We’ve written about the pros and cons of becoming a camp counselor in the past, but this post is more to focus on how to take something that’s bland (in this case, a job as a camp counselor) and make it stellar. Okay, “bland” might be a bit harsh, but let’s be honest here--colleges love students who pursue their academic interests in full, and being a camp counselor probably wasn’t the most intellectually stimulating time of your life. Are we right? Lots of funny and *deep* moments were had, we’re sure. But it’s not like you had the time or energy to debate the three key bills that need to pass in order to influence lasting criminal justice reform while you were making sure that 18 six-year-olds showed up to nature arts & crafts on time.
So, how do you make your camp counselor job look and sound good on college applications? Three key things to keep in mind if you want to package this correctly:
Don’t try to make it something that it’s not.
Don’t try to re-package your position as head counselor as a high-end management, operational, and logistical experience position. It’s camp. It’s been around for a long time and many people who will be reading your college applications have, at one point or another, been employed by a camp entity or organization of some sort. They will see right through your attempt to glorify or exaggerate the realities of your experience as a camp counselor. There are many aspects to highlight that are genuine, like how you promoted mentorship and positive group dynamics, improved the confidence of young folks, and helped foster a connection to the outdoors. Be real and focus on the smaller things that made the experience valuable.
Zoom in, not out.
We recommend that our students take a notebook with them on college tours. We’d recommend you do the same (if you’re reading this before you’ve started your camp counselor position) in an effort to jot down and remember the small interactions that you have/had at camp and why they were significant. Ultimately, the best essays are written about the smallest or seemingly insignificant interactions because they can be emotionally complex. So focus on the everyday truisms or routines that you found meaning in during your time as a camp counselor, and make sure that those are reflected in your application somewhere. What you learned from those interactions reveal the person who you are, and that’s what colleges are interested in most of all.
Find a way to highlight camp as a leadership experience.
We’re not saying that you should make up some kind of superficial title to try to over-legitimize your role, but with hundreds of kids running around there are inevitable moments when you had to and (hopefully) did rise to the occasion. Whether it was facilitating a rainy-day activity or comforting a group of broken youths post-color war loss, figure out a way to tell that story through the lens of “you saw a problem, you pooled your resources, and you helped solve that problem.” Colleges are eager to build a community of “do-ers” with a high level of awareness and a desire to create change. So, show them that side of you.
No matter what you have to offer on your college applications, it can be worked with so that it plays to your advantage by highlighting your personality. This is no exception. Isolate some crucial moments and tell those stories to the person reading your application. If the emotion behind the story is genuine, that will come through.
should you need some assistance or advice in to help develop your story.