<p>Hi! I'm circlemidnight, and although I normally hang out in the Prep School forums, I have decided that it would be wise to check out some summer programs to keep myself busy. I'm located in WA state, and I was wondering if you guys knew of any programs that might be focused in that state. Academic programs are ones that I prefer the most, but music programs that help budding musicians would be nice to know as well. If there are any exceptional out-of-state programs that are very nice, please tell me about those as well. As said above, I'm very new to this, so it would be very nice if you could acquaint me to the goings-on and etc. I'm also going to be a freshman this fall, so please keep all summer program suggestions age appropriate. Thanks!</p>
<p>Welcome to the summer programs subforum, circlemidnight! It can be frustrating at times, but I find it more amiable than other regions of this site :).</p>
<p>You’re asking a bit late, unfortunately–most programs’ deadlines have already passed. I don’t know of any open programs in Washington (and there are few that are open to students of your age), but here’s some advice that should prove helpful for the next three summers:
*Start looking early. Like, December or January–you’ll want to have a partial list of interesting programs compiled by January or February, so you can have plenty of time to finish the applications/essays/get recommendations/etc.
*CC is a great place for information. Visit the summer programs subforum in December and spend an hour reading threads, so you get a good idea of what programs to look for.
*Don’t fall for those Ivy League pre-college “experiences”–they’re just a way for those institutions to make several extra million dollars during the summer, often comprise large and impersonal classes, and will be full of children from wealthy families who want to spend a few weeks partying at some expensive big-name college.
*Some colleges offer programs that basically let high school students take undergraduate summer courses for credit. This can be good if you want to knock out some credits early, but it’s not really special–you could do this type of thing this summer, if a local community college or similar institution is willing to enroll students of your age.
*Just about anything that is free, pays you, is an internship, or consists of serious research, is a Good Thing. These are usually the most competitive, though.
*Pick something in which you are genuinely interested, not something to make your college resume more sparkly. “Prestigious” programs only make a difference if you experience some sort of personal development/educational benefit/etc. The summer will be what you make it, so don’t worry if you want to participate in some obscure, non-prestigious program–if you get a lot out of it, and it inspires/motivates you, or furthers your career path (or something like that), colleges will like that because it changes you, not just your resume.</p>
<p>Sorry I wasn’t able to list any programs for you.</p>
<p>Thanks very much! Your tips are very helpful and it’ll be especially helpful come time for high school!</p>