Episode Description:
In Episode 22 of Drop In, Lisa and Josh tackle a question families start asking much earlier than they expect: What should my kiddo actually do this summer?
Underneath that question is usually another one. If we choose the “wrong” summer activity, are we putting them behind?
Consider two students. One spends the summer scooping ice cream. Another spends three weeks at a prestigious college summer program. Which student had the better summer?
The answer is not nearly as simple as the college logo on the brochure.
Lisa and Josh break down how families can evaluate summer programs, jobs, volunteering, research, classes, shadowing, family responsibilities, and the many other ways a teenager might spend June, July, and August. The goal is not to build the most impressive-looking summer. It is to help a student learn something, take responsibility for something, or explore an interest in a way that actually means something to them.
Our companion article, What's Actually Worth Doing This Summer? A Summer Planning Guide for High School Students and Parents, goes further into when families should start planning, how students can find internships and jobs, and what summer planning can look like at different grade levels. Our earlier guide, Maximizing Your Summer Break, focuses more broadly on why jobs, community involvement, personal projects, academic enrichment, and genuine curiosity can all become meaningful parts of a student's college story.
Start With What Your Kiddo Actually Wants to Learn
Before opening another spreadsheet tab, ask your student a better question:
What would you like to find out this summer?
Maybe they love biology but have no idea whether they would enjoy working in a lab. Maybe they think they want to study law and come home from a mock trial program saying, “Absolutely not.”
That can still be an excellent summer.
Sometimes learning what you do not want is just as valuable as confirming what you do want. A summer experience does not need to produce a new major, career goal, or activity-list line to have been worthwhile.
Are College Summer Programs Worth It?
Sometimes.
A college summer program can be a great fit if a student wants access to equipment they do not have at school, serious feedback on their writing, a chance to explore a subject in more depth, or an opportunity to experience living away from home.
But before paying thousands of dollars, ask what students are actually doing.
What does a typical day look like? How much time will students spend doing the thing they signed up to do? Who gives them feedback? Do students get to revise, try again, make something, or solve a real problem?
And then ask a separate question:
Does attending this program actually help with undergraduate admission?
Do not assume the answer is yes simply because the program takes place on a famous campus.
Cover Up the College Name
This may be one of the easiest tests families can use.
Cover up the college name and ask:
Would my kiddo still want to do this?
If the answer is yes because they love the subject, want to live away from home, want feedback on their writing, or want access to something they cannot experience locally, great. Now you have a real reason to consider the program.
If the biggest draw disappears when you cover the university logo, that tells you something too.
Lisa and Josh discuss programs including COSMOS, Research Science Institute, Iowa Young Writers' Studio, Yale Young Global Scholars, and UChicago summer programs. Each offers something different, which is exactly the point. The right question is not which program has the most recognizable name. It is which experience fits the actual student.
Do Summer Jobs Count?
Absolutely.
A teenager may tell you, “I just worked at an ice cream shop.”
But maybe that student closed three nights a week, reconciled the register, trained two new employees, handled unhappy customers, and learned what to do when something went wrong during a rush.
That is not “just” a summer job.
Students often leave out the most interesting details because those details feel ordinary to them. The same thing happens with babysitting, lifeguarding, retail, restaurant work, landscaping, family responsibilities, and other jobs that may not sound glamorous on the surface.
What did someone trust you to do? What became easier by August than it was in June? What went wrong, and what did you do next?
Those answers tell us much more than the job title.
Sibling Care and Family Responsibilities Count Too
A student who spends afternoons picking up a younger sibling, making dinner, or helping because their family needs the support is doing something meaningful.
That time matters.
Instead of describing it simply as “watched my brother,” give the commitment some shape. Who depended on the student? How often? What responsibilities did they handle?
The same applies to a student who needs to work because their family needs the income. College planning should reflect the life the student is actually living, not some imaginary version of what a “perfect” summer is supposed to look like.
Community Involvement Does Not Need to Start With a Big Project
Students do not need to invent an organization every summer.
If you want to do something in your community, start with someone who is already doing the work.
Maybe a student loves video and the local library runs a teen program. Ask the librarian what is difficult to explain to new families. Maybe the answer leads to a video project. Maybe it turns out the library does not need a video at all and needs help with something completely different.
That is useful information too.
Ask first. Listen. Then build.
Give the Experience a Second Step
Shadowing someone, taking an online course, or attending a program can be useful, but the experience becomes much more interesting when a student does something with what they learned.
A student might shadow a graphic designer and watch them revise a flyer after getting client feedback. When they get home, could they take one of their own designs, show it to someone who might actually use it, and find out where that person gets stuck?
One person. One project. One follow-up question.
And yes, they can still go to the beach afterward.
Please leave some summer in summer.
Some Programs Are Worth Knowing About
For a California student considering COSMOS, Josh suggests starting with the STEM clusters rather than the campus name. Which topic would the student choose if the UC name disappeared?
For a junior interested in serious research, Research Science Institute is another example. The 2027 RSI application is open through December 11, 2026, and the program is cost-free for participating students.
For students who write on their own and genuinely want other people to critique their work, Iowa Young Writers' Studio offers an immersive writing experience built around feedback and revision.
Yale Young Global Scholars brings together students from around the world for academic sessions built around collaborative learning and discussion.
And UChicago offers another wrinkle. Students who complete eligible pre-college summer programs may qualify for its binding Summer Student Early Notification option, sometimes referred to as ED0. That creates an admissions option, but Lisa and Josh would still evaluate the summer program itself separately from the later admissions opportunity.
Have Two Summer Plans You Would Actually Be Happy With
Lisa and Josh like students to have two plans.
Plan A might depend on being admitted to a competitive summer program.
Plan B could be a job, a volunteer role, a local class, a personal project, or another experience the student can begin setting up now.
That way, when the program acceptance arrives, the student has a real decision to make instead of feeling as though one option is automatically the “good” one.
And sometimes the most mature answer is:
“I got into the program, but I still want the lifeguard job.”
That is okay.
In fact, that student may have learned exactly what they needed to learn.
What Makes a Summer Meaningful?
By the end of summer, Lisa and Josh want a student to be able to tell you something they could not have told you in June.
Maybe:
“I thought I wanted to design the thing. It turns out I like figuring out why it broke.”
Or:
“I thought I hated talking to customers. It got easier once I knew what to say.”
Those are useful discoveries.
If your student is applying to college in the fall, write down some of the details while they are still fresh. What went wrong? What did they try the second time? What surprised them?
Later, you can decide whether any of those stories belong in an application.
And Parents, Leave a Little Room for Your Kiddo to Surprise You
You can set the budget. You can explain when the car is available. You can help keep track of deadlines.
But give your student at least one meaningful decision that is actually theirs.
Then in August, ask:
If you could do the summer over again, what would you do differently?
And listen to the answer.
Maybe they would take fewer closing shifts so they could see their friends more often. Maybe they would choose the job over the program again. Maybe they discovered something they want to keep doing during the school year.
That is learning too.
If your family is trying to figure out what your kiddo should actually do this summer, which programs are worth the money, or what opportunities fit their interests and goals, connect with Lisa and Josh at Decision Drop.
In This Episode
How to choose a meaningful summer experience
College summer programs versus summer jobs
Whether prestigious summer programs help with admission
How to evaluate a summer program before paying
What questions families should ask summer programs
Jobs, volunteering, sibling care, and other underrated summer options
How students can create meaningful community projects
COSMOS, RSI, Iowa Young Writers' Studio, Yale Young Global Scholars, and UChicago summer programs
Why students should have two summer plans
How to turn summer experiences into meaningful application stories
Why students still need some actual summer in their summer
🎙️ Also available on: Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | iHeart
Top Questions Answered in this Episode
What should high school students do during the summer?
There is no single summer activity that every high school student should do. A meaningful summer might include a job, volunteering, research, a class, a summer program, caring for siblings, a personal project, shadowing someone, or simply going deeper into an existing interest. The best choice depends on what the student wants to learn, explore, or take responsibility for.
Are college summer programs worth the money?
They can be, but families should evaluate what students will actually do before paying. Ask what a typical day looks like, how much time students spend doing the advertised activity, who provides feedback, whether students create or revise real work, and what the student hopes to gain from the experience. A famous college name alone does not make a program worthwhile.
Do college summer programs help students get admitted to that college?
Families should not assume that attending a summer program improves a student's chances of undergraduate admission. The relationship between summer participation and admissions varies by program and institution. Students should check what the college itself says about the program rather than treating a university logo as evidence of an admissions advantage.
Is a summer job good for college applications?
Yes. Summer jobs can demonstrate responsibility, reliability, maturity, leadership, communication, and problem-solving. A student who works in food service, retail, childcare, lifeguarding, or another ordinary job may develop substantial responsibilities over the summer. What matters is not simply the job title, but what the student was trusted to do and what they learned.
Do family responsibilities like caring for siblings count as an activity?
Yes. Caring for siblings, helping with household responsibilities, or working because a family needs the income can represent a significant commitment of time and responsibility. Students should describe what they actually did, how often they did it, and who depended on them instead of assuming that family responsibilities do not count because they were not part of a formal organization.
How can families tell whether a summer program is a good fit?
Start by covering up the name of the college or organization and asking whether the student would still want the experience. Then look closely at the daily schedule, instruction, feedback, project opportunities, cost, financial aid, living arrangements, and what the student hopes to learn. The strongest program is the one that fits the student, not necessarily the one with the most famous name.
Should high school students have a backup summer plan?
Yes. Lisa and Josh recommend having two summer plans that a student would genuinely be happy with. One may depend on admission to a competitive program, while the other could involve a job, volunteer role, local course, community project, or another opportunity that is more within the student's control.
How can a summer experience help with college applications?
Summer experiences can give students useful material for activities descriptions, supplemental essays, and personal statements, but that should not be the only reason for doing them. The most useful stories usually come from real moments of responsibility, curiosity, failure, problem-solving, or growth. Students should record specific details while the experience is fresh and decide later whether they belong in an application.
Chapters
00:00 – What Should High School Students Do This Summer?
02:09 – Start With What Your Kid Wants to Learn
04:15 – How to Tell If a Summer Program Is Actually Worth It
06:05 – Why a Summer Job Can Be Just as Valuable
08:12 – Jobs, Sibling Care & Community Involvement All Count
10:16 – Summer Program Examples: COSMOS, RSI, Iowa & YYGS
12:00 – UChicago Summer Programs & ED0
12:44 – Build Two Summer Plans You’d Actually Be Happy With
14:08 – Lightning Round: Summer Program Edition
16:50 – Hot Take: Ice Cream Shop Over Fancy Summer Program
18:49 – Drop the Mic: What Did Your Kid Actually Learn?
20:47 – Next Week: College in Rome with Temple University Rome
Read the Full Episode 22 Transcript
Josh (00:20)
Every week we drop the noise and drop some knowledge.
Lisa (00:22)
Drop the stress.
Welcome to the Drop In, the College Admissions podcast by Decision Drop. If you want to learn more about our services or have Josh and I guide your family through this process personally, head over to decisiondrop.com and check us out. And please don't forget to like and subscribe.
Josh (00:41)
I'm Josh.
Lisa (00:41)
I'm Lisa. Let's go!
Josh (00:45)
Alrighty, smooth intro there. Let's get into it. So Lisa, it's November. There's a chill in the air. Well, okay, not actually where we're from, in Houston and Florida respectively, but I'm sure there's a chill in the air somewhere where someone's listening to this. And somebody has already opened a spreadsheet called Summer.
Lisa (00:49)
Let's get into it.
And summer has tabs, Josh. Like all the colored tabs.
Josh (01:13)
Yes, and if they're as organized as you are, somewhere in that spreadsheet is a summer program on a famous college campus.
Lisa (01:20)
With a beautiful brochure. And for that price, I truly hope that the sweatshirt is 100% included.
Josh (01:28)
Yeah, it better be like you never have to wash it. But the question that we get a lot around this topic, Lisa, is what should my kid do next summer?
And usually when parents ask that question, they're actually asking another question, which is basically, if we choose wrong, are we gonna put our student behind? Are we harming them in some way?
Lisa
Right, so think about it this way. Let's talk about two different kiddos. One spends the summer scooping ice cream, while the other spends three weeks on a college campus. So which kid do you think had the better summer?
Josh (02:04)
Personally, I'd wanna hear each of those kids talk about their summer experiences for about 30 seconds.
Lisa (02:09)
Exactly. So it's your lucky day, y'all, because this is what you tuned in for. We're gonna do just that.
Before anybody opens up another tab, and you know that was hard for me to say, you need to ask your kiddo, what would you like to find out this summer?
Maybe they say, you know what, I like biology, but I have no idea what people who work in biology actually do. Great. We can actually work with that.
Josh (02:39)
I'd get even more specific. Talking with the student, do you wanna know whether you like working in a lab? Whether you'd rather be out in the field somewhere? Whether you like staring at a spreadsheet trying to figure out why the data you've been collecting doesn't work?
All three of those kinds of examples can start with, I like biology.
Lisa (02:55)
And your kiddo is allowed to come back and say, I love biology, yet I never want to even see another sample again. Because I would call that a successful experiment.
Josh (03:09)
Exactly.
Let's take another kid. We might have a kid who already spends Saturdays counting birds, right? Birding is a thing. It's peaceful and you can certainly learn a lot.
Lisa (03:16)
I love that obscure reference. Love it. Let's ride this out, okay?
Josh (03:26)
That student may have a notebook, a favorite trail, they could have opinions about different brands of binoculars. So I'd ask that student, what have you noticed while you're out here that you can't explain yet?
Lisa
And parents, give them a second to answer that question. I know we feel like that silence feels like an invitation, but it's not.
Put on your listening ears, as a callback to Mary O'Malley. Put on your listening ears and really hear the answer they give.
Josh (03:55)
Super important, because maybe they've noticed fewer birds on one stretch of the trail. Now you have a reason to talk to somebody at the parks department. They can go and take a field methods class. They can go back at the same time each week and see if there are any changes.
Those kinds of questions give the student a way to decide which opportunity might actually be worth their time.
Lisa (04:15)
And I like the summer program when I can tell you what it gives your kid.
Maybe it is access to equipment that their school doesn't have. Maybe it is serious feedback on their writing. Maybe they want to try living away from home before they really narrow down that college list.
Those are three perfectly good reasons, and I'd shop for each of those differently based on their answers.
Josh (04:48)
And here's a great brochure test. Ask the particular program, walk me through a typical day. What will your student do before lunch? Who sees their work?
If the answer is, "We do hands-on learning with world-class faculty," then I'd ask again. How much time are students actually doing the work? Who gives them feedback? Do they get to try again if they mess up?
Lisa
The last one. I think I'd want to know, can my kid hand in a messy first draft, hear why it's confusing, and then sit down and fix it? I think that would be the most helpful.
Josh (05:25)
And I'd ask two separate questions. Who gets admitted to the summer program? And what does the college actually say about how summer participation factors into undergraduate admissions?
A program can admit most students who can pay and offer good instruction, but a selective program can still potentially be a poor fit for your student.
Lisa (05:45)
So cover up the college name and finish this sentence: We're spending this money because our kiddo wants to...
If your answer is, see how it feels to live in a dorm, great. Then you can decide what that experience is worth for everybody once they agree on it.
Josh (06:05)
Let's go back to the ice cream shop we talked about at the beginning.
Here are two ways the same student might describe that job. One is: worked at a local ice cream shop and developed leadership skills.
Another way is: worked closing shifts three nights a week, reconciled the register, and trained two new hires.
On the second one, I can picture what the manager trusted the student to do.
Lisa
And then I can also picture a parent saying, wait, they trusted you to count the money? You told me all you did was scoop ice cream.
Josh (06:36)
Yes, and that's actually a really great example because teenagers leave out the best details because those details can sometimes feel ordinary to them.
It's the same with the summer program. They can describe it as attended a research program. That tells me where you were.
Or you could say, my first measurements were all over the place, so I changed how I collected them and tried again. That tells me how you worked.
Lisa (06:59)
And I think we see this all the time with everything kids do.
Sometimes we say, listen, you're an amazing human, and it's really hard to brag about yourself. What you think is just a normal day is a normal day to you, but there's so much more that you can dig into.
Parents, if this happens, maybe in the car on the way home, you could try asking, what did you do today, or what did you learn today, that you couldn't handle at first but now you can handle?
It's probably better than asking, how was it?
Parents need to learn to ask an even deeper question, not just a surface-level question.
And then if they hear you and say, hey, can we get Whataburger, go get Whataburger. I know I had to bring that back. Then you can circle back to the question again.
If you ask the question and they don't want to answer it right off the bat, that's okay. Still ask it again. Revisit.
Josh (07:51)
And the same goes for a student who is responsible for watching siblings or who works because their family needs the income.
When you describe the commitment, give it some shape. Picked up my brother every weekday, made him dinner, and kept him occupied until my mom got home.
That can help someone understand how you spent those afternoons and who depended on you.
Lisa (08:12)
My gosh, yes, Josh. If we have kiddos listening right now, you could even be thinking, wait, picking up my brother counts?
Yes, 1000%.
Because what you might think of as just what you do after school, think about it from your brother's standpoint. Your brother knows who's going to be there when the bell rings.
And that is okay if that's how you spent your entire summer. In fact, I love that.
If you want to do something in your community, start with someone who's already doing the work.
Let's say you love making videos and your library has a teen program. Go ask the librarian, what do you wish more families knew about?
Maybe then you could make a quick video that shows what a student or teenager should expect the first time they walk into the library.
Josh (09:07)
And potentially if the librarian says, everybody knows where we are, they just can't find the registration form, well, you just saved yourself six weeks of making the wrong video.
Lisa (09:17)
Right, which is also a great outcome because you asked the question, you heard the answer, and then you changed your plan.
Adults struggle with this, Josh. So I think if we can model it for our own kiddos, it's always gonna help.
Josh (09:32)
Exactly. And if your teen is taking an online course or they're shadowing someone, give that experience a second step.
A kid can shadow a graphic designer and watch them revise a flyer after a client meeting. When they get home, can they take one of their own designs, show it to someone who actually might use it, and find out where that person gets stuck?
Lisa
Right. One person, one flyer. You can do all of that and still go to the beach.
Because we want everybody to remember a summer should still have summer in it. Do something for you. Parents, listen to that. Your kids can do something for them.
Josh (10:04)
Exactly. That's super important as well. There still needs to be time in the summer for actual summer, not just work, work, work, work, work.
All right, let's talk a little bit about some programs.
For a California student who's considering COSMOS, I'd start with the actual STEM clusters. Which one would you pick if we covered up the campus names? What would you want to work on?
That's a much better conversation than, which UC sweatshirt do you want?
Lisa (10:34)
Or for a junior who is ready to spend weeks wrestling with a research question, there's the Research Science Institute.
The cost is free, but here's the little catch, y'all. The 2027 application is actually due December 11th, which I know is coming up.
If that's something you're interested in, maybe ask yourself, tell me about a time a result truly surprised me. And then what did you do next?
Because that's the most important part. That gets us into thinking, okay, this is the kind of work you're signing up for.
Josh (11:06)
And the Iowa Young Writers' Studio is another program I'd like to bring up, particularly for students who write on their own or who want other people to read their work closely.
How would it feel to have someone say, I lost track of this character halfway through?
If part of you wants to go home and fix the scene, that's something there.
Lisa
Right. I like this.
How about Yale Young Global Scholars? Think about small group discussions. What's the subject that you get excited about talking about with other students who come from all different types of places?
Picture yourself in that room for a minute. What would you want to ask?
I really like this one because you do get to meet different humans from all over.
To me, that's the most important part. Yes, the small group discussions with like-minded students, but the fact that you get to draw from different types of humans, even better. To me, that is a win-win.
Josh (11:54)
Let's talk about UChicago because they have a specific program that's worth knowing about.
Students who complete an eligible program can apply in their senior year through a binding early option called ED0.
I know we already have ED1 and ED2, and now we're adding ED0 onto the pile.
Eligibility gives you an application route. Before I talk through using it with a family, I'd want to know whether the student will be ready to commit to UChicago and whether the numbers work.
I'd have that conversation separately from whether the summer program is actually worth doing.
Lisa (12:31)
Right. So parents, if you take anything from this podcast, remember, pick the program that fits your actual kiddo.
Put the official deadlines, the cost, the financial aid dates all on our beautiful spreadsheet, and then go from there.
Josh (12:44)
And in terms of figuring this out and making decisions, I like giving students two summer plans that they'd genuinely be happy with.
One might depend on getting into a program. What could they start setting up now that's more in their control?
Lisa
And then please give them a second to plan some.
If your kiddo wants that pool job or a lifeguard job, find out when the pool hires. And if they want to make that video for the library, go ask the librarian.
By the time those answers come back from a program, you want to have those two things so they can picture it.
Apply for the program, maybe go check the lifeguard job, do the stuff for the community. Get those answers, then your program will come back and then you get to decide. We have A and we have B.
Josh (13:27)
And if they do get in, ask them some questions.
What would you have to give up to say yes to this program or yes to this job?
Shifts, spending time with your friends, a team commitment if you're playing a sport, money that you may have planned to save or earn.
Acceptance to a program gives you a real decision to make.
Lisa
And I think the adult decision for a kiddo is, I would love for them to say, you know what? I got into this amazing program, and then I thought about it, and I still want to go be a lifeguard.
Because to me, that kid heard the different choices and then got to make their own choice, which I think is again a win-win.
Josh (14:07)
Bingo.
Lisa (14:08)
All right, Josh. Let's try this.
I know that we started doing the lightning rounds with our guests and I kind of miss it. Is that okay? I kind of do.
We're gonna see how this goes, y'all, between Josh and I.
I've already preempted Josh and told him that my brain is a little broken right now. So we'll see. Y'all are all along for the ride.
We're gonna bring this back, but we're gonna do summer program edition.
Josh
Right. They have to be quick questions, straight answers.
Lisa (14:36)
You kind of say that like I'm the problem, Josh.
Josh (14:41)
Go ahead, Lisa.
Lisa (14:44)
Okay, here we go. Let me ask you one first.
Same price: famous campus, or a chance to do something they are actually interested in?
Josh (14:58)
Do the thing you're interested in. If you're curious about filmmaking, I pick the program where you get to make an actual short film.
Lisa (15:05)
Even if it has a really cute sweater?
Josh (15:08)
Lisa, you can buy the sweatshirt online.
Josh (15:13)
All right, Lisa. Your kiddo says, I don't want to spend three weeks in a dorm. What do you say?
Lisa (15:18)
I would say, would you still want to do that program if you didn't have to spend the night?
Because that answer would tell me whether you want to attend the school for a day program, or we truly need to find something else.
I think you have to get down to the bottom of that.
I know that wasn't a very quick answer. I'm gonna get better at this. Quick-ish, right?
Josh (15:39)
Quick-ish.
Lisa (15:43)
Okay, so Josh, you get one question to ask a summer program before you put down the deposit. What would that question be?
Josh (15:51)
Can I see what a typical day looks like?
I want to know how much time students spend doing what they signed up for.
Lisa (15:57)
Good. Love that. Man, you're so good at this. I gotta get better.
Josh
All right. Here's your chance, Lisa.
Your student spends two weeks in a mock trial program and comes home saying, I never want to be a lawyer. Good summer?
Lisa (16:08)
Potentially excellent summer.
I would follow up with this though: Now tell me which part you hated.
Was it building the argument piece or getting up in front of everybody?
Because those are actually two very different questions and very different answers.
Josh (16:26)
Yeah. Well that was a follow-up question.
Lisa (16:29)
Josh, I am a college counselor, so there's always gonna be follow-up questions. I cannot help it.
Josh (16:34)
Well, let's see. I think the verdict on the lightning round is inconclusive. We're gonna have to keep doing these.
Lisa (16:41)
I know. But next week we have another special guest, so maybe it'll be better. Sorry, y'all.
Josh (16:46)
All right, teasing something for the end of the episode.
How about we segue into Hot Take or Hard Truth? Lisa, why don't you go first?
Lisa (16:53)
Okay. My hot take is that I'll take the ice cream shop over a fancy summer program if the shop is where your kid gets to be responsible for something real.
Picture a kid who used to call their parents anytime a grown-up sounded irritated. But by August, the freezer goes down in the middle of a rush, there's a line out the door, and they have to learn how to explain what's happening without making everybody upset.
Then their manager sees that and says, you know what? We love what you did. Now we would like you to show a new hire around. And then they get to learn how to close the store.
That is a very different teenager from when they started to where we are now.
Then you can ask them what they did this summer. They'll probably say, I scooped ice cream.
But they didn't. They did so much more.
Parents, I want you to hear the rest of that story before you decide if your kid needs something more impressive, because a lot of times they don't.
Josh (17:56)
Get them to open up.
So my hot take is that I'd rather see a teenager take one question seriously for six weeks than spend six weeks collecting things just to put on an activities list.
Let's say a kid loves basketball and they want to know why younger players stop showing up for Saturday pickup games.
They could spend July making a beautiful website for a new league. I'd send them to talk to five kids first.
Maybe the older players take over the court. So they try setting aside the first half hour for younger kids.
Then they ask the rec center if it's something they can keep doing.
Now I know how this student listens, what they do with an answer they didn't expect, and whether they can get other people to help.
Lisa (18:36)
And I also think that it's okay to ask, now that you've lived it, are you okay?
Their answer could be, no, that was terrible. I didn't like it.
But you still have to ask, parents. Keep that in mind.
All right. That was awesome, Josh.
Okay, so Drop the Mic. Gentleman's first.
Josh (18:48)
So mine is, think about the drive home on the last day of that student's summer program or job or whatever.
I want your student to be able to tell you something they couldn't have told you in June.
I thought I wanted to design the thing. Turns out I like figuring out why it broke.
I thought I hated talking to customers. It got easier once I knew what to say.
Those are good answers.
And if your student is applying to college in the fall, write down the details while they're fresh.
What broke? What did you say to the customer? What did you try the second time?
You can figure out later if any of it actually belongs in the application.
And if one of those answers gives you an idea for what to try in September, give yourself some room to follow up on it.
That's the part of summer you get to keep.
Lisa (19:40)
I love that, Josh. It's great to hear, and it's great to keep all of that in check.
Mine is gonna be for the parent with the spreadsheet, because you know who you are. I'm also one of those people, but parents, we see you.
Ask your kiddo which part of the plan they'd actually get up for on a Wednesday in July. Then give them one decision that is truly theirs.
You can set a budget. You can tell them when the car is available. Then they can pick a class, send the email, ask for another shift, or decide what they want to try with their free afternoon.
And then in August, going back to what Josh was saying, ask them: If you could do it all over again, would you do it differently?
And again, put your listening ears on. Really listen.
Even if the answer is, I'd take a few fewer closing shifts so I could see my friends, that kid just learned something about how they want to spend their time.
I'd love for your kid to surprise you with the answer. And I'd love even more for them to be surprised themselves.
Josh (20:47)
Excellent. All right, Lisa. We're gonna do a little tease. Well, you already started it unofficially. Took my thunder.
Next week on Drop In, we're packing our bags and we're gonna head to Rome.
Lisa (20:51)
I know. I said that and I can't put it back.
Sadly, y'all, it's virtually. I actually checked because I was like, look at Josh and I. We're gonna take this on the road.
Maybe sometime. Sponsors, we could get the budget for that. So if you're out there, just let us know and we'll look into that.
Josh (21:10)
We don't have the budget for that.
I would not turn down a trip to Rome, though.
Lisa (21:24)
Sorry, back to our guest for next week.
We are truly excited because we get to talk with Dean Emilia Zankina from Temple University Rome.
We're gonna talk about what it's like to spend your first year there through the Temple Rome Entry Year, or what it looks like to do all four years in the city.
We're gonna talk about the stuff that's harder to picture than what you can get on the brochure.
Who do you meet? What is it like to figure out a new city on your own? When does Rome start to feel like home?
I truly think this conversation might help some families picture a college experience they hadn't even considered before. And I cannot think of anyone better to have it.
Josh (22:10)
Because I want to hear about the ordinary day of the week.
You're 18, you've been there a month, and you have to get yourself to class. What does your day actually look like?
Lisa
Right, look at you, Josh. We're bringing those back.
What does your random Tuesday look like?
Josh (22:25)
But with an espresso this time.
Maybe we should get one and then drink it during the episode.
Lisa
Maybe. I'm not bringing an umbrella to the brainstorm.
I had to say that out loud because I'm thinking of the noise it's gonna make, but yeah, maybe we could just sip our espresso.
Josh (22:57)
That's right. We can get George Clooney to give us some of those Nespressos. Speaking of sponsorship, anyway.
Lisa (23:02)
There we go. We'll go back to that.
Remember, we are Decision Drop, making your college journey collaborative, simple, and most importantly, yours.
And that goes for your summer too. Whether your Tuesday takes you to the lab, the library, or behind the counter at that ice cream shop, we want it to be the Tuesday and the day that you choose.
If you want us in your corner to help you figure that out, head to decisiondrop.com and check us out.
Josh (23:29)
All right, thanks for dropping in, guys. We'll see y'all next week. And remember to like and subscribe.
Lisa (23:34)
Yes. Bye.
