Both my kids did a range of programs starting after 8th grade. I agree with other posters: invaluable for helping kids discover interests, meet other like-minded kids, experience independence, etc. - do it for these reasons and it makes sense. We found a number of free programs (=highly competitive) and the kids were fortunate enough to get into a few. Otherwise, our limit was under $2000 and these only if directly aligned with a child’s interest. My kids are still in touch w/ students they met at their various programs. It did give them things to talk about on some of their supplemental essays about “Why college X” or “Why this area of study?”
Are Summer PreCollege (like NSLC - National Students Leadership Conference)Programs worth the money?
^ I forgot about that. You are right it did give my oldest something to write about in some of his essays.
What worth the money is any job or internship in Research Lab, voluneering. But spending relaxing summer with friends will carry them thru rough (and sometime brutal) times.
I did NSLC a year ago. Unlike some of the other people, I had a terrible experience. Maybe because I really thought of it as an professional experience and didn’t realize that it was so casual. I guess its pretty nice if you’re looking for a great time, but if you really want to advance yourself try doing research. I did the pre-med program and it was mainly a party atmosphere. The engineering program next door were a lot more serious.
First of all, there are lots of rich kids. I didn’t bring that much money and didn’t realize how showy a lot of other people were.
Second, half the experience comes from the social events. Which kinda sucks if you’re an introvert like me. Just think homecoming and you get the idea. I can compare it to a high school clique. If you fit in you’ll have a great time. Most of the people who did were the sociable, popular types. For me, I prefer more intellectual talks and I couldn’t get it at the event.
Third, there’s really not that much to learn. At least for the medicine program, half the talks I had heard already.
For me, I hated the experience. I really was hoping for it to be professional, but it was just like prom season except with some classes wedged in between. Again, if you want a fun overall experience go for it but if you want to do something that actually will help your career development consider something else.
Oh, and its expensive as heck.
@swiftyfan13x I had a similar experience at a different pre-college summer camp. Not as much learning as expected, although I did make one close friend out of it.
Sounds like it’s very hard to generalize about summer programs. A highly competitive program sponsored by a university like the Iowa workshop referred to above will be a very different experience, and have very different value, on resumes or otherwise, from the National Students Leadership Conference programs, which, so far as I can tell, take anyone who can afford to attend (while purporting to be selective) and rent space at colleges, but are entirely independent from any academic institution. Definitely a caveat emptor area.
University of Mississippi has a great program for rising juniors and seniors to take 2 college classes. Full price is only about $2000 for 4 weeks and they give a ton of merit scholarship money- my son had a 30 on the ACT as a sophomore and only paid $500, including room and board. If a kid went both sessions and both years, he could get 24 credits for free with good enough stats. We also did a much more expensive program at Auburn that was only for high school (at Ole Miss the high school kids attended class with college students) and I was less impressed with how it was run, although the subject was interesting.
I’ll also add that back in the dark ages, I went to the Harvard summer program, did a winter internship there, and still didn’t get in…