<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I was wondering whether attending the CTY intensive studies summer program would look good on college apps. And if not, what programs would you recommend?</p>
<p>I'm currently a freshman in high school. </p>
<p>Thanks in advance</p>
<p>Victoria…please don’t worry about what looks good on college apps…what are you interested in… writing? math? science?? then take those classes if they appeal to you or just google summer plus high school plus (whatever interests you)</p>
<p>Hi VictoriaY.</p>
<p>Because you are only a freshie, I will be a little nicer to you than I would to a junior, and say this, in a calm, measured voice.</p>
<p>IT DOESN’T MATTER.</p>
<p>The point of a summer program is not to have a well known name on your resume. Not at all. If you pick a program based on its fame, you’re cheating yourself.</p>
<p>You’re a freshman and you’re look at summer opportunities - great! But you need to look at programs that fit your interest and abilities, not programs that fit your resume. If you went to the most “prestigious” summer program in the world, and you didn’t really get anything out of it, then it would be useless compared to an obscure program from which you really learned and developed your abilities.</p>
<p>If CTY interests you, then you should apply. If you’re just doing it to boost your college application, then you’re wasting a summer. Do something that you will enjoy, whether learning a language, conducting research, getting a job, volunteering, etc. You don’t even need a structured program, or one that costs thousands of dollars. YOU determine how your time will be spent, and if it’s spent in a way that changed your perspective on life, THAT’s what colleges look for.</p>
1 Like
<p>Thank you so much for your reply. Surprisingly, it has really changed my outlook on summer programs on this stuff. Now that I’m really honing in on what I want to do, do you know of any research programs that are willing to accept 14 year olds?</p>
<p>THANK YOU so much! You have no idea how helpful you have been. (this sort of sounds sarcastic, but it isn’t I promise :)</p>
2 Likes
<p>I am really interested in medicine like biology, chemistry, zoology, biomedical sciences, etc. but I can’t find any programs that accept freshmen. PLEASE HELP!</p>
1 Like
<p>Well, chaseholl isn’t entirely correct.</p>
<p>RSI’s a completely different story …</p>
<p>as a veteran ctyer who attended the program for 3 years, it does not really help your college application. it does however help private high school/boarding school apps if you apply for that. doing the program does show that you are doing something in the summer besides going to the beach and hanging out, but it doesn’t really distinguish you in elite university admissions.
but that does not mean that you should not go. i think cty is better for middle school students (7th/8th grade) freshman year its good to take if you want to replace a science course or just for the love of learning. i would still recommend going!</p>
1 Like
<p>VY, I have done tons of investigation on summer programs (specifically research programs), and there really aren’t any for 14 year olds/freshman. My advice is for you to volunteer in a lab at a local college if you can for the summer, which will position you well for research programs after your sophomore or junior year (there are lots when you get to be a junior). Or spend your summer taking chemistry (the programs that take students after sophomore year often stipulate that you need to have chem by then, and some high schools don’t let you take it until you are a junior). Or pick an area of science you are interested in and start doing your own research (you may be able to get a local prof or lab to let you work on something there if you have a good idea). Or you can pick something that you can do more on your own without a lab.</p>
<p>My advice to you is to read the book: </p>
<p>How to be a High School Superstar: A Revolutionary Plan to Get Into College by Standing Out (Without Burning Out), by Cal Newport</p>
<p>It will make you look at things like summer programs quite differently. Don’t go with the flow… leave yourself enough time in your life to pursue YOUR interests, and then do so in a productive way that stands out on your college applications. Summer programs aren’t necessarily the best way to go about that.</p>
<p>I’m now a junior, and I went to a similar program for three years (Duke TiP). Like people have said, it really won’t do much for you in and of itself if you put it on a college app. However, some of my closest and deepest friendships have been formed at TiP. Seeing as you are a freshman right now, I strongly encourage you to go to CTY/TiP/any other summer camp that you find the slightest bit meaningful and interesting. You’re at the point where the words “independence” and “maturity” are starting to mean something more, and going to a summer camp away from your friends in a new setting with new people can be an amazing experience if you make the most of it. </p>
<p>I understand the frenzy behind college apps (haha, as a junior, who doesn’t? :P), but also know that freshman summer is the LAST summer you have to fully let loose and have fun. Take advantage of it. Learn and be productive of course, but also have fun and make friends without gauging the college apps aspect of it.</p>
<p>In a nutshell, take this summer to spend it away from home so that you can get a taste of what life is like on your own. But if you do so (and I really hope that you will), throw yourself into it fully because the “amazingness” of CTY/TiP/anything isn’t going to be handed to you, but it’s there for you to find.</p>
1 Like
<p>
Not really:</p>
<ol>
<li>The point of attending RSI should not be to have a “prestigious” name on your resume. That’s a side effect.</li>
<li>If you go to RSI, you will only gain from it if you put in some sort of effort.</li>
<li>Plenty of other research and science programs exist that may offer experiences that are more suitable to certain candidates.</li>
</ol>
<p>Colleges will be interested in former RSI participants, of course, and I suspect that almost all of them are not apathetic students, but a summer program is for personal development and education, and RSI is not an argument against that. Colleges will value positive experiences at any program more than negative (or lack of) experiences at RSI.</p>
1 Like
<p>Summer programs (all types), grades/GPA, class rank, SAT/ACT scores, EC’s, jobs, community service, etc … it all counts as a body of work. Yes, some pieces of the puzzle are more important than the others but don’t discount the power of a good summer program(s) and it’s impact to your body of work and to the individual. </p>
<p>For our family, summer programs are used in a multitude of ways:</p>
<ul>
<li>reward for continued hard work</li>
<li>explore a topic (medical, engineering, math, etc…) to confirm an area of study in college</li>
<li>building a body of work for college applications</li>
<li>builds confidence and independance by being away from home</li>
<li>depending on the summer program, gain experience in an area of interest</li>
<li>check out a campus of potential interest</li>
</ul>
<p>I’m sure we use summer programs in other ways too but I’m tired and I’m going to make a rootbeer float now. :)</p>
<p>P.S. My youngest daughter (8th grade) will be attending CTY’s Intro to Biomedical Science at LMU this summer; she’s very excited.</p>