<p>Are they worth the cost?</p>
<p>If you mean do they give you a leg up with that host university’s admissions chances? No. Any meaningful summer pursuit is fine. If you really want to do it and money is easy to come by, they are solid programs. But as an admissions boost, they market it as such to snag parents – but it’s just not so.</p>
<p>Plus some summer programs are by for-profit companies who lease Ivy facililities (classrooms, dorms, dining halls) and hire profs – but actually don’t have any official sanction from the college itself.</p>
<p>I interviewed an applicant who had participated in some leadership pgm at my alma mater (which I could tell was only the host site – the pgm itself was by an outside company). She really emphasized her time there – I could see she was really hoping it made her stand out. It didn’t.</p>
<p>Sorry, I meant good to type on a Resume, not as a reference. Money is somewhat not much of an issue, though I wouldn’t want to spend it if Employers/Grad Schools wouldn’t care much for them. Also I don’t really mean to boost my admissions at the school(UPenn), but to have typed on Resume’s for employers or Non-Ivy schools like UVA, JHU, or any state school. Also I haven’t dorm my first two years of college and next year I’m transferring to Penn State in which I will dorm. I kinda want to have an summer experience beforehand though.</p>
<p>Also do you mean that I might not be getting the same Prof. or books where a student in the Fall/Spring semesters might?</p>
<p>Oh. I see what you mean. I thought you’re referring to programs designed for HS students. What you mean are school sponsored summer sessions. If you think you’d like the campus and can afford it, I think they’d be fine.</p>
<p>But I don’t think an employer would look at it any different than if you took summer classes in Shanghai or Rome or London or Stanford.</p>
<p>Do you think it would make much of a difference if I took it at a community college? Like I said money is not much of an issue since I pretty much have everything paid for my first two years of college. I’m trying to take organic chem I&II. Though, it might not be the same experience as actually being enrolled a UPenn, I still get to be on the campus, use its facilities, and whatnot. I might just be getting a bit ahead of myself though. I didn’t care much about education in high school, but now that I started anew with higher grades in college I just want to try everything ^.^</p>
<p>Maybe ask on the Grad school fora? People there will be more acquainted with what grad school admissions groups look for.</p>
<p>You’re right. Thanks for all of your advice!!!</p>