“TELL US WHAT you did last summer,” colleges routinely ask — it’s no secret that a seat at top schools is more competitive than ever, and admissions folks are increasingly emphasizing applicants’ summer activities to winnow out less-serious contenders. That doesn’t mean studying eight hours a day will secure a “Congratulations! You’re in” — but lack of a substantive extracurricular life, even if accompanied by a flawless transcript, could lead to increased risks of rejection.

So ask your counselor about summer programs. They aren’t just for show on college apps; as last year’s attendees can attest, they afford truly worthwhile experiences. The long list of opportunities exemplifies the “something for everyone” mantra. If you can’t find something that suits your style, you’re probably due for an extreme makeover.

Throughout the past semester, the Gargoyle interviewed several Uni students (and one graduate) on the camps and programs they attended in recent summers. The assortment was nothing short of stunningly exotic. Here they are, in alphabetical order — and at the end, an overview of the program I attended last July.

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American Cancer Society Summer High School Research Program (ACS)

Designed for serious science buffs, this program aims to introduce rising seniors to professional scientific research. For eight weeks, attendees work with a mentor on a specific topic related to the area of cancer.

Senior Karolina Kalbarczyk researched how to insert genes into bacterial DNA at last year’s program held on the University of Illinois campus.

“My mentor, Dr. Satish Nair, assigned me a grad student who, by Dr. Nair’s instruction, gave me projects involving not only gene insertion and E. coli cell growth, but also the basics for working in a biochemistry lab in the future,” she said.

It was graduate-level work, but the “introductory” aspect of the research was not lost in the program, Kalbarczyk said.

“Everyone in the lab was very helpful, especially because they explained everything in layman’s terms in addition to instructing us in experiments.”

But the program does not renege on its description. Even the hardest assignment or exam you’ve ever had in your science classes likely can’t hold a candle to the rigor of this program.

“I saw the next step from the textbooks and lab experiments at school — real lab work, real research,” Kalbarczyk said. “At times it may seem intense.”

For advanced students like Kalbarczyk, however, the challenges were meaningful.

“This program was certainly worthwhile, because it gave me an entirely new atmosphere to try out the science I have been learning my entire life,” she said. “I think I am much more understanding of what working in a lab consists of, and I have a much better grasp of DNA and what can be done with it.”

The program culminates with students giving presentations and final reports on their assigned topics.

“I would recommend anyone with a serious interest in science to give this program a try; it will be an amazing learning experience,” Kalbarczyk said.

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Concordia Language Villages

Hosted by Concordia College, this program aims to teach students a new foreign language, or enrich an existing one.

Sophomore Margarita Mouschovias and senior Lor Sligar each attended a different session in 2008, and both felt that the program fulfilled all of its promises.

Mouschovias studied Chinese in Concordia’s home state of Minnesota; Sligar traveled to Germany to learn more about its culture.

Both took away vastly different experiences, but both agreed that talented native speakers are among this program’s most critical assets.

Sligar, who already had a strong foundation in German, found native speakers especially helpful.

“I think I learned a lot more than I could have from someone who had German as a second language, especially because I was mostly interested in learning colloquial German at this point,” she said. “It was also really good to have a different teacher after four years with the same one — I learned the same things in different ways, which really helped.”

Mouschovias also found the native speakers useful. Some spoke Chinese more fluently than English, although that wasn’t a big deal.

“Those who already have a basic understanding of the language” might benefit more as a result, however, she said.

Both the Chinese and German camps involved classes and other fun planned activities intended to enhance cultural awareness. Calligraphy was offered at Mouschovias’ session after two-hour morning classes; concerts and shopping were staple after-class events at Sligar’s program.

The food offered at each session perfectly complemented the cultural experience. Mouschovias had Chinese food for each meal: “According to the native Chinese teachers at the camp, it was quite similar to what is typically eaten daily in China,” she said. Rice was an integral part of lunch and dinner; similarly, breakfast included porridge.

In Germany, “the food was delicious,” Sligar said. “We went out to restaurants every night, and for lunch as well. Our leader let us get whatever we wanted ... she’d give us plenty of lunch money and just ask for receipts and change. So it went really well.”

For Mouschovias and Sligar, the program meant more than just language and culture experience.

“I learned a lot about myself, and how I deal with situations where I’m alone with people and expected to learn and do schoolwork,” Sligar said. “I think it taught me a lot about what college will be like. I also gained an immensely better handle on the German language, and I learned how important it is to connect with people in other countries and how much they have for us to learn from.”

Mouschovias affirmed the college prep aspect.

“I think the camp was a great way to get used to being away from home for longer periods of time, and to learn to get along with roommates that you did not pick yourself, much like college,” she said. “Even more than the Chinese I learned, I’m thankful that I went to [the program] because of all the different people I met. I made several lasting friendships which I value highly.”

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Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Piano Academy

This three-week program is for genuine piano virtuosos — those who are excited at the prospect of practicing at least four hours a day, and spending a few hours more listening to others’ performances.

“A typical day began with two hours of practicing,” and then classes, according to junior Daniel Cheng, who attended the program in 2008.

“In the afternoon, we had ‘free time,’ then duet practicing, and finally around two more hours of practicing. At night, we sometimes went to recitals and concerts.”

Instructors play a large role in this program; students get six hour-long lessons throughout the three weeks.

“The teachers were very knowledgeable,” Cheng said. “I learned a lot from the teachers about practicing and listening to the sound of your playing.”

For Cheng, free time at the camp was limited; he was typically free only at night, and lights-out was at 10:45 p.m. Still, he managed to squeeze in a handful of fun activities, including a trip to McCormick’s Creek State Park. But he conceded that this camp is really meant for “serious” musicians — “people who are willing to spend part of the summer simply on piano.”

“The other students were all very good and took piano seriously,” Cheng said.

So if you find hours at a piano somewhat daunting, perhaps your peers’ drive to practice will rub off on you. Plus, the camp hosts four student recitals for you to show your talent.

“The camp exposed me to a lot of good piano playing. It was a serious experience that gave me a lot more knowledge of piano.”

Indeed, as Gargoyle reporter Danny Ge recently discovered, Cheng has become a certified virtuoso.

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Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy (MMLA)

Students at this month-long foreign language program uphold a “language pledge”: practically no English allowed, even outside of class.

English books are confiscated; cell phones and iPods are prohibited, all in an effort to accelerate learning a foreign language. (Participants can call family and friends in English only for a few minutes at designated times.)

Juniors Loic and Isaure Hostetter traveled to California this summer for an intensive, immersive program in Arabic. Their daily routines involved a morning and afternoon class, and some homework — the rest was free time.

“My friends and I would mainly just hang out under the ‘Arabic tree,’ the designated spot for convening before meals and at the beginning of free time,” Isaure said.

Sports and other standard free-time fare were also offered.

The no-English rule was a bit of a hassle, as some struggled to communicate an idea they didn’t know the Arabic words for. Among the most commonly uttered Arabic phrases was “How do you say...,” according to Isaure.

“The rule definitely made us learn Arabic more quickly,” she said. The program’s Web site likens the four-week program to a year-long high school course.

Of course, a camp like this isn’t for everyone. “You have to have a want to learn the language,” Loic emphasized. “You can’t just be forced into it.”

Isaure said that many people would find great value in this program, at least after they become accustomed to the environment.

“Lots of the campers got really homesick, because it is four weeks long, after all,” she noted.

If you’re up for the challenge, there’s a lot you can learn, even aside from the language.

“I think that being away from family for so long, and just learning to live and get along with a lot of other people really gives you a new appreciation for the things we take for granted at home,” Isaure said. “It really forces you, on a certain level, to be more mature.”

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National Young Leaders Conference (NYLC)

If you’re more into politics than science or foreign languages, consider this camp, a well-known six-day leadership program held in Washington, D.C.

It was one of two camps junior Brittany Scheid attended last summer, and she made it clear that she loved it.

“This was extremely worthwhile, and I might even go as far to add, a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she said.

Attendees are greeted at the airport upon arrival and are treated to private transportation throughout the program.

Scheduled events during the day included political simulations — “simulations of the president and his cabinet, dealing with global issues, and amending and voting on a bill in Congress.” Scheid found these activities invigorating.

“All of the kids I met were very smart and knowledgeable in current issues,” she said. “Most were very willing to learn and to express their own opinions in heated debate.”

The simulations weren’t the program’s sole offerings, however. Just as with every other camp, this one set aside time for fun.

“We did a lot of sightseeing” around the city, Scheid said, as well as “a game night, a movie night, a formal dance, and a talent show, which was very impressive.”

Toward the end of the session, the program hosted a model congress, which Scheid felt she learned a lot from. Against her personal political views, she was assigned to the Republican committee and had to make decisions from the point of view of the GOP.

“I thought that it would be hard to argue for the Republican side,” Scheid said. “But as I looked over the material, I was able to understand the Republican perspective. Though I might not completely have agreed with it, I had more of an understanding of where they were coming from. So I guess you could say it was a broadening of my views.”

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National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine (NYLF/MED)

A perennially popular choice among Uni students, this residential, 10-day program partners with hospitals and universities to provide students a look at the ins and outs of the medical industry.

Qualified students (with at least a B+ grade average) can choose from any of the sessions hosted at medical centers across eight major U.S. cities.

This past summer, seniors Cheng Luo and Gordon Ruan both attended NYLF/MED in Chicago. In separate interviews, both agreed that the camp is a wonderful choice for potential college premeds to gauge their interest in the field.

“I learned a lot about the field of medicine,” Luo said, highlighting in particular the experience of shadowing doctors at local hospitals. “It was just a great opportunity for me to get to see what being a doctor is really like.”

Other scheduled events Luo attended included discussions on medical ethics and a live video of a knee replacement surgery. “Anybody who is interested in the field of medicine” would enjoy the activities, he said.

On the other hand, if medicine isn’t your calling, you might discover that at NYLF/MED.

“A lot of people decided they didn’t want to go into medicine after going through this,” Luo observed.

Ruan, however, noted that the phenomenon of losing interest wasn’t a fault of the program: “Becoming a doctor ... is a huge decision to make, [and] going to this camp will help people decide whether or not going in the medical direction is the right fit for them.”

There’s never a paucity of medicine-related activities at NYLF/MED, but in case students tire of scientific talk, a host of other activities were arranged. “There were lots of fun things to do,” according to Ruan; one of these was a trip to the nearby Six Flags Great America.

At the end of each day, attendees have air-conditioned dorms and reasonably good dining hall food to look forward to.

“I would definitely recommend this camp to anyone who is interested in pursuing a medical career,” Ruan said.

Luo echoed those sentiments: “Overall, I had a lot of fun. It’s a lot of hard work, but there are also a lot of fun activities.”

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Northwestern University Center for Talent Development (CTD) Summer Program

At this camp, students gain access to many of Northwestern’s facilities, such as the library, computer services, and recreational centers.

Outside of class, students can trek off-campus sans supervision into downtown Chicago and other nearby attractions.

Senior Arif Nelson attended the camp two summers ago, having heard about it from his sister.

Nelson enrolled in the Engineering Design Honors course, which primarily involved a major project: designing a basic prosthetic arm. It sounds challenging, but it’s no impossible task for the smart group of people at this program.

“We had to do our research and figure out which tools would work best for the task,” Nelson recalled. “At the end, after we had finished, we had an open house sort of thing — each team presented their arm.”

Residential campers retreat to their dorms after class, where Nelson said he often played cards with his friends. Other planned activities, such as a trip to Six Flags, was also offered.

“We were pretty free to do whatever we liked,” Nelson said. “Evanston was just a short walk away, and we could go there as long as we were back before the curfew.”

Back on campus, the dorms themselves were “fairly good,” equipped with “free Internet and air conditioning, which was nice,” Nelson said.

On the other hand, dining hall fare wasn’t something to write home about — all the “pizza, macaroni and cheese, and hash browns” were just “OK.”

Don’t let those minor issues turn you away, though.

“Pretty much anyone would have a nice time there,” Nelson said.

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Telluride Association Summer Program (TASP)

This highly prestigious, highly selective program is an academic utopia for rising seniors.

Each six-week session is led by university professors and involves discussions and seminars on an intellectually stimulating theme.

The Telluride Association sponsors multiple sessions each summer; each one is centered around a unique, specific topic.

Uni alum Martin Geiger (Class of 2007) attended a TASP session at Cornell University in 2006. He found the program remarkable from start to finish.

Even the applicant selection process rivaled college applications in complexity: Geiger had to write several essays and interview with a professor before he was accepted to the program. The intricacy of the application process carried over to the program itself, though that certainly wasn’t a bad thing.

“I found it fairly rigorous, but far from impossible,” Geiger said. “Seminar met for three hours a day every weekday, and the discussion was conducted on a level equal to most of my college classes so far. Readings took several hours each day, and we also had to write two or three papers, but there were no grades, and people didn’t seem stressed by the academic program in general.”

As a matter of fact, “the vast majority of the people there were very happy to be there.”

Despite the academic demands, there was plenty of time for fun.

“We had parties, went to movies, went canoeing, had a talent show, and anything else we could think of. We had a particularly good time taking a trip to a state park — hiking, wading and swimming under a waterfall, and getting really sunburned.”

This was all in the company of extremely talented people.

“They were all very different,” Geiger said. “They came from across the country and around the world, and what I remember most clearly is how well-developed their interests were. The other students all brought interesting experiences and ideas that ranged from hard sciences to novel writing, but they all found ways to share their skills with the other people there.”

The professors were similarly extraordinary. Geiger recalled them as “very enthusiastic about the students and the class they were teaching.” Likewise, the RAs (known at the program as “factota“) “really enjoyed the program and liked leading it.”

So what did Geiger get out of the program?

“I think I learned how a college seminar works, which was incredibly helpful for my freshman year [at Cornell]. But I learned a lot more about community dynamics and governance. Trying to turn 32 people who’ve never met into a cohesive community that can make its own decisions is a fascinating process, and I really gained in maturity and people skills from it.

“I think people who want to do the program have to be prepared to think about community life and ready to live in a group — TASP makes you think about social interaction in ways that many people haven’t had to before. You also have to be ready to give up six weeks to take a class, but I think it’s far more fun than work.”

Geiger’s last sentence holds true even if none of TASP’s relatively limited selection of topics instantly appeals to you: “A lot of former attendees discover new interests through the program, and the process of learning and living in a small group is fun no matter what the topic is.”

Students interested in TASP can also dismiss their financial worries — the program’s tuition, housing, and dining are all free, and further financial aid is available for those with demonstrated need.

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Tesomas Scout Camp: Apostle Islands Sea Kayaking Adventure

For the more adventurous, outdoorsy types, sophomore Adam Joseph thinks the programs of Camp Tesomas are worth serious consideration.

The program Joseph chose was a kayaking trek in Wisconsin’s Apostle Islands, and in a nutshell, it was “amazing.”

“We did nearly 25 miles of kayaking in the week and spent one day exploring an island,” Joseph pleasantly recalled.

“On one of the days of the trip we went and explored the sea caves off of Sand Island. That was absolutely amazing, going through all of the caves — which you could actually go through, not just go in.”

Generally, each day was packed with an array of scheduled events, but evenings were more laid back, set aside for miscellaneous supplementary activities.

“[They were] a way to do extra things ... we had social campfires, used GPS, learned some survival and backpacking activities, [and learned] how to turn over and then get back into a kayak. The program wasn’t scheduled down to the minute, but it was listed what we would do each day.

“One of the days we went around the perimeter of an island, and there were some sea caves you can actually go in. And we stopped on a beach just past the sea caves, had lunch, and hiked to a lighthouse — and that was pretty much what an exploration day involved. It was really cool, even though it was a bit nerve-racking. But it was really good. That was really one of the highlights of the trip, seeing the sea caves.”

As far as memories go, the sea cave adventure was far from the only one. Among other things, Joseph recalled nearly drifting away while clinging to his kayak in Lake Superior, traversing lofty waves, and the feelings of satisfaction after doing it all.

“This was a one-of-a-kind experience,” Joseph said. “I learned perseverance and [developed] quite a lot more confidence.”

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Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering: Exploring Your Options (EYO)

Conveniently hosted at the University of Illinois, this week-long residential program aims to introduce students to the field of engineering.

With assistance from U of I engineering students and faculty, participants build projects and engage in engineering-related hands-on activities.

EYO was one of two programs junior Britanny Scheid attended last summer (the other was the aforementioned NYLC).

She chose EYO out of an interest in math and science, as well as an interest to know more about specific concentrations within engineering.

“Since engineering is such a broad focus, it's important to learn about all types,” she said.

The camp made use of University resources for both scheduled activities and for leisure. Each day started in an Engineering College building, Scheid said.

“We would talk to undergrads, grads, teachers, and researchers about their engineering field,” she said. “I also enjoyed the fact that this camp gave a ‘sampling’ of the different engineering fields. … I thought that the way this camp covered much of the broad area that we call ’engineering’ was very effective in showing that almost anything involves engineering and that it can be combined with many other fields.”

Relaxation and on-campus recreation are available for campers at the end of each day: “After dinner we would do something fun, such as going to swim at CRCE or going to the Illini Union to bowl.”

Scheid encourages students to give the camp a try.

“I would recommend this to both guys and girls (especially girls because the field of engineering is lacking in that gender and we need more of a representation) who are interested in math, science, engineering, or who are just willing to try something new. You don’t need to have a very strong background in math or science to go; you just might appreciate it more,” Scheid said.

“I actually enjoyed the camp so much that I attended it again. This year was my second year, and though many activities remained the same, it was good to go again, especially with college in the back of my mind.”

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Columbia University Summer Program for High School Students

I settled on this three-week program last summer after searching for a place where I could take introductory classes to get a general overview of the business world. (Business was one of many available options.)

Just like everyone I interviewed for this article, I, too, found my summer experience infinitely exciting.

Each weekday consisted of four hours of class, and there were no further requirements. Aside from attending class every day, I had no constraints — I was free to go wherever I wanted, and in New York City, that was an incredible freedom.

In my classes, I received instruction from both a Columbia professor of economics as well as a graduate student in the university’s business school. They were both knowledgeable, friendly, and all-around excellent teachers; they were enthusiastic about working with us.

Over the course of the three weeks, I felt like I’d received a solid introduction to business topics and had confirmed my interests in the field.

As far as extracurricular life went, New York City offered a stunning wealth of opportunities. I didn’t find the area immediately surrounding Columbia’s campus to be very appealing, but downtown Manhattan is just 15 to 20 minutes away via subway. Camp personnel often hosted outings to popular destinations.

In nearly every aspect, this camp exceeded all of my high expectations. Even the dorm food, which I’d often heard was horrid, turned out to be decent. Of course, those who found it inedible had endless off-campus options.

Speaking of off-campus, this program allows participants a choice between campus housing or staying elsewhere. By staying with a friend who lived nearby, I saved nearly $3,000 — so if you’re already interested in this program and if you know someone in the area whom you can stay with for three weeks, Columbia should be one of your top considerations this summer.

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Find a program here that piques your interest? Get started on applying soon, as deadlines are fast approaching, even if summer feels far away. Be aware that some apps require essays and recommendation letters, too, so make sure you plan ahead. All the hassle will be worth it — as you've seen throughout this article, you'll likely enjoy your camp experience more than you could ever imagine.

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