<p>I don’t usually post to CC, but when I saw this I was compelled. I am in a unique situation to provide insight on this thread, because I attended both TASS and SAMS.
Short answer: TASS!
I cannot begin to explain the amount of growth, fun, and knowledge I encountered over those six weeks in Ann Arbor. Living so closely with 17 other students, taking classes with them, governing the House with them, you truly become a family. That sounds so corny, but its true. I still talk to people from my TASS and consider a couple closer friends than people I’ve known for years.
Yes, the seminar is challenging, especially in the reading load, but they were so new, exciting, and formative for me. As someone whose own classes never fostered such a community approach to learning, an open forum style to synthesizing in depth knowledge, I was astounded.
I literally loved everything about TASS and still consider the best summer of my life.</p>
<p>SAMS on the other hand was awful in comparison. First, the group is so large (about 80 kids) that it is incredibly cliquey and hard to get to know everyone. Also, there was so little freed because the work load was so heavy and everyone was so stressed we hardly ever left campus without feeling guilty for not working.
The worst part about SAMS though was the crippling administration. I felt like a delinquent the whole time I was there. There were so many rules, and punishments that extended to everyone when the rules were broken.
The last week of the program we were all basically put on lockdown.we had to be in the dorms by 9 and in our rooms by 10 for the night even on weekends. No playing of games or tv in the lounge.
I overheard one of the counselors reprimanding a girl for cursing and threatening ( of a 17 y/o) to call their parents about it. Overall, instead if being supportive, it often felt like the student counselors were just as cliquey as the students and on a power trip. That can only be said of the ones who actually showed their face often enough for us to learn those names.
I’m not saying I didn’t have fun of make friends, but I felt like those six weeks were a series of brief highs and long lows wrought by administration, cliques and CONSTANT drama ( and the drama was insane- I’m talking call MTV), and stressful workload.</p>
<p>Pittsburgh as a city was amazing though! Even though we didn’t get to see it much. ( the counselors planned trips out to museums and rock climbing. Rock climbing ended at the front door where we were informed we needed parent permission slips which obviously no one could get and the Museum trip culminated in getting lost downtown and waiting over an hour in the rain for a bus that never came before heading home because the Museum closed in less than an hour.</p>
<p>The academic aspect if SAMS on the whole was a lot less rewarding. I know that rising juniors took a math class where they had to do problems on an online program for hours each night. The science projects vary greatly. Some sounded great ( Biostat) while mine (Biochem) were largely boring and consisted of professors talking to us and doing demonstrations instead of us conducting an actual project.
Juniors take a lame class all about study skills that I heard over and over again was a huge waste of time. </p>
<p>Again, I feel like it is guaranteed that you will learn a lot, have fun, have amazing student mentors, and have a relatively stress free time at TASS. It’s life changing.
SAMS on the other hand can go either way depending on if it gets any better this year. I feel that you won’t get to go out as much or enjoy you’re new city. Also, CMU has a pretty small campus whereas Ann Arbor’s is huge with theaters, restaurants, and stores all within walking distance.</p>
<p>I’ve ranted. Sorry, this is my form of procrastination tonight. I hope I’ve helped you out with your decision, even if this is incredibly biased and ranty.</p>