<p>Has anybody sent their child to the Harvard Summer School Program?</p>
<p>Is it worthwhile?</p>
<p>Does it help their admissions to Harvard?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>A friend of the family sent his daughter a few years ago, and another friend's daughter went a couple of years ago. Both thought it was a decent program.
It would not have any obvious effect on admissions to Harvard, other than demonstrating some ability and interest - which many other programs would also do.</p>
<p>Do you have any ideas of "many other programs".</p>
<p>D is interested in Harvard vs (my school) Stanford. Want her to experiance it and show interest and maybe help chances.</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>Have you looked in the Summer Programs Forum? Lots more info there I would think.</p>
<p>I'm not at all convinced it would help her chances. The website explicitly says not. And summer school is not really like regular session, but for a TN girl, just being up here in the North, experiencing Harvard Square and the Cambridge/Boston area would be great, if pricey.
As for other programs - depends on her age and interests.</p>
<p>Other summer HS programs: Brown, Columbia, Cornell. I only know about Cornell directly. The others have a number of posts on other areas of CC. Some of the courses at Cornell are for credit, and if you attend Cornell those count towards college credit (maybe at other places too, but I am not sure.) I think you have to be finished with Sophomore year for the for credit courses. They have a nice web site outlining all of it. Brown and Columbia also have websites for summer.</p>
<p>Many colleges have summer programs. There are also quite a few on college campuses but not run by the college - JHU's CTY and SIG come to mind. I can't tell for sure, but Harvard's program is probably a bit pricey.</p>
<p>Non-competitive "pay to go" programs at selective colleges are a lucrative business for these schools. Per Columbia Admis Dir they have no impact on admissions to college, beyond the personal growth that the students experiences or demonstration of interest in a particular topic. They are NOT taught by regular professors. </p>
<p>The cultural experience of spending weeks with the "I must go to harvard" crowd is an learning experience in itself. Many of these programs have cool classes, but taking the same old that one would have taken at one's regular school show a lack of imagination (unless you are taking it to move to the next higher level in your own school - but you don't need harvard for that.)</p>
<p>Summer programs are business. And ADCOMS know this.</p>
<p>From what I have been reading it will not improve her chances of admission.</p>
<p>I have no knowledge on this Harvard Summer Program matter, but as far as other summer programs go, I would suggest sending your daughter to more prestigious in a specific field or area of interest and less strictly school affiliated programs. </p>
<p>But that's just based on my experience sending my son (who likes math and science) to CTY (Center for Talented Youth) and my daughter (who likes theatre and writing) to Interlochen Summer Arts Program. While both are technically school affiliated, they are well known in their respective fields, rather than solely by school association. </p>
<p>I think Harvard would be more impressed that your daughter is pursuing her interest, rather than sucking up (excuse my bluntness).</p>