<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>I really want to attend a college summer program for high school students this upcoming summer, but it's too expensive and my parents can't afford one :(</p>
<p>I hoped Questbridge to offer a scholarship, but I didn't get it.</p>
<p>Is there any prestigious summer program that I can apply to that also offers scholarships for qualified students? I don't think Yale has one...</p>
<p>Thank you for your help in advance! :)</p>
<p>Doubt it, the program you’re looking into may offer some kind of financial aid or payment plan. I wouldn’t count on finding something to cover the expense.</p>
<p>I think it’s too late now to apply for any free/scholarship summer programs. Perhaps you could fund-raise by writing letters requesting sponsorship to local businesses. </p>
<p>I’m sorry I couldn’t help much :(</p>
<p>Many of the summer programs at “prestigious” colleges and universities are cash cows and marketing tools. Those places want you to spend your own money there this summer, then fall in love with that school and apply next year. Attendance won’t necessarily make you any more attractive as a candidate at that school or any other school. The few truly prestigious summer programs have major scholarships for needy students.</p>
<p>If you want to take a college-level class this summer, take a look around you at your local options. Your closest community college probably has some interesting classes, and if you have a local college or university, they may have something that is appealing too. There even may be a tuition break since you are a local HS student.</p>
<p>No college or university expects you to go into the poorhouse for a summer program just to improve your admissions chances! What admissions officers want to see is that you have taken advantage of what is available in your environment. And yes, they do like to know that you are capable of holding down a summer job! Working this summer to earn money for college is a good thing.</p>
<p>thanks for the insight happymomof1!</p>
<p>I’m planning to do some internships during this summer.</p>
<p>But what are some truly prestigious summer programs?
I am a rising senior, and I feel like I really need to do something that makes me unique from other applicants. I’m number 1 in my class out of 650ish, but my SAT is 2110. </p>
<p>Instead of attending a college prep, should I rather invest my time on my internships and in improving my SAT score during this summer?
By the way, I went to Harvard SSP last summer and earned an A in international law class.</p>
<p>Paying for another summer program will <em>not</em> make you unique.</p>
<p>What you want is to find some way to do something that shows what you are passionate about (assuming that’s not your significant other…) in a way that’s unique. If you are a musician, organize other orchestra friends to give free private lessons to kids who can’t affored them. If you are a computer whiz, teach classes at the senior center (especially if you speak Mac, they all seem to buy Apple products because they’re user friendly, then discover their kids are all Windows…)
Even better would be to combine that with a full time job. Someone on these boards wrote a wonderful application essay on “What I learned about the world while bagging groceries”.</p>
<p>Do you think internships give a notion that I’m passionate on pertaining subjects?</p>
<p>For example, I want to help out a local researcher on his Alzheimer’s research as I intern.
I also want to intern at a bank to see if I want to do business.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>