My kids are having a blast this summer - going to camp, hanging out at the swim club, having their friends over for barbecues. Then again, they range in age from 2 to 9. They're not facing the pressure cooker known as the college application process. And as that process becomes more and more competitive, an increasing number of teens are sacrificing their summers for internships, advanced classes, SAT prep - anything to make themselves stand out. Now, not only child psychologists, but college admission officials say this intensity has to stop, with three Harvard admissions officials trying to convince students why they should use their summers to take "ample free time to reflect, to re-create . . . and to gather strength for the school year ahead."
Good luck getting that message across. Enrichment programs across the nation are exploding, with parents shelling out thousands of dollars so their kids can study French in Paris, observe doctors at work, or network with real estate gurus.
Experts warn that, stress aside, such transparant application-building may not help. One executive at a college-admissions counseling firm advises that kids "need to know how to find balance . . . enrichment impresses only if it matches a student's genuine interests."
Still, no one's claiming it's okay for teens to sit by the pool all summer. Statistics show that high GPAs and test scores just aren't enough anymore, that colleges really are looking for students who excel in different areas.
It's a tough situation, no doubt . . . I guess the best thing you can do for your children is to encourage them to pick something they really love and apply themselves to it with great enthusiasm . . .
