadlines in November or December, and many have deadlines in January and February.
Schools often keep lists of programs that are popular with previous students, so check with your child guidance counselor.
The ideal time to start planning for next summer is as soon as the previous summer ends. Once we enter the fall, it’s a good idea to stay on top of deadlines, especially for first-come, first-served programs.
2. Children don’t have just one choice.
Admission is not guaranteed for the most competitive summer activities, especially free activities offered by institutions such as universities and museums. They also tend to fill up within minutes.
Never set your mind or plans on joining a particular program. Let’s consider several different versions of how summer will unfold.
In some cases, you may need to apply to multiple opportunities at once, see the results, and make an informed decision.
There are a lot of great opportunities out there. If possible, try not to bring stress into a fun family project.
3. It does not only apply to organized activities
There are lots of great summer camps, courses, and internships, but my best advice is to look beyond what college admissions officers often refer to as “enrollment” activities.
Some of the best summer options, especially for high school students, aren’t officially on the list. They can be found through cold emails or warm introductions through professional networks, family friends, teacher connections, school alumni, and more.
You can make suggestions, but ideally your children will be in the driver’s seat of this outreach process. This will help them learn how to take initiative and prepare them for future job searches.
One of my students spent a week talking with more than a dozen people in design-related careers across New York City, including technology product managers. This introduction to the field ultimately allowed her to land a job at a major technology company after college.
Summer jobs and independent passion projects are also an underrated way for kids to gain valuable real-world experience.
4. Don’t overschedule your kids.
Summer can be daunting without the scaffolding of school. However, research shows that unscheduled time teaches young children to be more independent and develop organizational skills that will serve them well as adults.
If it’s possible, it might be worth letting your kids have a “wild summer” or combining this time with camping or vacations.
Unstructured time is also especially meaningful for older children. This year, one of my students was accepted into several prestigious universities. Last summer, he took a paid summer internship that he found on his own.
Other than that, he kept the rest area open for fun. He played board games with his family, learned to cook, coded apps, and hung out with friends.
By the time kids apply to college, they should know how to set aside free time for things that are meaningful to them, regardless of whether those activities are “productive” or not.
During the college application process, Stanford University asks seniors how they spent the past two summers. In my experience, they don’t want to see students just doing what is expected of them. They want to see students truly grow over time.
Theo Wolfe is a writer and educator who focuses on developing passion and purpose in young people. He was on the founding team of Spike Lab, a coaching program for high school students, and helped build Snowday, a free search engine for high school summer and extracurricular programs. Theo is a Cornell University graduate and director of the Lehrman Program on Creativity and Entrepreneurship at Harvard University.
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