<p>Hi guys,</p>
<p>I was just wondering, what is your opinion on the Harvard Summer Program for high school students? If/How does it effect admissions? Thanks in advance for answering my questions.</p>
<p>you might want to search for "harvard ssp" in this forum and also the "summer programs" forum here on CC. this question's been asked and answered many times :]</p>
<p>NOOOO, it absolutely does not affect admission. Some people say that going to SSP will somehow help them gain admission, but that's completely untrue. You should do something special with your summer, get involved in something you deeply care about. That will looks significantly better on your college app than saying that you went to SSP.</p>
<p>The program itself does not affect admissions chances at Harvard ; but it does allow interviews with Harvard admissions reps. for students attending the summer school program who reside outside the New England area.</p>
<p>Spending several thousands dollar on Harvard SSP is not really smart thing. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure you will have a fun time at SSP but it's not going to help you with your application if that's what you're looking for. </p>
<p>There is a better idea to spend that money and get a heck lot more brownie points on your application: Use the money to fund a service trip to some place in South America. The airflight is cheap, the room and board are inexpensive, you'll get to practice your spanish, and the activities will change your life. My friend from high school spend her summer in Argentina instead spending almost $3000 for some program in NY. Not many high school kids spend their summer helping the poor and underprivilege, and also putting themselves out of their comfort zone. You can google for any service program that has branches in the country in question and volunteer through them. This requires some planning, but it's not so daunting.</p>
<p>If speaking Spanish is not your thing, then spend your summer in New Orlean or Appalachia. Believe me, there are plenty of service activities you can do during the summer with the same amount of money of SSP and you'll get a lot more out of them.</p>
<p>I agree with both harvardbound and Reddune, however, I'd like to point out that attending SSP can't be detrimental to your admittance into a good college.</p>
<p>And about the cost -- I've heard that Harvard is very generous with their financial aid for SSP, so it shouldn't be too huge of a problem.</p>
<p>I've been accepted, and right now I'm pretty sure I'm going. But the thing is, I am not going to have an [non-existent] "advantage" in admissions, I am going because I truly want to learn and the course I'm going to take is something I'm genuinely interested in.</p>
<p>Harvard SSP is for students who want to explore an academic area that they are interested in, meet students from around the country and world who share their interests, and earn college credits. </p>
<p>In response to Reddune's advice: You should be driven by what interests you, not what will earn you the most "brownie points." Service work and class work are two very different things, so you need to decide what appeals most to you and base your decision accordingly.</p>
<p>Hi everyone,
I'm glad a Harvard ssp thread for this year has been started. I'm also planning on attending this year, and I hope to take Molecular Cell Biology and a liberal-arts/public policy-oriented summer seminar. In response to previous posters' claims that ssp is not worth attending, I guess it really depends on how extensively one takes advantage of spending the summer at a research institution with an unimaginably vast resource base. I'm thinking about pursuing a significant extracurricular activity in addition to the two required classes; I was thinking along the lines of an internship or research project at one of Harvard's affiliated graduate schools or research centers. Would such a schedule be feasible to attempt?</p>
<p>chemica - you might want to ask this in another thread (a new one) because I'm not sure a lot of us know about Harvard's research centers... It sounds like a great idea though. Are you staying for the short session?</p>
<p>spiffystars,
thanks for the suggestion! will do!
btw I'm planning on staying the full 8 weeks :)</p>
<p>Sweet, I'm staying for 8 weeks also :D There are so many classes to choose from, I really can't decide! So far I'm leaning towards Intro to Political Philosophy though.</p>
<p>I went last year. It won't necessarily help a ton, but it definitely wouldn't hurt. Taking college classes in the summer is always a good thing, and my SSP friends generally have gotten into some great schools (although this may be more indicative of the type of people who go, not the effect it has on your app). It is a good experience, though. If you are looking for a resume padder, you can find better elsewhere.</p>
<p>If you are going to attend Harvard SSP, be sure to get a medical prescription for an air conditioned room-such as hayfever type allergies. Without an air conditioned room ,your stay may not be too comfortable. Harvard SSP is fair to just okay re: financial aid. Brown is quite good with financial aid for their program.</p>