TeenLife 2024 Guide to Summer Programs

HOW SUMMER PROGRAMS CAN
BOOST COLLEGE APPLICATIONS
BY JANICE HALLER
ummer programs are a great way to explore new
interests, follow your passion, and make new
friends. You can participate online or in-person;
stay overnight, or just attend during the day. You
can experience a summer in the woods, in the
middle of the ocean, or in the hallowed halls of
some of the finest academic institutions in the world.
But a question remains: will a summer program boost
your chances on your college application? If so, how?
What kind of summer program should you look for? How
can you use your experience to make you stand out?
SUMMER PROGRAMS CAN HELP YOUR
COLLEGE APPLICATION
Yes, summer programs can help your college application.
But how it can help is up to the applicant and the school
they’re applying to. Kate Sonnenberg from KS College
Success emphasized that “the program itself matters
less than what they learn about themselves and how they
grow from the summer experience – whether it’s domestic
or international service, a pre-college academic program,
or an internship…”
However, she made it clear that “students must do things
that interest them for the intrinsic benefit because it is
always impossible to predict what will ‘move the needle’
in college admissions.” In fact, the biggest takeaway students
and their families should walk away with is that “[a]
ny growth experience is a good experience, as long as the
student can explain it to colleges in their application.”
“Growth” is a constant running theme in college admissions.
No matter the year or the incoming freshman class, college
admission boards across the country want to know how
their future graduates grew or will grow into their own on
campus. However what is considered growth and meaningful
isn’t a “one size fits all” situation. Growth depends on the
individual, their interests, and their personal shortcomings.
44 | 2024 TEENLIFE GUIDE TO SUMMER PROGRAMS