Excluding the selective summer programs like RSI and TASP, do precollege programs at universities help in college admissions?
No. And often, they aren’t even run by the uni itself — many are run by for profit groups who rent facilities/hire instructors at the college. The benefit is the attendees get to experience college life somewhat and hopefully get some good instruction. But as far as getting one into the host college itself? No.
@T26E4 So even sleective summer programs like Yale Young Global Scholars or LEDA Scholars are generally not worth the money?
Selective ones are good. “Worth the money” is relative. YGS is a well respected pgm.
T26E4 said it: “The benefit is the attendees get to experience (whatever it is) somewhat and hopefully get some good instruction. But as far as getting one into the host college itself? No.”
YGS itself says: “The admissions process for our Yale Young Global Scholars Program is independent from the admissions process for Yale College.”
Some benefit can come from the very most competitive where you’re reviewed strenuously for a spot. Often, that’s where they provide funding, not where you pay for the privilege and they make a few bucks on the program.
Right. It’s not as if a Harvard applicant having YGS on her application makes her look bad. The host uni is irrelevant.
So, I’m applying to three different programs:
- a residential college summer program such as YGS
- a paid internship at a corporation like Coca-Cola or Verizon
- a paid internship where I could perform research under a mentor
I know all are beneficial in their own way, but which will boost a college application?
Nope, it’s not bad. It’s part of the whole picture of what you go after. It’s just not, on its own, some golden icing. Some of the tip sorts of programs are pretty unknown among hs kids, take only a handful of them, work with them longer than just the few weeks of a summer session.
To some extent, you have to distinguish between the various pay-to-play programs and a very few others.
x-posted. When you apply to top colleges, you are more than a resume. It’s not which experience tops another, but how you think, challenge yourself, pursue goals (and round out what you do, not just your own “passions,”) and more.
All 3 choices can be good. But they will also look at the less glitzy things you do, what that shows about you. Or not.