<p>hey all possible applicants i advise you not to do their pre college program. They are a lot of work and really no point. theyre a lot of busy work and bporing seminars. I did the young women's leadership last year and it was fun but didnt help me get in, nor did i get much out of the program besides a few friends and some nice dinners in nyc. honestly, take your 1200 dollars and do something else--- it is a waste. just my p.o.v.</p>
<p>the young women's leadership program does not garauntee that you get into barnard...like going for an interview or having a legacy, it gives you that added boost, but it isn't a deciding factor, so to blame it for not getting you in isn't really fair.</p>
<p>im going to the four week program and thanks to barnard for such a generous grant its a no brainer. 4 weeks in NYC is a dream to me and the courses i signed up for are taught by better profs than the course i picked for TASP.</p>
<p>I have heard others say many good things about this program, though I have no personal experience with it. IMO, the original poster may be speaking somewhat from disapointment at not being admitted.</p>
<p>fyi mom, i am totally over the fact i did not get in. barnard is not a good fit for me at all for various reasons. i felt the need to tell people who are considering it that there are better pre college programs out there such as the upenn one. a friend of mine was debating between the two.</p>
<p>the barnard program is just a lot for what you are getting. if you have an extra grand lying around and week of your summer than by all means do it. but the leadership program was really overrated and a waste. </p>
<p>barnard is a great school, i am not saying anything negative about that. but as far as that program goes there are better options out there so check it out.</p>
<p>yep there are a ton of worthwhile summer programs out there and from my understanding there are a few prestigious ones that might get a glance from an adcom however I had already decided to turn down TASP to go to this one and I told Barnard that on my application. I'm also a questbridge award winner so I'm not rolling in the $$$$. I just couldn't imagine myself anywhere else for the summer and personally I think its a mistake to go to a summer program just because your trying to impress an adcom. I'll admit in October when I started my Governor's Honors program application and then TASP that was the plan (resume padding) but both programs were not a fit for me and I would have been terribly unhappy. While my older sisters friends are struggling to find a place to live for their NY summer internships (most without A/C) I'm able to experience the city and take some courses which really interest me for almost free. Have friends that go to UPenn and there is no way I would want to spend a summer in that area - I think I would have chosen Harvard's SSP or Georgetown's JSA over Penn but I guess its all personal choice ( : OMG I just read over on the TASP thread that there is no A/C and how totally hippie (ewh!!!) that experience would have been for me -plus its like all the people that go are the ones I tend to avoid at my high school lol!!!. I know its a harsh thing to say but people I know were like "you seriously aren't going to that program r u you'll come back all fat" and what would I have done without dance classes for the summer lol!</p>
<p>personally, i did the pre-college program last year for five weeks and it was by far the best time of my life....i got to meet so many amazing people, take classes by amazing professors....go around nyc for five weeks...AND i decided during those five weeks that barnard is the school for me....so i guess the only reason that i am posting is to tell people that everybody gets out of the program what they put into it (like college)....so if you take the initiative and try to enjoy every second, you will enjoy every second!!! so if you are thinking about going DEFINITELY do it...i will never forget my five weeks there!!! everyone has their own opinion but....i loved it.</p>
<p>I would have to agree with chilaxin88 - although if you want to attend Barnard which most did in the 4 week session i was at then def go. It will be a real eye opener. Just realize that most of the activities they list in the promo material may not be offered (but they don't disclose). The supervision at the program is really lax - alot of drinking,drugs, smoking and same sex going on behind closed doors and once you are out of class (which most teachers end an hour early) you just have to sign out and you are free to roam the city without an RA until 11:30 or 12pm.</p>
<p>Programs of that nature, like colleges, are to some extent what you make of them. I am sure there were people doing the things you describe, but I assume nobody forced you to do any of that. I hope you mangaged to get some benefit from the program. And to those who may read this and think the above characterizes the Barnard college experience, it does not. Again, it may be exactly that for some, but certainly not for all (or even the majority).</p>
<p>Actually it is the nature of Barnard and I have experience with other summer programs which were better organized (meaning actually had the activities that they advertised) and better supervision. One stat I wasn't aware of until I went with my friend to the health clinic was one in four students at Barnard are in psychological counseling for either depression or self destructive tendencies (i.e cutting etc.). Basically they said there are alot of depressed students at Barnard - not just summer camp but year round. Again you need to spend a good amount of time there so if you are serious about attending and have doubts then def. go to the 4 week program. It's all about fit and some really like that kind of environment and I'm not passing judgement just what I experienced and got from a credible source. However I ended up having a great time in NY but outside of the program.
I mean my profs were nice but I think because the program isn't graded/credits I think they were more laid back than say a program like SSP, JSA etc. Sometimes they brought their kids to class and always ended an hour earlier. I kind of decided to just think of it as a 4 week hotel with a few sponsored activities sprinkled in and spent most of my time exploring NYC on my own and with some students from Columbia and friends that had come to NYC for other programs or internships. And I did make some great friends at the summer program and found out that I wasn't going to apply so it def wasn't because I didn't put anything into it. And I think its misrepresentation when a program says its going to offer things and then backpeddles and gives excuses - also if someone wants to know about the dorms and the food its below average based on other programs but that wasn't really a priority to me.</p>
<p>I am sorry you had a bad experience. I do maintain that your experience at this summer program is not representative of the "nature" of Barnard. It certainly has not been my daughter's experience, nor any of her friends, during her two years there so far. </p>
<p>Best of luck to you in your college search. I hope you find what you are looking for.</p>
<p>There is a CC subforum called "summer Programs" where this thread probably better belongs. Many colleges have such pre-college programs, but they are not commonly discussed on the boards of the colleges themselves, where the students are applying to colleges not pre-college programs.</p>
<p>Thanks, monydad. Good point!</p>
<p>As an aside,
<a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/68508.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/68508.php</a>
<a href="http://www.harvardvanguard.org/info/news/child/GStone_ch_0706.asp%5B/url%5D">http://www.harvardvanguard.org/info/news/child/GStone_ch_0706.asp</a>
<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/mental/2002-05-22-college-depression.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/mental/2002-05-22-college-depression.htm</a>
etc, etc.</p>
<p>Barnard is in NO way abnormal.</p>
<p>And mind you, part of the larger % of LAC students in "therapy" could be due to selection of students more concerned with lifestyle type things into liberal arts schools (i.e. crunchy granola types who like group counseling and "knowing themselves") and I'm sure a LARGE part of it is due to the advertising on campus of the services. A university even the size of Harvard has to make a huge effort to get the word out about its mental health services. Somewhere like Barnard can easily flyer the campus thoroughly during exam times, advertise their group meetings or speakers and get people down to the center (which shares space with the physical health program), things like that. They tell you that statistic so you don't feel like a freak for just wanting to talk to someone.</p>
<p>Receiving mental health services is NOT the same as being treated for depression. Schools are usually very generous with their free sessions; I know people who go in during finals just to vent to a stranger, I went once when my boyfriend was dealing with some things I wasn't sure how to respond to, I'm sure people go to talk when they're homesick or worried about money or their future or whatever. Are they "receiving mental health services?" They're probably in that statistic. Are they mentally ill, or even officially depressed? I wouldn't say so, and I doubt anyone would.</p>