<p>The Research Science Institute is free and arguably the top summer program. There are other programs that are top notch but not free.</p>
<p>But are there other free, top programs like RSI?</p>
<p>Jackson Lab (stipend + housing), City of Hope (stipend, but no housing), Clark (stipend + housing), SIMR (stipend + housing), Rockefeller (free, no housing), Simons (stipend, no housing)</p>
<p>There are some non-research math and science programs (eg. MITES) that are free, but I’m not too familiar with those.</p>
<p>Thanks. RSI is a great credential for college applications. I’ve read here that if you pay, not so much.</p>
<p>Unlike RSI, none of these programs appears to allow a math concentration. So, anyone know of free programs with a math concentration?</p>
<p>Although not free in general, I think most of the top math camps have sufficiently generous financial aid that they are free if your family cannot afford them otherwise. If you are interested in free programs for other reasons that they may not be what you are looking for. If you can make it MOP is also free…</p>
<p>By MOP, you mean Math Olympics?</p>
<p>Affording it is not the issue, but my sense is–and comments at CC generally support this–that if you pay for a program, no matter how rigorous, it will not help you with college admissions.</p>
<p>RSI, I’ve heard, is a help. So is Olympics. But is that it for math?</p>
<p>This is a question for my son, who is taking AP Calc in the 9th grade. He does well in competition, but is more interested in research.</p>
<p>Yeah MOP is the math olympiad training camp. I would say that while price and the boost in college admissions are definitely inversely related just because a program isn’t free doesn’t mean it won’t help in college admissions. At the very least attending a math camp will show dedication to math. In any case, attending a summer program just to gain a small benefit in college admissions seems like a poor use of time and I would encourage you to focus more on summer programs your son would enjoy than on ones that would look good in general. Even if just attending a program doesn’t help much in college admissions it’s very possible that doing well in a program would help you and this is much more likely to happen if you go to a camp for reasons other than college admissions.</p>
<p>RSI will definitely help you but as you probably know it’s extremely selective. Same for MOP although selection is based solely off USAMO so if your son isn’t overly interested in math competitions he’s highly unlikely to make it. Also, I suspect the amount of math research someone with AP calc background can do is extremely limited so you may have trouble finding research programs even if you are willing to pay. Perhaps finding a professor at a local university would be what you’re looking for although you may have a hard time finding one willing to take someone with background of only AP calc.</p>
<p>I think the Ross program (math) might be free.</p>
<p>FYI. The Clark Scholars Program at Texas Tech does allow for a mathematics concentration and it appears that several past scholars have focused on math. The program is for rising seniors and rising college freshman, so your son would have to wait a couple of years to apply.</p>
<p>The Texas Mathworks Honors Summer Math Camp (HSMC) Program at Texas State is also very good - I went for the past two summers and many of the alumni are distinguished mathematics students/attended amazing universities. Although you have to pay for the program, I don’t think that diminishes its prestige (or the fact that you have the opportunity to do research with the professors and thus enter Siemens etc.). The camp has a fairly selective application process, though of course it’s not as intense as RSI.</p>
<p>Ross is not in general free although if you are poor it will be. However, the cost is very modest $2,200 for six weeks to cover room and board.</p>
<p>SIMUW is free if you live in the Pacific NW area.</p>
<p>The thing about free AND prestigious programs is that they are horribly difficult to get into (eg, TASP - although not math, it is certainly free and prestigious - and had a 4% admit rate among students who were pretty much from the pool of top 1% PSAT scorers). While you can have a program like that on your son’s list to apply to, I would advise treating summer program applications a bit like college. Have a reach or two, but find a couple of safeties that he would enjoy. My kid did that this summer, and sure enough… no luck on the programs that are tougher admits and free (or closer to free). But she has a couple of programs she was admitted to that she is truly interested in, so I think it will work out fine personally and for her college admissions.</p>
<p>Plus… there is plenty of room to impress an ad-com with really getting something out of a non-free program, especially one where your kid does real work. So find something that is interesting to him and involves productive work, and don’t worry about the pay/non-pay aspect so much.</p>
<p>Another suggestion is to read the book: “How to Be a High School Superstar” by Cal Newport. It is a pretty good argument for not pinning your college admission hopes on getting into a program that are so hard to get into, but instead for finding your own path and impressing the colleges at the same time. Sort of a swimming against the stream approach.</p>