<p>I heard that the most competitive colleges don't really care for precollege summer programs like the harvard ssp because it just means that you're rich..and besides you can take classes at any community college. so is it better to get a job/internship? i didn't get the intel internship i was hopin for =( despite being overqualified, so i dunno if i should get a job during summer. i'm planning to volunteer extensively at my local senior home, which i have been volunteering for since freshmen year.</p>
<p>If it's a selective program like TASP, then they love it, supposedly.</p>
<p>I can assure you no one looks down on LEAD hahahah</p>
<p>but what if i just get a normal, regular job during summer instead of goin to africa to cure cancer or research at a hospital?</p>
<p>You might want to post this in the summer programs board. Might get more of a response there! ;)</p>
<p>As for what you should do over the summer - you decide! But here's what I think (and take it as merely advice from strangers on the internet!):</p>
<p>Harvard SSP is arguably not the most prestigious (read: selective) summer program out there. It is also relatively expensive, and I frankly don't think it will help or hinder you much in applying to Harvard or any other selective college. However, I have heard that it is a good experience, and if you want to spend your summer learning and essentially living in Harvard (and you can pay for it) by all means go.</p>
<p>However, if you decide that you are more interested in getting a job or an internship than spending thousands of dollars on a type of summer school, that would probably look "better" to selective colleges because you have shown effort and initiative. </p>
<p>The most important thing, of course, is that you shouldn't necessarily schedule your summer around getting into a particular college. No one really knows what each college is looking for, and it very well may be that neither going to Harvard SSP nor getting a job is going to help you more in any way. </p>
<p>So choose the one you think you'll enjoy more. :)</p>
<p>what about a summer program like MITES at MIT that was indeed selective....because its free to everyone who got in....how would colleges view this program???</p>
<p>lol wat do u think (to the previous post)</p>
<p>lol @ citybirds27.....yeah i guess your right....just thought i'd ask though lol</p>
<p>yeah just chipping in some common sense lol</p>
<p>thanks for the suggestions! i'm definitely not planning to do a summer precollege program b/c it's so much $$$ and i dont want to burden my parents. besides..i could probably take half those classes at my local university. i kno a person who got a quest scholarship to go to harvard ssp though...will that be looked favorably?</p>