<p>Ok, so I'll just get right to the questions.</p>
<p>I'm from Sweden and in high school at the moment, but i really want to enter Harvards SSP the summer of 2012, ant I have some questions.</p>
<ul>
<li>How hard is it to get in? What kind of grades do I need?</li>
<li>Which exam is best to take (and how hard are they) Cambridge exam, TOEFL ect. What scores do i need?</li>
<li>What's your experiance and thoughts about SSP (If you've been there)</li>
<li>What kind of financial help can I get or apply for (scholarships ect.)</li>
</ul>
<p>Please help. Thank you so much for answeres!</p>
<ol>
<li>Not to competitive since not as many kids apply as regular admission. Generally, if you have good grades, some extracurriculars, and are willing to pay the 10k, then you are in. I’ve heard the acceptance rate is 60%</li>
<li>They require the TOEFL</li>
<li>They offer financial aid once you’ve been accepted. There is a full-ride scholarship from QuestBridge but that’s highly competitive. </li>
<li>Summer School is for current college students, SSP is for high school students.
:)</li>
</ol>
<p>hey guys, im a harvard SSP alum:P i went last year and i have LOTS i could say, so please dont hesitate to contact me and ask me any questions!
i would love to share my experience.
i remember being in your spot last year and i had lots of questions that previous studens helped me answer so yeah:P
again, dont hesitate !</p>
<p>Last summer my son spent at SSP. A year before that he went to Johns Hopkins Summer School. He preferred Harvard because of the safe vibrant location (Cambridge and Boston nearby not gloomy Baltimore) and classes were conducted by full-fledged professors (JH had mostly graduated students). The only problem he had - it was too hot in the dorms (bring your fan) and students had sometimes even to sleep in the computer lab where they had central a/c.</p>
<p>^^They have lots of trips planned for the weekend (Martha’s Vineyard, etc.) I think they had a couple of dances. There is other stuff going on that is not SSP-specific that you can participate in, also. You could learn to row, I believe.</p>
<p>I was impressed with the class I took, as well. It was a first-rate experience.</p>
<p>I went to SSP last summer and I had a great time. There are several events that go on during the entire summer. One major must-do is Fourth of July on the Charles River–that is definitely one of my favorite memories. I also went on 2 of the beach trips. The program also offers college visits, a college panel discussions, and other activities. Another bonus of the program is you get to go to the Museum of Fine Arts for free with your student ID. The biggest piece of advice I can give is to make the most of it; you will meet so many different people from different places.</p>
<p>There are also street performances and a variety of festivals going on all summer.</p>
<p>As for academics, I had both of my classes on MW, so I had a 4 day weekend. I took a journalism course (LOVED IT!) and a microeconomics class. I enjoyed Micro, but it was overwhelming at first being in a class with over 100 students, however, I adjusted. If you are having trouble with your classes, or just want to review for tests, there are tutors available for free.</p>
<p>I hope you enjoy yourself. Also, bring a fan! Those rooms don’t have AC!</p>
<p>I have a few questions regarding the program, and I would love it if anyone can give me some advice.</p>
<ol>
<li>Does anyone have any recommendations for courses in business/economics/law?</li>
<li>Is this program academically challenging? (this program is very expensive, so I want to make sure that the money is worth it.)</li>
<li>To what extent does attending Harvard SSP affect one’s chance of admissions into Harvard University?</li>
</ol>
<p>It’s not a great way to get into Harvard; since they emphasize extracurriculars so much you are better off spending the summer doing that. Start a big fundraiser or something like that. It does, however, help to get into other colleges (probably not HYP though). A lot of people I knew at MIT had gone to Harvard SSP. That may be less true today because MIT admissions is less based on academics. I’m sure it still helps for Caltech and for other non-HYP ivies. Of course, you should get an “A” in your class(es) or it won’t help at all anywere.</p>
<p>Uhh no, MIT and Caltech base their admissions more on academics than any other school in this nation does — including Harvard. And they couldn’t give a rat’s ass about Harvard SSP or any other similarly non-selective summer school program where you shell out thousands of dollars for. They want to see real passion and achievement, especially in the maths and sciences (maybe with a bit of an emphasis on engineering) through extracurriculars like research or robotics and awards/honors such as Olympiad qualifications.</p>
<p>Look, I got into both MIT and Caltech…I never said MIT and Caltech didn’t base their admission more on academics than any other school. What I said was, MIT admissions is not as much based on academics as it used to be. Also, as I said, being in the program doesn’t help you get into college; it’s only if you do well (i.e., get an “A”.) It’s a college class; there are Harvard undergrads taking the class with you. Getting an “A” in a college class is a good credential for schools that care about academics…There are very few selective academic summer programs anyway. Sure, if you get into RSI, go ahead and do that because it’s prestigious to just make it in the program. Or an olympiad training camp for that matter if you qualify. But there other educational experiences that are non-selective but can augment your resume’ for schools out of the top 5 or for Caltech/MIT since they are more academic.</p>
<p>Sarah, I see you’re new to College Confidential. Welcome.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, you’ve just made a newbie error and inadvertently violated one of College Confidential’s cardinal rules. You’ve not noticed that the conversation you’ve tried to join is 15 months old (see the date stamp on post #16?). People who were discussing Harvard Summer School probably went a year ago; some of them may not even be posting on College Confidential any more.</p>
<p>By posting to this old thread, you’ve “resurrected” it. People here hate that! You’re welcome to read old threads for information, but please don’t revive them if they’ve been dormant for a long time. If you have a question, please start a thread of your own, and give it a title that describes what you’re asking about (for example, “Harvard Summer School 2013,” rather than “Question”).</p>
<p>But as long as we’re both here, I’ll tell you that TOEFL is the Test of English as a Foreign Language ([TOEFL:</a> Home](<a href=“http://www.ets.org/toefl]TOEFL:”>The TOEFL Tests)). And also that you could have Googled that.</p>