<p>I'm 16 years old, and I'll be a Junior in the fall.</p>
<p>I've talked with my parent sabout doing various summer programs on college campuses; so far, they've let me take one session of Johns Hopkins CTY. However, they've all but refused to allow me take any college courses at campuses away from home (i.e. any of the UC Summer College programs). </p>
<p>I've tried to convince them that I'll be alone on campus without supervision in two years anyways, but they seem to think that achieving the magical age of 18 will make me no longer "A baby". I've tried convincing them that if they don't let me ease into the idea of college by doing these sorts of programs now, the transition to 'real' college will be MUCH more difficult.</p>
<p>How do I convince them to trust me??</p>
<p>I’m an only child so I completely understand when parents baby you. I found that the only time my mom made an exception was when it come to academic benefits. I assume your parents want you to succeed academically and go onto a great college, right? Have you tried showing them that these summer programs will immensely benefit you versus spending your summer doing nothing?</p>
<p>^ Yes, I’ve tried that argument. I think that it made them think a little bit, but they’re still extremely wary of sending me off to live on a college campus relatively unsupervised, even though the campus is only 1 hour from home.</p>
<p>It’s weird though…they’re letting me do CTY again, which is also on a college campus; they don’t seem to have any problem with it. But when I brought up the UC Summer program, they got very angry and started citing “lack of supervision”.</p>
<p>Also…</p>
<p>They let me stay out until God Knows What Hour with my (18-year-old) friends, go to Co-Ed sleepovers (where the parents are present in theory, but really end up going to sleep by 11). So they’ve given me a lot of slack because they know that I’m responsible and would never get into trouble.</p>
<p>I think my parents’ chief problem is this fear of Stranger Danger. They’ve given me somewhat irrational arguments (“You’ll be in danger because you have the physical appearance of a 12-year-old” - which is true, but that WON’T CHANGE when I graduate HS). </p>
<p>So, I mean, if anyone has any specifc links to positive articles on the safety of college campuses, personal anecdotes about being a High Schooler living alone at one of these camps, etc. -then that would be fantastic.</p>
<p>It’s not you they don’t trust, it’s the opther peaople who will be around you when you will be in unfamiliar surroundings. Being allowed to spend a single night at a coed sleepever, even if there is little supervision, is not the same as allowing you to spend 3 weeks on a campus away from home with little supervision. CTY is very popular among parents because it does provide supervision - there are adults who can hbe held responsible if something happens to you. If you get sick, or injured, there are adults who will call them. You are still a minor, under their care, and that’s what they want.</p>
<p>The summer college programs won’t benefit you that much more than CTY. And you’re more likely to take a truly enriching class at CTY, rather than try to get a jumpstart on college. In that sense CTY is of greater benefit - rather than pushing forward faster, you should be broadening your experiences. That’s what colleges will be looking for on your applications.</p>