<p>I was wondering if it's worth it to pay so much money for a precollege program. I want to attend the Washington Community of Scholars but it'll cost me 3,800. My family doesn't really have that much money to throw around but if it's for my education they'll help me out as much as they can. So are precollege programs really worth it? or should I save my family the trouble?</p>
<p>I understand you at least. I qualified for CTY in 8th grade and they keep sending me brochures for precollege programs aand summer stuff but it costs to much for me to go. I don’t have 4000 dollars/ whatever they said sitting around. So I haven’t ever gone- Do i feel like something is missing from my life?
You are probably expecting me to say no
but yeah, I wonder what it would be like to participate. My friends who do those things have had oppurtuities to write about the interesting experiences which shaped their lives on essays- makes the essays better.
So, do I think you should go for it if you can? Yes, IF you really want to -yes. But get the most out of it.
Hope i helped.</p>
<p>Thanks that was really helpful 
But the dilemna countinues…</p>
<p>Worth it in what way? Are you trying to “impress” college admissions officers? If so, the answer is NO, especially if you will eventually be asking the colleges you apply to for financial aid- you risk them looking at someone spending thousands of $$ for a summer program and go- huh?He can afford that but can’t afford tuition?
Expensive summer programs that anyone can take and which have no minimum admissions requirements- [a min. SAT score for example,] are no more “valuable” to colleges than the expensive “service abroad” for 2 weeks/combined with 4 weeks of vacation - type programs.<br>
Now, if you were going to one of the college programs because you really want to take a certain class that is not available locally, and you parents can afford it, and you can’t come up with alternate plans, then go fit it.</p>
<p>Well to answer your question I was thinking about both. You see I thought I could earn college credit and try to have something extra for my college application. But I keep hearing these mixed reviews. In some forums they say precollege programs are scams and others say they’ve earned valuable experience. If I just wanted to earn college credit by itself then I can just apply for dual enrollment at a community college where it’s free, but I thought that maybe with this I could earn college credit, gain valuable experience and add something extra to my application.</p>
<p>In the WCoS brochure it stated “Taking a college course will help you to prepare for the expectations
of higher education and can add value to your college application and resume.” So this part is really confusing me.</p>
<p>^Of course the brochure’s going to say it looks good on an application, it’s all in marketing. I was just thinking about the idea of summer programs for college credit and the idea of it started to make less and less sense to me. My parents don’t have the kind of money to just willingly put forth on some of these programs and why would they pay all of that money for me to experience a mini-version of something I’m going to fully experience in another year or two? With that said, if you have the money and you’re genuinely interested in the class and aren’t just looking for some resume padding, then go! If it would be that much of a struggle for your family, don’t put them through it. You can spend less than $3800 on a community college course or two or construct your own kind of summer program (a combination of volunteering perhaps, maybe you can offer some type of grade school prep course for kids in your neighborhood). From what I’ve gathered, the cheaper (less than $2000 let’s say) or free programs have prestige and will add some depth to your application.</p>
<p>“My parents don’t have the kind of money to just willingly put forth on some of these programs and why would they pay all of that money for me to experience a mini-version of something I’m going to fully experience in another year or two?”
You get it! And so do the college ad mins. Too bad so many other kids [and parents] don’t. These expensive “experience college in advance and earn college credit” programs are just a suckers play, aimed at vulnerable HS students. They add NOTHING to your college application. Don’t fall for it.</p>
<p>Thanks the info was really useful. I decided not to go. I’ll just save my parents the trouble and start volunteering instead.</p>
<p>^^ good plan!</p>