<p>
I’ve heard there is a band of colleges where it will help. The most selective college, no. As already mentioned, this is trite and overdone. However their are many lower-tier colleges that really want to get kids willing to pay full-sticker. Parents that will pay for overseas trips in the hope they look good to adcoms are exactly the kind these colleges want to see; not too knowledgeable about college admissions (so they can be persuaded the college is doing them a favor by admitting their kid) and with a lot of disposable income. </p>