Now that PSAT scores are out, in addition to receiving email directly from colleges, my daughter is also receiving invitations to participate in various academic enrichment opportunities. The most recent invite has come from the National Student Leadership Conference. I skeptically view these as primarily money-making opportunities for the organizations that conduct them. But am I too jaded in my views? Are some of these opportunities worthwhile and truly representative of a selective admission criteria? How can you tell which ones are “legit” so to speak and which ones are really just a way for someone to make money?
Your kid should do activities that interest her, period. Stuff done to look good for admissions doesn’t really do any good. She should pursue activities that help her refine her career interests, further develop an EC area she likes, or allows her to explore something new that she wants to try. Keep those ideas in mind when evaluating opportunities.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/education/edlife/leadership-t.html?_r=0
Sounds like the DC thing is a great trip but we already know at least 20 kids from Ds high school who got the email so it doesn’t sound selective or competitive in the least.
My son did one of the NSLC programs in an area that interested him. We’ll never know if it helped him get into the college of his choice, but in the meantime it was an opportunity to meet kids with a similar interest from around the country, and to stay on an out-of-state college campus for 2 weeks in a dorm room with a roommate. So in my view, it was worth it, whether or not it actually helped him get into college.
When asking if they are “worth it” I wasn’t focused on worth in terms of increasing college admissions likelihood, but rather “worth” it in terms of whether it would be a valuable experience overall. A lot of these places can put together some great marketing materials but in the end it comes down to whether participants feel like they got something valuable out of participating - that’s what I’m trying to figure out how to evaluate. I guess maybe I could ask our GC if other students from our HS have attended any of these in the past and what they thought about them.
Our kid did a NSLC when she was in high school…because she was interested in the topic…and because we could afford it…and because it also was near a favorite aunt and uncle’s house.
We did not sent her to bolster her college application. In fact, she didn’t list it at all on her college applications.
Sorry…edit function isn’t working!
One of my kids did go to a summer program that I think did benefit his college applications. He is a musician…and spent two summers at Boston University Tanglewood Institute…a HS program on the Tanglewood grounds that is audition based. As a musician, this one wasn’t a “just pay and you can attend” program. It was audition based…with many, many more auditioning than can be accepted on each instrument.
There are lots of free and low cost programs that benefit your child, so I would look into those.
My daughter did two competitive-entry summer science programs. She loved both of them and they were definitely worth it. She met a lot of kids with similar interests (she is still in touch with them), got to work directly with professors on research in university labs, and had a great time. I don’t know if they helped with college apps – she’s been accepted to two schools but is waiting on the rest. At a minimum, the programs show her interest in science, and she write about the experience in at least one essay.
“wrote” not “write” 
Here’s my take, for whatever it’s worth. These are money-making enterprises, and they do everything they can to give the impression that your child has received some wonderfully prestigious honor, when in fact, as you correctly ascertained, they send out their mailings to lots of kids. So, the part about their operation that bugs me is they try to give you the sense that to ignore them is to forego a tremendous opportunity/accolade. It’s not, and if what they offer doesn’t feel worth the significant price they’re asking, feel free to pitch it in the circular file.
That being said, kids do go to these things and at least some of them seem to have good experiences. If the description of their program sounds like something that would genuinely interest your kid, then I recommend googling the program in question and seeing if it sounds like it’s a worthwhile use of time and money. You can probably find specific threads here on CC and elsewhere.
I still laugh at the fact that I initially declined membership in Phi Beta Kappa in college. They responded “are you sure, no one has ever declined before?”. So apparently I am not a good judge of what is and is not a prestigious honor.
Agree with rayrick. They make it seem more like an honor than it is. Some adcoms view this kind of trip with skepticism, thinking all it says is that this family has the money to send their kids on these trips. But if it’s something that your dd would enjoy and aligns with her interests and you’ve got the money, then it’s OK to consider it.
My kids did the Duke Talent Search thing, but we couldn’t afford the expensive camps they send you info about. We found a less expensive alternative that gave scholarship money. This was a three-week camp over three summers after their sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade years. It was a wonderful investment as they learned not just about the subject matter but also what it’s like to live on a college campus, share a room with a stranger, eat in a dinning hall, dealing with a community bathroom, etc. Ds1 even worked there as a counselor one summer in college. But, yeah, just don’t delude yourself into thinking this will provide some kind of competitive advantage for college admissions.
I think a good rule of thumb is the less it costs, the more selective/prestigious it is likely to be. The very best opportunities (like TASP) are free, or close to it.
Well…Tanglewood did have a cost for my kiddo (he received a small scholarship). But the audition piece was what made it stand out. You didn’t just pay the bill…and go!
I think most kids will love a sleepaway experience no matter what the program is. So I would take the reports of kids loving something with a grain of salt. I am not impressed with the slick and very misleading marketing the organization mentioned by the OP uses. I’d look for something more than a “conference”. Many colleges offer summer programs for high school students–classes, research opportunities, exposure to various fields, or real undergraduate courses. Have a look at what’s out there before you pay the very high fees for this.
I think there is something to be gained by many of these summer experiences…whether they are competitive…or not.
But most aren’t going to impact college admissions…at all.
Gee, a library card should do the trick. Add free internet lectures and hit the jackpot! Just yesterday I viewed ayoutube lecture by Dr. Ed Greenstein on “The Epic of Gilgamesh”. Interested because of Bohuslav Martinu’s oratorio on the myth.
Getting an invitation to join/get an award et al doesn’t always mean anything. I would not bother with most- especially if you need to pay for it. In middle school son could have gotten something or other- meaningless. Being listed in those books of top whatever/who’s who is worthless ( I look at those as a list of foolish parents who bought the listing- the smartest don’t bother). I even got offers for physician ones after being retired!
The National Merit program is worth following up on if offered. Academic summer programs that interest your child are- especially through Talent Search programs (different regions covered by different programs through respected colleges and some states). Many of the others are pure junk and meaningless on application forms. They, like vacation mission trips, just show you and your child had the money to participate. Check with gifted and talented websites for discovering opportunities that are legit. Summer camps offered by colleges are legit. There are some good language camps.
You are right to be skeptical. Choose activities on the basis of wanting the experience not on the basis of what looks good. Many of these “programs” area marketed to parents and are designed to gauge wealthy parents who want to do anything they think will give their kids a leg up. These program don’t. The ones that are worth pursing are free and are very competitive to get into. Those are impressive and give students amazing opportunities/experiences.