<p>This is also the time to look into summer camps. I noticed Andover, Choate, Exeter, Hotchkiss and several boarding schools offer 3 to 5 week long summer programs. Has anyone attended these summer programs? How do these BS summer programs compare with JHU CTY and Duke TIP? Is it a good idea to attend a summer program to get to know the school first before deciding if it is a good fit for you? Do you think a summer program at a BS will benefit or hurt your BS application?</p>
<p>My child attended Taft’s summer program and loved it. She also does CTY which is a totally different thing. The summer programs are a great way to see if boarding is right for your child and how well she handles the independence. The courses are overviews, and a good way of prepping for full year work ahead, but are not for “credit” as are CTY’s courses. We considered programs at Taft, Choate, Hotchkiss and Portsmouth Abbey, and found Taft had the greatest assortment of course offerings. I believe it’s the oldest program for middle-school kids. Some of the other programs you mentioned are only for kids entering 9th grade or above.</p>
<p>i went to exeter summer session in '08 and it was kind of an advantage, because i knew my way around the place and when i went to interview, they already had my files and everything. it definitely gives you a sense of what living alone is like, but definitely does not equal the school year in terms of work load and social time. but exeter has a wide, wide range of courses, particularly if you’re applying for the upper school summer program (incoming tenth grade to incoming twelfth grade), because you get to pick specific courses. i did the access exeter program (incoming eighth grade, incoming ninth grade), which was a little more limited, but the course “clusters” (courses are preselected and grouped) are all definitely very interesting!</p>
<p>I went to the Andover Summer Session and it was easily the best, most fulfilling five weeks of my life. I could go on for days about how much I loved it. The course selection is, in my opinion, incredible for a summer program. I took a course in Etymology (the study of words) and another that was very similar to your run-of-the-mill English class. </p>
<p>I also went to Choate Rosemary Hall’s Young Writers Workshop in the summer after seventh grade. I believe the program has been discontinued, or just combined with another program? </p>
<p>I’m applying to both schools for 10th grade entry. From what I’ve heard from other people who attended the sessions, it was great preparation for them. Some, I believe, got letters of recommendation written for them by their summer teachers. Knowing the school is also great if you don’t want to get lost on the first day! </p>
<p>PM me if you’d like any more information about how the programs work!</p>
<p>I think these programs fill up quickly. Does anyone know the due dates for any applications? Last year, we learned of these programs at a very late date.</p>
<p>I know that the Exeter summer programs are on a ‘rolling’ admissions basis. They have been accepting applications since early November I believe. You should apply now for best chances.</p>