Camp is super fun. We get it. We used to be big camp people too. Camp represents nostalgia, fun, independence, and is often a formative time for many. When you’re a camper, all you do is look up to the counselors and wish that you could be them. Tap your heels together and *poof* you’re 14-16 years old and you’re faced with the question: do I become a camp counselor? And of course, because you’re so incredibly conscientious and forward-thinking, your next thought is: but how does it look to colleges who are reviewing my application and resume? Spooky, right? How did we read your internal monologue so accurately?
Well, even if we were a bit off (or you’re a parent), we still want to guide your thinking on this a bit. How does being a counselor look on a college resume--good or bad? The TL;DR answer is: neither. Guess you’re going to have to read on.
Here is a brisk breakdown of the Pros and Cons of Being a Camp Counselor (written through the lens of a college admissions counselor):
Pros
Often, it’s paid work.
Colleges love students who work hard, and hard-earned cash fits the bill, particularly if you’re dedicated. Colleges know that working for money connotes a different set of circumstances and expectations than do internships. Paid work = good. If you’re considering doing volunteer work for camp, we’re going to move this to the “Con” category.
It’s proven responsibility.
If you’re putting it on your resume, we’re assuming that nothing horrible happened while you were a counselor, which means that you can handle and thrive in situations where others are relying on you.
Camp is exhausting.
We think it’s a good thing when students truly and fully commit to a job that is known to be physically and emotionally exhausting. It means they're all in. Let’s put it this way: you don’t have much to scroll through Instagram at camp (lest you risk your camper(s) running off into the woods), whereas there is lots of time for that at a desk job or internship.
Cons
Colleges know that camp is fun.
Unfortunately, the cat is out of the bag on this one. This isn’t quite “out of your comfort zone, pushing your academic and mental boundaries,” type of work. It’s fun. You’re probably hanging out with friends all day, playing sports, and splashing kids in the pool. While it’s not *all* fun, it’s pretty fun.
It doesn’t have to do with your academic interests.
Going off of the above, but a distinct point to make on its own: camp is likely not directly related to your academic interests (unless, maybe, you’re working at a camp for campers with special needs and you’re interested in special education, developmental psychology, or early education) which means that you’re going to have to work harder to show that you spend your free time effectively. Which might be hard because, leading into our next point...
Camp is exhausting.
Good in many ways, as stated above, camp also means that you’ll be so physically exhausted at the end of the day that you will likely not have time to: read, work on an independent project, write your college essays. We don’t love that, for obvious reasons. Ideally, you’re able to do something for work experience that is aligned with your academic interests, and if not, then you’re able to do something in addition to something academic or college application-related. If you want to take an 8-hour nap (aka a sleep) at 5pm upon return from camp each day, this might not be the best choice for your junior summer. It might be more acceptable for freshman or sophomore summer. Or the summer after your senior year before everything starts to matter for jobs (and adult life begins…dun dun dun).
As you can read, we’re pretty neutral on how a position as a camp counselor might play out for your college applications. Ultimately, we think that colleges agree with us that: it’s better than nothing, but not better than some things.
if you need help sorting out your internal monologue about camp.