<p>And they suck.</p>
<p>anotherparent- yes, CTY and other academic programs have value in and of themselves aside from potential affect in the college application process. But if someone spends $5K to attend a summer engineering program at Stanford, this could be some help in the college application process, and I think my often be a motivation to attend. If I don't have the $5K, I can't get that benefit. Spending $40K on the Hernandez consulting service will be helpful too, but most can't afford it, or don't see the value. It's all relative.</p>
<p>i can see why people would spend that much money, if they had it, to get their child into their top college but... i wouldnt use it myself. i think that i would always be wondering whether the college accepted me for who i am or who the consultant molded me to be.</p>
<p>i would much rather spend my time doing things i like to do, things that aren't specifically geared towards getting into college.</p>