Summer Programs For University Students - What should high school students do to get in front of college admissions committees this summer? Complete list of the best summer programs for high school students
Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Pros and Cons of Attending Pre-College Summer Programs Part 3: List of Top Summer Programs for High School Students
Summer Programs For University Students
For many parents of high achievers, summer vacation is a difficult beast to manage. Of course, you want to give your child a chance to enjoy the sun, pool and sweets. But along with the beautiful view of summer comes the urgency of making sure your child is productive, which may leave you wondering: What summer activities should a gifted or talented teenager be looking for?
Short Term Programs
If you and your child are planning summer vacation, you may be looking for summer programs to expand your child's horizons and hopefully move them forward in the college admissions process.
Summer programs for high school students, especially preschool summer programs located on college campuses, have grown significantly over the past few decades to the point where there are now hundreds of programs to choose from. Offering an intense, upside-down experience that stands in stark contrast to some of the classic summer camp adventures with bunk beds and mosquitos. Many others promise that the ultimate teen summer (safe and supervised!) will be combined with opportunities that can challenge your child and add texture to their Common App essays and other college essays.
But with so many to choose from, how do you know which ones are worth the often extensive application process and often high price tag?
In this guide, we'll look at the pros and cons of attending preschool summer programs everywhere from Cambridge to Palo Alto, including the question on everyone's mind: Are these programs?
Summer Programs And Camps
Helping a child go to college? We will also provide an overview of the programs offered in the various departments and discuss other ways your child may choose to spend the summer.
Your child can spend their summer participating in a wilderness program, volunteering abroad, attending art camp, or participating in a special summer institute for extracurricular activities where they can hone skills like academic team, robotics, or debate.
However, the great generalist has seen a dramatic increase in the number of academically oriented "pre-college programs" on college campuses in recent decades. Before we dive into the pros and cons of preschool summer programs, here's a quick rundown of what these programs are all about.
Typically, although students are housed in on-campus dormitories, these programs aim to approximate the college experience through classes taught by professors or classes taught by visiting scholars (note: local students may commute instead). Programs often include lectures, networking events and opportunities to socialize with other participants, and can last anywhere from one to eight weeks.
Summer (camp) Reading Challenge
Although most elite colleges today offer pre-college summer programs, their individual selection and rigor vary quite a bit.
It's important to understand that in many cases, colleges lend their names and campuses to outside non-profit programs to make money from otherwise vacant spaces during the summer. In other cases, programs are organized by a separate university department or department, such as the School of Professional Studies, which has little to do with undergraduate academic standards and certainly no direct line to the admissions office.
While the quality of education can still be excellent, most students with solid academic records and the ability to pay full tuition will have a much better chance of being accepted into some of these programs. Less competition may be good news, but it also means that going to a summer program like Harvard doesn't offer nearly as much prestige or credit as getting into Harvard.
Some programs are considered prestigious and highly competitive.
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Short answer: probably not, at least not directly. Most pre-college summer programs have no impact on the undergraduate admissions practices of the host college and should certainly not be considered a back door to that school.
After all, college admissions officers are well aware of the high acceptance rates and price tags of many pre-med programs, and except for the most prestigious programs, they don't always look the part.
In one as a significant achievement. They may just take it as a sign that your family has money.
Summer Schools At Tu
However, attending a preschool program may still be worth your child's time. Note that many summer programs draw instructors from the host college's faculty and can still be academically challenging even in less selective programs. Additionally, having your child take a course that matches their existing interests and major will underline their confidence in the subject and enhance the profile they are trying to build on their college applications.
For example, if your child is interested in Russian and is learning the language because their high school doesn't offer it, an intensive course at the Bryn Moore Russian Language Institute is worth it if your family can afford it. It is
More important than program attendance, however, is how your child uses personal experiences and college applications. Russian nerds should come away from the program with a renewed passion for better Russians and perhaps Tolstoy. Their college essays during application season should reflect this
On that note, while this guide focuses primarily on academic pre-college programs, we recommend a similar approach if your child is interested in attending a non-academic summer program. Whether your child is looking for a service trip abroad or an intensive drama course, the program your child chooses should reflect that they are already interested and active.
Nyu Pre College Summer Program
(It shouldn't come as a surprise by now.) Their service reflects their genuine commitment and interest, and it doesn't come off as an unreasonable attempt to sound like a good person.
Like preschool summer programs, volunteering has its complications, especially when it comes to overseas service trips. While such trips are understandably popular – international travel is undeniably exciting, and volunteering in a developing country often seems like a safe way to stand out from the crowd – they run the risk of falling into the "flashy and expensive" trap we mentioned earlier. teenagers Because volunteer trips abroad usually only last a few weeks, which is usually not long enough to have a real impact, this raises ethical concerns about how you should treat the less fortunate.
Generally speaking, if your child wants to make community service one of their majors, we generally recommend staying closer to home, where they will have more opportunities to engage in long-term projects. This means they will have a deeper and more lasting impact on whatever they choose to do.
However, if your child has the opportunity to go abroad to work for a cause they really relate to, a business trip abroad
Harvard Summer School
This is doubly valuable if a trip abroad offers them opportunities that are not available in your area.
For example, if your child is active in environmental causes and wants to major in marine biology, they can apply to take a coral reef conservation trip to Mexico. Or if they are geopolitically inclined and interested in studying international relations, they could volunteer with an NGO that helps resettle refugees in Germany.
If your child decides to volunteer abroad, you'll want to carefully check the organization leading your child's trip (we've also got some suggestions below). Not only should you appreciate their policies and procedures regarding travel, security and surveillance, but we strongly recommend that their projects are run ethically and actually benefit the local community. A good volunteering program abroad should have clear goals, be well connected and invested in the local community, and promote local self-sufficiency.
Other volunteer opportunities abroad can be found with family members or family friends living abroad. For example, if your family emigrated from South Korea and keep in touch with family friends who run a senior center there, perhaps your child could volunteer with the elderly while visiting relatives in the summer. Not only are these scenarios free (minus travel expenses, of course), but your child can also have the opportunity to volunteer for an extended period of time, even an entire summer, greatly increasing the potential impact.
Business Summer Programs
Or, if your child has an interest in health and your family regularly visits relatives in India during the summer and winter holidays, it may be a good opportunity for your child to connect with a family friend who runs a health-related NGO or shows medical mission trips to the region. can
However, instead of just preparing your child for activities
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