As the high school years slip away in the blink of an eye, making the best college decisions hold a prominent place for both the child and parents. Because of the limited time available, it is important to maximize decision-making in order to achieve the most resourceful choices.

MARISSA ADLER

It was when I was a sophomore at Palmetto Senior High School that the subject of summer activities became the topic of discussion. The options of summer school, sleep away camp, teen tours, summer discovery programs, jobs, community service and family vacations were all under consideration. Although I was interested in the choices my friends would make, my parents' recommendations were of the utmost importance in the decision I would make. My parents were looking out for my best interests and together we wanted to figure out which activity would be the most beneficial.

Several of my friends chose to return to the familiar sleep away camp, which they attended in previous summers. Others made the decision to embark on a teen tour around the United States.

If you choose the teen tour route, there are different tour companies -- such as Musiker, Rein, Teen Tours of America, West Coast Connection, American Trails West and many more -- to select from. Then you must make the decision about how long you want to travel and what part of the country you want to see. The tours range from three weeks to six weeks and there are various options, such as touring the east coast, the west coast, the interior of the country from coast to coast, Europe and Alaska.

While many depart on these leisure trips with kids in their age group, others decide to work for the summer months. At this stage, money is an important factor when it comes to being able to buy such things as clothes and cars, or paying college expenses. Several of my friends' parents asked their children to work to aid the family financially. Some kids simply wanted to work in order to have a little extra cash to pay for their summer social activities.

Community service also is important to high school students. Graduation requirements in Miami-Dade County mandate at least 75 hours of community service. Because of the demands of colleges and the stiff competition, students are completing many more hours than the required minimum.

For me, when I narrowed everything down, I came to the conclusion that a college summer discovery program would be the most constructive and enjoyable activity. I decided on Musiker because it offers summer discovery programs at colleges such as Michigan, Vermont, Georgetown, UCLA, University of California and Cambridge. I decided on this program because it offered the opportunity to experience college life, travel to a place I've never been, interact with other kids my age, take weekend excursions and most importantly learn by taking college courses.

I chose the University of Michigan as my summer experience and I'll tell you all about it in this column when I return next month.

Marissa Adler is Pinecrest resident and entering her junior year at Palmetto Senior High School. She is on staff at the Palmetto Panther, the student newspaper, and is working as a summer intern columnist for the Pinecrest Tribune.