How did you help your DC beef up their activities for college admissions? And, what to do now in a Covid world?

[pitterpatter]

DD is a rising 9th grader. I'm trying to think of some things she can do to beef up her activities and develop her interests for the college admissions game. We live in the rural Midwest. She has been involved in Girl Scouts since first grade, but there is only one troop here for her age group. It is very small and, well, pretty crappy. Although we get along well enough with the leaders, they don't share our values, and just aren't great leaders. We do take advantage of activities provided by the council in the city, but we can only do that once or twice a month on the weekends. Covid has pretty well tanked this avenue for now, though. There's not a lot being offered. And, some I deem too Covid unsafe. DD has also taken swim lessons over the years in a neighboring city with the goal of becoming lifeguard certified. She would like to get back into that, but again, Covid.

We had such big plans for the summers during her high school years in terms of specialty camps and activities (GS has some pretty cool ones at the national level), but Covid has tanked the past two summers. There was also some talk of her becoming a horse wrangler (junior counselor for Girl Scout horse camps), but we've fallen off that path too due to Covid. (It requires a multi-year progression through GS horse camps.) I'm cautiously hopeful for next summer, but while we are all vaxed up, DH is severely immunocompromised, so we have to be extra careful.

I guess this question is multifold. What kind of activities were your children involved with? How did you find unique opportunities? And, what are current students doing now with Covid lurking about?

Edited July 12, 2021 by pitterpatter

[Dmmetler]

Number 1-every kid on the planet will have a hole for the last year, and maybe longer. It's not going to look odd for your kid to have been a bit derailed. More the other way around. 

 

Number 2-I know it seems like you have to play the game,but honestly, you don't. Not really. State U's mostly want grades and test scores, and there are some awesome scholarships that are just based on that. Competitive schools and scholarships vary, but if your kid has been doing something they love and can write and talk about it, and they really mean it, it will come through head and shoulders above kids doing things for applications. 

 

As far as GSA goes, I've known some kids who took the Juliette route specifically so they could work on projects at a higher level than the local troop, and still could do camps, etc. That might be an option.

 

FWIW, M was able to start teaching swim this summer at age 15, so that might be a route to look into (usually as one of several instructors with a larger group, rather than as the only Instructor with multiple kids). That might be something to look at for your DD, if kids are able to be vaccinated by next summer. Here it is easier to work with kids as a swim instructor than to get a summer camp junior counselor position for a 15-17 yr old. 

[pitterpatter]

I don't really want a bunch of application fillers. (DH and I were involved in everything under the sun and realize the vast majority of high school clubs, etc. are fluff...a complete waste of time.) I want to figure out some worthwhile pursuits that are accessible to DD. Before Covid, I felt like we could overcome the small-town-lack-of-opportunity thing by pursuing Girl Scout council-sponsored activities throughout the year (we are Juliette-ing this year), then heavily investing in residential summer programs (not just with GS), whether they be local-ish, national, or even abroad. But now, I feel like we are marching time and wasting some of the best growing years of DD's life. I can't think of a single thing she can do locally/semi-locally. We don't attend a church nor participate in organized sports. We don't do any sort of music lessons either.

[Farrar]

Well, one, I've heard college admissions folks from all sorts of schools emphasize that they understand that activities were canceled and that they are taking that into account. If there are things that a student was doing before the pandemic and then could not do during the pandemic, they're treating it as if they did them. As in, they're not treating it as if the kid slacked off and stopped doing sports/theater/scouts/whatever.

Two, it's okay if activities aren't with groups but are just the kid doing a thing. Playing music yourself, doing art or crafting yourself, being a streamer, baking all the time, coding apps for fun, writing a novel on the side, cleaning up your local stream by yourself... whatever it is... that can also be a serious activity and I've seen some homeschoolers do very well with those. 

Finally, there is a Covid question on the applications. It will be there for another couple of years. Also, you have the ability to craft the counselor letter. Somewhere you will say that she lives in a household with someone immunocompromised and that she was more limited than others by the pandemic. They will take all that into account.

My theater kid went from stage managing and teching shows and being on the board for a local theater... to nothing. And then he found some online activism stuff around the election and got more involved in that. And then he started doing more game design and did a bunch of game jams on his own. It's not... the same. But hey, it's stuff. He did things. They were all things based at home.

[Sneezyone]

DD did cheer for 9th but declined the team offer in 10th (the season was canceled anyway due to COVID). Heading into 11th she's decided to take a lifeguarding job that she found on NextDoor. I was skeptical but it turns out that a lot of our neighbors use it to find/recruit local kids for odd jobs. She gets to work outside and has a lot of responsibility. Some of her coworkers began at 15. She works for a private company that provides lifeguards for local apartment/condo complexes. $12/hr plus time and a half. She gets all the work she can handle and then some. They're desperate for people.

Edited July 13, 2021 by Sneezyone

[pitterpatter]

Oh, she does...stuff. Lol. She's really into...I don't know what to call it...storyboarding? She uses character-creation apps to design "OCs" (original characters) with meaningful names and complex background stories. Then, she creates stop-motion-like mini movies with the characters, speech bubbles, and music, and stitches the frames together and edits in another app. She spends hours/days creating these stories. She was creating them fairly regularly and posting them on a YouTube channel for a while. Not as much now. She's gotten a respectable amount of views and comments. I've been surprised. She also spends a lot time developing her skills with Procreate. She spent an entire day over the weekend creating an animation using it. She's into digital art and animation, but admittedly, doesn't really see it as a career path. She has a broad range of interests and does a lot of self-educating on YouTube. I used to roll my eyes at this, but she's learned a lot about a lot stuff. She talks incessantly about complex theories and strategies. It makes my brain melt and run out of my ears. Lol. I can probably craft a decent hobby out of the movie stuff, but I'm not sure watching YouTube will impress the admissions folks. 🤣

PS - What's the Covid question on the applications?
 

9 hours ago, Farrar said:

Well, one, I've heard college admissions folks from all sorts of schools emphasize that they understand that activities were canceled and that they are taking that into account. If there are things that a student was doing before the pandemic and then could not do during the pandemic, they're treating it as if they did them. As in, they're not treating it as if the kid slacked off and stopped doing sports/theater/scouts/whatever.

Two, it's okay if activities aren't with groups but are just the kid doing a thing. Playing music yourself, doing art or crafting yourself, being a streamer, baking all the time, coding apps for fun, writing a novel on the side, cleaning up your local stream by yourself... whatever it is... that can also be a serious activity and I've seen some homeschoolers do very well with those. 

Finally, there is a Covid question on the applications. It will be there for another couple of years. Also, you have the ability to craft the counselor letter. Somewhere you will say that she lives in a household with someone immunocompromised and that she was more limited than others by the pandemic. They will take all that into account.

My theater kid went from stage managing and teching shows and being on the board for a local theater... to nothing. And then he found some online activism stuff around the election and got more involved in that. And then he started doing more game design and did a bunch of game jams on his own. It's not... the same. But hey, it's stuff. He did things. They were all things based at home.

 

[Farrar]

1 hour ago, pitterpatter said:

Oh, she does...stuff. Lol. She's really into...I don't know what to call it...storyboarding? She uses character-creation apps to design "OCs" (original characters) with meaningful names and complex background stories. Then, she creates stop-motion-like mini movies with the characters, speech bubbles, and music, and stitches the frames together and edits in another app. She spends hours/days creating these stories. She was creating them fairly regularly and posting them on a YouTube channel for a while. Not as much now. She's gotten a respectable amount of views and comments. I've been surprised. She also spends a lot time developing her skills with Procreate. She spent an entire day over the weekend creating an animation using it. She's into digital art and animation, but admittedly, doesn't really see it as a career path. She has a broad range of interests and does a lot of self-educating on YouTube. I used to roll my eyes at this, but she's learned a lot about a lot stuff. She talks incessantly about complex theories and strategies. It makes my brain melt and run out of my ears. Lol. I can probably craft a decent hobby out of the movie stuff, but I'm not sure watching YouTube will impress the admissions folks. 🤣

PS - What's the Covid question on the applications?

That sounds like an excellent set of activities, honestly.

The Covid question is an optional 250 word question about whether Covid impacted you in ways you'd like to describe for colleges. You can look up the exact wording. It's on there again this year. Probably will be again for at least another year after that. "A member of my household was immunocompromised so my activities were even more limited for longer..." is a totally legit response that colleges would like to hear about.

[Dmmetler]

I also have seen "what have you learned about you, the world, your life, etc during the COVID-19 pandemic". For L, this was a really great question because it lent itself well to discussing the online classes at Athena's, both as a student and as an instructor, vs the "put online in an emergency" ones, and what generalizations can be drawn. Usually there is a choice of essay prompts. 

[Bootsie]

Some really does depend upon what types of colleges a student intends to apply to.  For many students the idea that there is a need to beef up a resume is overblown.  Many schools are going to base admission on test scores, grades, and the student's essay rather than look at the details of a resume.  Even schools with competitive admissions are looking for a student who is able to develop her interests and communicate that, rather than a list of participating in a list of of organized activities.  When DS was applying to college there was a "self-expression" option in which students could provide an example of creative work (photography, a short video, a painting, etc.)   Her interests would be well-suited for taking that approach to a college application.

[daijobu]

7 hours ago, pitterpatter said:

Oh, she does...stuff. Lol. She's really into...I don't know what to call it...storyboarding?

 

Wow, I mean wow.  This sounds really cool.  I would encourage her to double down on this.  Find out how she can pursue this.  Are there opportunities to share and display this?  Can she schedule an informational interview with people who this for a living?  (Maybe someone at Pixar?)  

[daijobu]

This was before covid, but my dd spent a lot of time attending adult type in person meetings and then scheduling informational interviews with all kinds of people.  (She's still doing this this summer.)  Anything from attending Commonwealth Club talks to anything else she can find.  Then introducing herself and scheduling a coffee or lunch.  

It was kind of a bridge to adulthood for her.  

[pitterpatter]

What she does is probably not quite as high tech as you're thinking, but she does spend a lot of time on it when she's creating an episode. She has learned how to take a long, tedious project from concept to completion by a self-imposed deadline, so I do see that as a valuable skill. She also develops characters and worlds on paper (and now digitally on her iPad)...draws and writes out plans for characters and worlds. It's a little hard for me to relate to and explain. Some of it is related to "lore" for certain video games. (She likes the lore more than actually playing the games.) I assume it's something her generation is into (maybe more so online than the local kids). And, I know there are others on YouTube who do it, but maybe it's a niche thing. 🤷‍♀️ I just try to support her, and I am honestly awed by some of it.
 

45 minutes ago, daijobu said:

Wow, I mean wow.  This sounds really cool.  I would encourage her to double down on this.  Find out how she can pursue this.  Are there opportunities to share and display this?  Can she schedule an informational interview with people who this for a living?  (Maybe someone at Pixar?)  

 

[pitterpatter]

This sounds pretty impressive to me. I can't imagine too many kids wanting to/having the courage to do something like this.

47 minutes ago, daijobu said:

This was before covid, but my dd spent a lot of time attending adult type in person meetings and then scheduling informational interviews with all kinds of people.  (She's still doing this this summer.)  Anything from attending Commonwealth Club talks to anything else she can find.  Then introducing herself and scheduling a coffee or lunch.  

It was kind of a bridge to adulthood for her.  

 

[regentrude]

My DD rode horses, sang in choir, and tutored physics at the local stem university. DS did martial arts. Because they liked it, not because of college apps.

For most colleges,  it doesn't matter, they accept based on transcript and test scores. Only for very selective schools, extracurriculars affect the admissions decision. 

What your DD does sounds very cool. Let her just do this to her hearts content. She can highlight it in her essay.

Edited July 13, 2021 by regentrude

[pitterpatter]

That's kind of it. I don't know what schools DD will apply for. I personally think a small, quirky liberal arts school might be her jam. In the book I'm reading about college admissions, activities seem to be about as important as all the other factors. Applicants are scored on their activities. Time and again, it comes down to a student's activities, essay, and recommendations that get him/her over the bar. In a sea of applicants that are all equally good score-wise, it's these other factors that give a student an edge. In one case, a student with a perfect SAT score and GPA was passed over because of her activities. She was flat; academics were her life.

13 hours ago, regentrude said:

For most colleges,  it doesn't matter, they accept based on transcript and test scores. Only for very selective schools, extracurriculars affect the admissions decision.

 

[regentrude]

2 hours ago, pitterpatter said:

That's kind of it. I don't know what schools DD will apply for. I personally think a small, quirky liberal arts school might be her jam. In the book I'm reading about college admissions, activities seem to be about as important as all the other factors. Applicants are scored on their activities. Time and again, it comes down to a student's activities, essay, and recommendations that get him/her over the bar. In a sea of applicants that are all equally good score-wise, it's these other factors that give a student an edge. In one case, a student with a perfect SAT score and GPA was passed over because of her activities. She was flat; academics were her life.

Keep in mind that most colleges accept most applicants whose academics are decent.

Activities etc matter only for the few schools where admission is actually highly competetive. 

Books and articles make it sound as if getting into college at all requires all these hoops. It doesn't. For many good schools, academics is entirely sufficient. (Of course, a school with a 90+% rejection rate can pick among perfect SAT students)

Edited July 14, 2021 by regentrude

[Farrar]

Seconding Regentrude. Discussion of things like course descriptions and activity lists and so forth get a lot of space because they matter at the schools that are harder to get into and therefore families and students spend more time on them, thinking about them, gaming it out, discussing them, etc. But it's a small number of schools. Most people aren't going to have to worry about this stuff. It's maybe a teeny bit more important now for kids planning to go test optional, but even then.

[Dmmetler]

And as a parent with a kid who picked a small quirky LAC, I can tell you that the admissions process has little to do with a resume, and more to do with interviews and essays and having something to talk about, and whether you fit into the school culture and what they are trying to achieve. 

 

I can easily see your DD's interests making her quite appealing-especially if she develops ways to use them, like, say, involving them in a GSA Gold award project. 

[kirstenhill]

1 hour ago, pitterpatter said:

That's kind of it. I don't know what schools DD will apply for. I personally think a small, quirky liberal arts school might be her jam. In the book I'm reading about college admissions, activities seem to be about as important as all the other factors. Applicants are scored on their activities. Time and again, it comes down to a student's activities, essay, and recommendations that get him/her over the bar. In a sea of applicants that are all equally good score-wise, it's these other factors that give a student an edge. In one case, a student with a perfect SAT score and GPA was passed over because of her activities. She was flat; academics were her life.

 

Are you reading "Who Gets in and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions"?  I read that one this summer and there are stories like that in there (probably similar in other books).  My take away from that book is that yes, there are a small percentage of schools for which the student's "resume" will have to be just right to get into, but, as others have said, MOST places aren't like that.  AND, as long as your child isn't set on one particular school, what's wrong or "not good enough" for one school might be perfect for another just based on seemingly random things like college A wanting more students from your state,  or college B wanting more students with whatever your student's major ends up being. 

Even in 9th/10th grade, my DD (currently 17) knew that she didn't want to strive for elite admissions.  She has never been super interested in a lot of clubs or activities.  She also spends a lot of time doing art in her sketch book (she creates OCs also and shares them in some online communities she is a part of), writing snail mail letters to many friends that live out of town, and reading.  She has a part time job.  Even if COVID wouldn't have hit, she wouldn't have had a super stellar leadership-laden resume.  She's interested in a major that's basically only offered at large public universities, so her grades and test scores will be the major factor anyway.  The places she's most interested in are not super hard to get into.

I also have a rising 9th grader, and he is a really different kid -- plays a sport, wants to join a debate team and a high school math team, and maybe other clubs, runs his own D&D role playing group and is looking for other opportunities to DM role playing games, etc.  I think he'll naturally end up with leadership roles because he is more that kind of a kid.   I think for our rising 9th graders, COVID restrictions won't impact a majority of their high school experience (it might affect this coming year, but it's hard to see too many restrictions continuing on past this school year), and if they do, everyone will be basically in the same boat.  Sure, there will be differences based on what area of the country kids are from since different areas would have different restrictions, but the universities will still be looking for geographic diversity in their applications and know that if restrictions continue in some areas, it will impact every applicant from those areas.

I don't think it's bad to start talking even to a 9th grader about different kinds of colleges, so they are aware of what kinds of options are out there, and that at some places their "resume" of leadership or future-career-related experiences might make a difference.  But then I think it's better for parents to step back and let their kid decide what kind of experience they are looking for.  The driven kids will seek out those opportunities themselves and ask for help finding the types of experiences they are looking for (though I will admit I did forward my daughter various opportunities over the years I thought she might be interested in - but then I let her decide if she wanted to act on those or not). 

[mommyoffive]

Thank you for starting this thread.  Very informative and helpful.  

With your dd is she into horses?  Could she take lessons and maybe work or volunteer at a stable?  Would that be a low enough risk thing for her to with your family?  Outside, masked, just a teacher and the horses? 

It is good to hear that academics are the focus and the other things don't matter as much.  But it is also sad to me, because I thought I was going to be able to provide so many experiences for my kids at this age.  And that they would get some neat life experiences on the things they are invested on.  They missed out on a lot of really huge experiences that they had worked for.  I get really sad thinking about it.  

My 10th grader isn't doing a ton.  She is an all A student.  She takes violin lessons and is pre-pro ballet student.  

My 8th grader is the exact same as her.  

I want to add something else.  Not necessarily for college, but because I want them to experience more in life.

[regentrude]

3 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

 They missed out on a lot of really huge experiences that they had worked for.  I get really sad thinking about it.  

My 10th grader isn't doing a ton.  She is an all A student.  She takes violin lessons and is pre-pro ballet student.  

I want to add something else.  Not necessarily for college, but because I want them to experience more in life.

Their life isn't over with highschool. There is plenty of time do explore more, different things. 

Being a serious musician and dancer seems to me a great thing that would require a large time investment. I don't believe dabbling in a ton of different activities is as valuable as the serious pursuit of one or two passions. Your kids will be fine.

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, regentrude said:

Their life isn't over with highschool. There is plenty of time do explore more, different things. 

Being a serious musician and dancer seems to me a great thing that would require a large time investment. I don't believe dabbling in a ton of different activities is as valuable as the serious pursuit of one or two passions. Your kids will be fine.

Oh of course.  I know they have a whole life to live and explore things.  It just stinks that we have spent 2 years now out of their childhoods not being able to do all the things that we thought we would be doing.  Experiences are really important in our family.  That is where we prioritize our spending.  There were a lot of things we wanted to do an experience together as a family, that we haven't/can't do because of covid.  

Yep those things take some time, but they still have extra time and would like to try different things.  It is what it is.  We are and have tried to make the best of it.  What else can you do?   I think it was nice to slow down because we were living a fast paced life.  Everyone got to relax and they bonded even more.  I did think that things were going to be so much better this summer and fall because of the vaccine.  Very disappointing that it might not be that much better than last fall. Sigh.

[SKL]

It would be great if your daughter used her technology talents to promote a serious grown-up issue that she cares about, and shared it in a way that might make a difference.

I am assuming my kids will go to state schools that aren't competitive, but I still want them to have a well-rounded "resume," in case it could help them get involved in selective activities, internships, jobs, etc.  (And also because I think it's good life experience in general.)  We're far from fancy, but we are also more than academics.  I try to insist on something physical, some arts, and some service.

Long story short, here's what my kids do:

• Outdoor sports - only paused 4 months during the total shutdown last year.
• High school marching band - also mostly outdoors.  Best thing that happened to them in 2020-21.
• Taekwondo.  They should make 3rd degree blackbelt this fall.  Should be up for 4th dan / master in fall 2024 (college freshman year).
• Volunteering aligned with personal interests.  (Much harder to find pre-6/21, but things are opening back up.)
• Cultural stuff, although there isn't much to put on a resume yet.  They have recently become interested in doing more.
• Church, and hopefully we'll add back youth activities.  May or may not be a resume thing, but it's important to us.
• Travel!  This has been missed, but hopefully we can get back to it and have plenty to talk about.

Things we plan to do by age 15:

• Summer job of some sort (paid gig or responsible volunteer gig).
• Lifeguarding cert.  (They already have their CPR/first aid cert and I'll insist they keep that current.)
• Some other thoughts, but it depends on their motivation.

Things we dropped:

• Scouting (AHG).  Lack of time, interest, local opportunities, and values alignment for this age.
• Music lessons / concert band.  Might revisit, but they are just not motivated to move from good to great right now.
• Indoor sports other than TKD.  We all prefer the outdoor sports anyway.  🙂

The technology aspect is interesting.  My kids, like much of their generation, have learned a lot on their own, partly for fun / social purposes, and partly as needed for virtual schooling.  I'm not sure where the current line is between "expected basic knowledge" and "resume worthy."

Other things we commonly see on resumes (or do people still do this?) ... cooking, reading, pets ... check, check, check, if they count.  😛

One of my kids' greater strengths, though, are not really things you would put on a resume.  Like, "really good listener / counselor to friends in crisis."

[pitterpatter]

DD likes horses, but isn't super passionate about them. Our Girl Scout camps around here offer two paths to leadership within the camp environment. After attending a series of camps (most commonly over several years) either through the junior horse wrangler sequence or the standard junior counselor sequence, a girl can apply for leadership positions within the horse camps or regular camps. My DD had decided to go the junior horse wrangler route. I think she would have attended the final camps in the sequence this summer had she gone last year and this year. She would have been eligible for a junior position next summer, I think. Of course, all camps were canceled last summer and we decided it was still too risky for our family this summer.

ETA: We are very much kindred spirits in terms of looking forward to providing our children meaningful experiences. We have done this with DD from the beginning and were in a sense counting down the years to when we would be old enough/eligible to do the super fun stuff on her own. (E.g. This Girl Scout Sea Turtle, Service & Scuba Adventure in Costa Rica. And, more for fun than anything else, there's The Ultimate Harry Potter Experience where the girls start at Universal Studios in Florida then proceed to England to visit filming locations and to see the real Hogwarts Express.) Now, the years are ticking in the other direction with nothing to show for it.

22 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Thank you for starting this thread.  Very informative and helpful.  

With your dd is she into horses?  Could she take lessons and maybe work or volunteer at a stable?  Would that be a low enough risk thing for her to with your family?  Outside, masked, just a teacher and the horses? 

It is good to hear that academics are the focus and the other things don't matter as much.  But it is also sad to me, because I thought I was going to be able to provide so many experiences for my kids at this age.  And that they would get some neat life experiences on the things they are invested on.  They missed out on a lot of really huge experiences that they had worked for.  I get really sad thinking about it.  

My 10th grader isn't doing a ton.  She is an all A student.  She takes violin lessons and is pre-pro ballet student.  

My 8th grader is the exact same as her.  

I want to add something else.  Not necessarily for college, but because I want them to experience more in life.

 

[mommyoffive]

2 minutes ago, pitterpatter said:

DD likes horses, but isn't super passionate about them. Our Girl Scout camps around here offer two paths to leadership within the camp environment. After attending a series of camps (most commonly over several years) either through the junior horse wrangler sequence or the standard junior counselor sequence, a girl can apply for leadership positions within the horse camps or regular camps. My DD had decided to go the junior horse wrangler route. I think she would have attended the final camps in the sequence this summer had she gone last year and this year. She would have been eligible for a junior position next summer, I think. Of course, all camps were canceled last summer and we decided it was still too risky for our family this summer.

ETA: We are very much kindred spirits in terms of looking forward to providing our children meaningful experiences. We have done this with DD from the beginning and were in a sense counting down the years to when we would be old enough/eligible to do the super fun stuff on her own. (E.g. This Girl Scout Sea Turtle, Service & Scuba Adventure in Costa Rica. And, more for fun than anything else, there's The Ultimate Harry Potter Experience where the girls start at Universal Studios in Florida then proceed to England to visit filming locations and to see the real Hogwarts Express.) Now, the years are ticking in the other direction with nothing to show for it.

 

Oh my gosh three of my girls would LOVE to do the Harry Potter experience.  What a great idea.  

Your last sentence is 100% is how I feel.  The whole you only have 18 summers with your kids is almost on repeat in my head and I get really upset about every so often.    Are there any things that you feel comfortable with the risk?  Like would an outdoor thing where she is masked, and not around a group of other people work for your dh?    Maybe even if it isn't what she is not 100% into it.  But just that she is doing something.  So that you feel like she is getting something.  Maybe not the dreams you had for this time, but that you can give her some experiences or memories.  Sailing lessons?  It sounded like she was into that?

Can you travel safely a bit?  Just a road trip (maybe close by if you aren't ok with pit stops) and renting a home?  It isn't going to Costa Rica or England, but making some memories.   Maybe some unique stays or cool location?

[pitterpatter]

We are still doing things as a family. We hike and bike. Last fall, we rented a cabin and hiked some really cool state parks in southern Illinois. Next month, we are taking a road trip to Santa Rosa Beach along 30a in the Panhandle. We are renting a townhouse that is close to the beach. Usually, it's not overly crowded in this area. We will be cooking our own food and pursuing outdoor activities only. There's a well-developed bike trail along 30a. We'll probably rent a kayak or paddleboard too.

Our state is one of leading states in terms of low-vaccination rates. We are also near the top in terms of new Covid cases. All hospitals are full again. I'm pretty sure we are the only ones who still wears masks in our county (only exaggerating slightly). People asks DH at work all the time why he still wears a mask. He's worried they will essentially ban him from wearing one before long. (Not good for business, apparently.) DD is very good about wearing her mask, but mask wearers are outcasts here. DD dressed up and handed out bagged cookies along a parade route for DH's work float a couple of days ago. We did this unmasked and I'm kind of freaking out about it now. We've been involved in various parades along this same route over the years, and this year, turnout was the highest I've ever seen. We totally underestimated the risk. Anyway, she really enjoyed the activity.

So, we are doing things, just not what we'd hoped to be doing at this point. The year prior to and of Covid (before everything was canceled), DD was involved with our Girl Scout Council's Extreme Team (some activities were cave kayaking, tree climbing, rock climbing, etc.). Most of these things were outside. I hope they bring it back this year. I would feel safe enough with DD participating in it. She really enjoyed it and knew several of the girls from camps and various other GS events. The people who conduct these activities are paid by the Council, so they tend to follow rules better than local leaders.
 

31 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Oh my gosh three of my girls would LOVE to do the Harry Potter experience.  What a great idea.  

Your last sentence is 100% is how I feel.  The whole you only have 18 summers with your kids is almost on repeat in my head and I get really upset about every so often.    Are there any things that you feel comfortable with the risk?  Like would an outdoor thing where she is masked, and not around a group of other people work for your dh?    Maybe even if it isn't what she is not 100% into it.  But just that she is doing something.  So that you feel like she is getting something.  Maybe not the dreams you had for this time, but that you can give her some experiences or memories.  Sailing lessons?  It sounded like she was into that?

Can you travel safely a bit?  Just a road trip (maybe close by if you aren't ok with pit stops) and renting a home?  It isn't going to Costa Rica or England, but making some memories.   Maybe some unique stays or cool location?

 

[mommyoffive]

54 minutes ago, pitterpatter said:

We are still doing things as a family. We hike and bike. Last fall, we rented a cabin and hiked some really cool state parks in southern Illinois. Next month, we are taking a road trip to Santa Rosa Beach along 30a in the Panhandle. We are renting a townhouse that is close to the beach. Usually, it's not overly crowded in this area. We will be cooking our own food and pursuing outdoor activities only. There's a well-developed bike trail along 30a. We'll probably rent a kayak or paddleboard too.

Our state is one of leading states in terms of low-vaccination rates. We are also near the top in terms of new Covid cases. All hospitals are full again. I'm pretty sure we are the only ones who still wears masks in our county (only exaggerating slightly). People asks DH at work all the time why he still wears a mask. He's worried they will essentially ban him from wearing one before long. (Not good for business, apparently.) DD is very good about wearing her mask, but mask wearers are outcasts here. DD dressed up and handed out bagged cookies along a parade route for DH's work float a couple of days ago. We did this unmasked and I'm kind of freaking out about it now. We've been involved in various parades along this same route over the years, and this year, turnout was the highest I've ever seen. We totally underestimated the risk. Anyway, she really enjoyed the activity.

So, we are doing things, just not what we'd hoped to be doing at this point. The year prior to and of Covid (before everything was canceled), DD was involved with our Girl Scout Council's Extreme Team (some activities were cave kayaking, tree climbing, rock climbing, etc.). Most of these things were outside. I hope they bring it back this year. I would feel safe enough with DD participating in it. She really enjoyed it and knew several of the girls from camps and various other GS events. The people who conduct these activities are paid by the Council, so they tend to follow rules better than local leaders.
 

 

I am glad you get to do some fun things and trips.  

Wow, that is so sad and so scary.  And banning your dh from wearing  a mask?  Oh my gosh.  What is wrong with people?  That is totally insane. 

 

[Janeway]

Maybe have her work on writing a really good essay talking about how Covid derailed her entire high school experience and she’s looking forward to jumping in and getting super involved in college and experiencing all that she’s lost over the last couple years.

[NittanyJen]

On 7/12/2021 at 4:49 PM, pitterpatter said:

DD is a rising 9th grader. I'm trying to think of some things she can do to beef up her activities and develop her interests for the college admissions game. We live in the rural Midwest. She has been involved in Girl Scouts since first grade, but there is only one troop here for her age group. It is very small and, well, pretty crappy. Although we get along well enough with the leaders, they don't share our values, and just aren't great leaders. We do take advantage of activities provided by the council in the city, but we can only do that once or twice a month on the weekends. Covid has pretty well tanked this avenue for now, though. There's not a lot being offered. And, some I deem too Covid unsafe. DD has also taken swim lessons over the years in a neighboring city with the goal of becoming lifeguard certified. She would like to get back into that, but again, Covid.

We had such big plans for the summers during her high school years in terms of specialty camps and activities (GS has some pretty cool ones at the national level), but Covid has tanked the past two summers. There was also some talk of her becoming a horse wrangler (junior counselor for Girl Scout horse camps), but we've fallen off that path too due to Covid. (It requires a multi-year progression through GS horse camps.) I'm cautiously hopeful for next summer, but while we are all vaxed up, DH is severely immunocompromised, so we have to be extra careful.

I guess this question is multifold. What kind of activities were your children involved with? How did you find unique opportunities? And, what are current students doing now with Covid lurking about?

We didn’t. We figured they should be admitted based on who they really are, if we want them to get a good fit of institution. My oldest did karate, and for a few months, worked a part-time job pushing shopping carts at a local grocery store. In his senior year (after applications had been submitted) he worked on an internship. He wasn’t president of anything, he didn’t cure homelessness, he didn’t win anything (though he did earn a black belt). And he got into colleges, based on his academics.

Younger is following a similar path. He did chess club at the local library, and he takes swimming lessons, but doesn’t swim competitively. He keeps trying to volunteer at the library, but they keep saying they don’t need volunteers. He took a reading club at WTM this summer, and we’ll list that as an activity rather than a class. We may look again at volunteering down at the Food Bank, which we have done before (and they always need hands) but by this fall, the applications will already by out, so it won’t be for college benefit. He’ll just have to apply based on academics, and go somewhere where that’s what they care about.

Follow what they are interested in, and don’t try to force it to impress colleges. Colleges see hundreds of applications from kids who “did it all,” so that they don’t actually stand out; I think they’d rather hear from kids who can explain why the one or two activities they did do, meant something to them.

Finding stuff— see what’s going on at the library; there are crazy kinds of programs at ours. Do what your kid actually wants to do, and remember it doesn’t need to sound impressive. Cool if they wind up being an officer or something, but it’s not necessary. Find out if there is some local social issue your kid cares about and wants to help with, like tutoring (our local schools had a brief opportunity for kids to mentor visually-impaired students as they learned to read Braille) or packing food at the Food Bank, or helping a mom with twins, or and older family who needs help with yard work. Delivering food with you through Meals on Wheels is COVID-safe, and can be very meaningful to the recipients. 

 

 

[lewelma]

On 7/14/2021 at 12:03 AM, pitterpatter said:

storyboarding? She uses character-creation apps to design "OCs" (original characters) with meaningful names and complex background stories. Then, she creates stop-motion-like mini movies with the characters, speech bubbles, and music, and stitches the frames together and edits in another app. She spends hours/days creating these stories. She was creating them fairly regularly and posting them on a YouTube channel for a while. Not as much now. She's gotten a respectable amount of views and comments. I've been surprised. She also spends a lot time developing her skills with Procreate. She spent an entire day over the weekend creating an animation using it. 

I did help my older ds beef up his EC activities. He was told pretty clearly that he needed to show that he was not self-centered, that he actually gave in some way to his community. And it was clear that the universities he was applying to also wanted him to be proactive. (This was for elite schools, and I am NOT saying your dd *has * to do more, but you asked...) So with my encouragement, he approached the local school and offered to teach an olympiad math class. The school found the appropriate kids, and he designed the year long course, did all the communication, made all the lectures, found another IMO kid to help him teach the class, mentored the kids etc.  After the initial effort for setting up the class, it took 1.5 hours per week to make his lectures/handouts/activities and 1.5 hours per week to teach the class. In his essay he was able to talk about building camaraderie and team work, and discuss how he knew how hard it was to find a mentor, so he wanted to give these kids what he never had, a mentor and a group of like minded kids. It was great for his applications and it was also a great learning experience for him.

I'm looking at this amazing stuff that your kid does for fun, and thinking, WOW!  How about setting up a class and mentoring some kids online?  Have her learn to be proactive, to teach, to mentor, to create her own community. Share her passion. This would not just look great on applications, this kind of proactive community work also teaches life skills, mentoring skills, teaching skills, and builds confidence. Really a win win.

Edited July 17, 2021 by lewelma

[pitterpatter]

I had no clue that what DD does is so unique. I just thought it was what kids do these days. 🤷‍♀️ I think I will encourage her to think about how she can incorporate her interests and skills into a Girl Scout Gold Award project. Thank you everyone for encouraging me to encourage her. Lol.

Overall, DD is a fairly eccentric kid. I figured there might be a fair share of eccentric kids here (well, parents of anyway). So, I was curious about what they do that might be different. DH and I graduated from the local school. There was a small handful of students who were collegebound and dubbed "leaders." We were picked for every leadership opportunity that popped up. Many were considered honors. Looking back, we got to go quite a few places and do quite a few things, mostly for free. Most of those things are closed to homeschoolers, though.

2 hours ago, lewelma said:

I did help my older ds beef up his EC activities. He was told pretty clearly that he needed to show that he was not self-centered, that he actually gave in some way to his community. And it was clear that the universities he was applying to also wanted him to be proactive. (This was for elite schools, and I am NOT saying your dd *has * to do more, but you asked...) So with my encouragement, he approached the local school and offered to teach an olympiad math class. The school found the appropriate kids, and he designed the year long course, did all the communication, made all the lectures, found another IMO kid to help him teach the class, mentored the kids etc.  After the initial effort for setting up the class, it took 1.5 hours per week to make his lectures/handouts/activities and 1.5 hours per week to teach the class. In his essay he was able to talk about building camaraderie and team work, and discuss how he knew how hard it was to find a mentor, so he wanted to give these kids what he never had, a mentor and a group of like minded kids. It was great for his applications and it was also a great learning experience for him.

I'm looking at this amazing stuff that your kid does for fun, and thinking, WOW!  How about setting up a class and mentoring some kids online?  Have her learn to be proactive, to teach, to mentor, to create her own community. Share her passion. This would not just look great on applications, this kind of proactive community work also teaches life skills, mentoring skills, teaching skills, and builds confidence. Really a win win.