<p>1) How? Which websites, word of mouth, school?</p>
<p>2) Why did you choose certain schools? To checkout a school they might like to attend? because of the program? Which aspects of the program were important to you.</p>
<p>3) Did you or your child choose the school / program? 80% you, 20% them...or visa versa ?</p>
<p>I spent a lot of time out here looking at the summer program threads and made suggestions, but mainly they chose and pursued their primary interests (within my budgetary constraints!). D1 went to Finnish camp for language credit for a couple of summers, went on an art history tour in Europe run by a teacher we knew, and got a scholarship to spend a summer with a Finnish family one summer. Also did 1 week volleyball camps. D2 went to a camp that runs canoe trips in middle school & early high school, attended Davidson THINK for 2 summers, and went to an engineering camp one summer. She did one week Quiz Bowl camps as well.</p>
<p>So they didn’t really do much at all with “school” (meaning “college” programs, although the engineering program was run by a college – but she didn’t apply there). And had fine college results. The second one got into U of Chicago, Swarthmore, and Harvey Mudd. First one ended up graduating Phi Beta Kappa from her college. </p>
<p>To us the most important thing was to allow them to try out or deepen their interests in things they wanted to do. Colleges can tell if you are just trying to buy their way to better admissions results. We did not worry at ALL if the programs were run by prestigious colleges – it was all about whether they were interested in the subject/topic and if it would help them explore their interests.</p>
<p>DS found his own. Just before his freshman year ended, he found an internship on internship.com and spent the summer doing film work. We found out about it when he told us he had an interview.</p>
<p>Op,
I admit it. I did all of the searching for summer programs and would add it to a word doc. If my kids heard about something they liked, then it got added to the list. Then together we would review the list, along with cost, and start and end dates (so that vacations may be planned or so that more than 1 program could be done) and they would pick which ones to apply to. A few had competitive applications, but most were just sign up and pay. All programs were selected based on the content and not based on the college where the program was located. As for choosing the program, yes, was 80% me and 20% them and usually based on cost. There were programs that they were not interested in attending, so it was more like they had veto power (I wanted DS to take entrepreneur/business class, but he would not). Not all programs that my kids did were at colleges; it was doing things that increased their exposure to a particular interest (film, animation, video game development, computer programming).</p>
<p>Sources:
<p>Important:
Many deadlines are in Feb. So best to do your search around Nov or Dec.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Yes… I remember the year D2 applied to TASP… she spent all (and I mean ALL) of winter break on her application. Didn’t get in, either… Just like with colleges, as your kids get to summer before junior & senior year, if they are applying to selective programs, make sure they have a backup plan (“safety”).</p>
<p>If your school has Naviance, there is a link for most schools that show their summer programs and who to contact. For my S, I visit a website called Ballet Talk for Dancers since his summers are consumed by six week summer intensives in ballet. </p>
<p>Connections…but WE did not find anything, it was D’s personal connections, not ours. </p>