<p>Hi, I'm applying to TASP but I wanted to do something for backup this summer in case I don't get in. Has anyone been to Harvard SSP or know anything about it? Is it a prestigious program? How hard is it to get into? Is it worth it? If not, anyone else know of any other humanities-ish summer programs that aren't as wildly competitive as TASP but also don't accept everyone that applies? I'm also looking at Oxbridge but that's a little outside of my financial range.</p>
<p>harvard ssp isn't hard to get into at all</p>
<p>they take pretty much everyone who can pay... although it's almost 10,000 dollars added up altogether. correct me if i'm wrong, i'm getting the info from a friend who attended two years ago.</p>
<p>Also, I hear it's a pretty boring experience because Harvard is a boring place.
Nothing on the university but what off-campus life?</p>
<p>harvard ssp was the best two months of my life... i had soo much fun there and classes were great. professors and the other students were amazing. i wish that was the way my four years of college was. it was definitely a great experience.</p>
<p>Harvard SSP is amazing. I attended for two years and loved every part of it. As for acceptance, I believe the acceptance rate is around 60-65%, which is considerably lower than competing programs, but good nonetheless. It's definitely worth it--I took 3 classes with well-known Harvard professors and one with a well-known visiting professor from BU (and the classes were smaller than they would have been during the academic year).</p>
<p>I hear these great things about SSP from other students, but don't think I can necessarily say the same thing for my own experience there. Here's what I think:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>A lot of the students aren't of the highest academic calibre. I took my roommate to Starbucks and taught him how to write after he got a C on his first paper (He bought me a Frappucino. Score!). This one girl in my dorm was taking basic Precalc.</p></li>
<li><p>Some people there are *******s. I figure it has to do partly with the wealth of the student body. SSP itself is $8000, but you'll probably end up using anywhere from $500 (like me) or $4000 (like this other kid in my dorm) while you're there on miscellaneous stuff over the two months. </p></li>
<li><p>If you're not into having too much independence at summer programs, don't go. The staff-organized activities are, for the most part, bad, and you only have classes for about 16 hours a week. The trips are pretty good though, and the gym is amazing (Hemenway, land of free HBO on the treadmill-mounted TVs).</p></li>
<li><p>Classes are OK. I enjoyed mine, but my professors taught at Harvard and Amherst during the year. Generally the Harvard summer faculty is looked down upon by the Harvard regular faculty, though.</p></li>
<li><p>If you play an instrument or sing, the orchestra, chorus, and band are amazing.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>As far as acceptance rate, I don't know anyone who's been rejected from it. I figure your stats have to be pretty awful for that to happen. If you're not looking to apply to Harvard I recommend looking at other Ivies' summer programs instead, because Harvard doesn't care at all about SSP and other Ivies might see attendance of their summer programs as a display of loyalty to the school.</p>