How important are Summer Internships, Summer Enrichment Programs, & Summer Camps?

March is the month when several deadlines approach for Summer Extracurricular Activities. The importance of Summer Internships, Summer Enrichment Programs, and Summer Camps for College Applications is underscored by the fact that several application systems have dedicated sections for each of these activities. In fact, the University of California Application System has a separate section for “Summer Enrichment Programs.”

Summer Internships are an opportunity to show future Colleges and Universities that you have taken the time to learn skills outside of the classroom in the prospective field that you will major in. For example, for Science majors an Internship or Summer Research Fellowship in Biomedical Science would be invaluable as a learning resource and as a method of distinguishing your student from the other College applicants. Future Business majors have the largest expectation to participate in a Summer Internship due to the need for Admissions officials to see an applicant’s willingness to immerse themselves in a business environment before embarking on such a career.

Summer Enrichment Programs can range from Law seminars and conferences to Native-American cultural classes. Any program that enriches one’s education in a classroom or outdoor group setting qualifies as a Summer Enrichment Program. As stated above, the UC System seeks to differentiate between candidates through Summer Enrichment Programs. I remember a UCSF School of Medicine Interviewer once asking me what I did every summer in high school. That was over 20 years ago! Now, the competition is dramatically more fierce, therefore it is expected that each summer in high school is spent doing one of the above extracurricular activities.

Summer Camps are a great way for students to expose themselves, in a short setting consisting of only a few weeks, to different fields that they may want to major in. Law, Science, and Medicine are the most common, but Summer Camps can involve everything from Visual & Fine Arts to Computer Coding. These Summer Camps provide yet another way to set your student apart as a candidate for admission to top ranked Colleges & Universities.

As always, seek every possible opportunity to make your student stand out, and the Summer is the best time to do that… Contact us today for a College Counseling Initial Assessment, so we can recommend and assist in Summer Extracurricular Activity selection and applications!