<p>Hi, I'm junior in highschool, and I'm thinking about spending time at Stanford...
I got into EPGY summer program for quantum mechanics, session 2E (July - August.. 4 week) and it costs 6k.
I applied for financial aid, but got rejected for being a middle class (Dad earns 75k per year in Korea as an aerospace researcher..)
I live alone in SoCal, with money my parents send from Korea.
They'd like me to attend it to gain more experiences with brilliant kids and get motivated.
I also think it would be great to study in one of the greatest colleges I had always admired for one month..
But all I can think is 6k is TOO MUCH... I have two sisters in Korea as well, and I think I'm taking all the opportunities from them. My parents send 2k per month to the house I'm living now.. And 6k is three times the amount.. I'm a great fan of Stanford, and it's my number one choice for college, but I value my family more than school..
Anyway, my question is</p>
<p>Is attending Stanford EPGY program helpful in any way? Is it great way to spend summer?(Motivation, relations with new friends, professors, helpful in college admission... etc) Do you guys think I should attend or not? If not, how should I spend my summer?? Or is there any other places that provide financial aid for summer programs?? (Except for Questbridge.. EPGY wasn't supported)</p>
<p>thomaschoi, lots of kids have a great time at EPGY summer sessions, but I wouldn’t count on it giving any kind of admissions boost. Generally, the only summer programs that give a meaningful admissions boost at top colleges are highly competitive ones that the students test into. Stanford does have at least one such program (there may be others as well) called Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC), which involves a lengthy, very challenging math exam for admission. It has lots of need-based tuition assistance available, as do most other highly selective summer programs (some of which are free). SUMaC is a very intense month-long program with many international participants, and alumni of the program tend to fare very well in admissions to top schools, including Stanford.You can probably find lots of other threads on college confidential about highly selective/free summer programs if you look around. Good luck!</p>
<p>I guess it is getting a bit late in the season for these applications for the coming summer. Have a look at USA MathCamp: [Mathcamp:</a> Apply Now!](<a href=“http://www.mathcamp.org/prospectiveapplicants/apply.php]Mathcamp:”>Mathcamp: How to Apply)
I think they are still taking applications for another week or so, though that may not allow much time to complete the qualifying exam.</p>
<p>i went through epgy and i loved it. before i went, stanford was not even close to my top choice. now, stanford is my number one choice. one of the best things about it was it gave me a chance to talk to many current students at stanford and find out what classes were really like. they also gave me great advice about what kind of majors i might want to pursue in college. the learning was also great ( i did intro to engineering), my teacher taught me the fundamentals of calculus which gave me a huge advantage when i took the class this year. the connections you make with your fellow campers are also extremely valuable, i still regularly chat with the people i met at camp, and i met several international students while i was there.
Having said that, i agree with njds, it doesn’t give you a significant admissions boost except for providing great material for you essay. I received a scholarship, but i feel like it is worth the money (if its available) just for the great experience.</p>
<p>abandon your house for the two months of the summer you won’t be at epgy, go backpack and camp in some California campground (stealing/hustling food off other campers), save 4 thousand dollars. During all the alone time you have, read books. Make sure to buy a knife beforehand though. </p>
<p>That + EPGY would probably be the biggest summer learning experience of your entire life.</p>
<p>Maybe contact Stanford about your dilemma too. At least in real college admissions, schools have been known to change FA amounts/scholarships to lure students away from other schools.</p>
<p>Also work your butt off collecting donations. If you’re in socal, there are tons of rich people that could back you (maybe a long-term loan, possibly?). And if you get here, try to get an EPGY worker to fund you a bit. They make bank.</p>