Invited to apply for Stanford Summer School?

<p>My D just got an invitation to apply to the Stanford Summer Program 2008? Is this really that prestigious? She is a junior and thinks S is her 1st choice, but the cost before even adding airfare is over $10,000. Does participation in this help or hurt your chances for admission, or have no effect at all? Has anyone done this and felt that it really helped?
She would be missing a lot of activities that occur during the late summer at her school for seniors if she did this and she would miss cross country camp too.</p>

<p>I got it too.. a lot of people get it. I think it's sort of a for-profit thing? =/ It's too expensive; the most prestegious programs are the ones that are for free etc.</p>

<p>My cousin received an invitation for the Stanford Summer Program also. Can anyone make any comments?</p>

<p>My son received one as well. I am curious as to why, as he indicated no particular interest in Stanford.</p>

<p>I got one, I am curious too because I was recently admitted...</p>

<p>I also received this letter. If you took the PSAT this past october, and checked in the box that said to send/receive information from colleges, you will get many letters from colleges as well as promotional offers targeting kids who scored well. Harvard and Brown have a similar summer program, and while I have only heard good things, it is more of a summer school than anything else. Basically, it wouldn't hurt to attend (except your checkbook) but it doesn't necessarily stand out.</p>

<p>i attended last summer. best 4 weeks of my life. i highly recommend it;however, supposedly it won't help very much on college apps. also it's a bit pricy. i paid $5100 last summer.</p>

<p>It's pretty fun.</p>

<p>However, it's pretty much not selective. You have the opportunity to have fun and take high level classes -but unless you don't have the money, have been arrested five times, or don't fill out the entire application, you won't be denied. Financial aid is offered anyway, I believe, although I don't think they keep much money for the summer programs.</p>

<p>Also though, even if you're extremely qualified, it's possible to be denied if you apply late. Spots fill up, it's sort of first come first serve.</p>

<p>This does not help at any top colleges though other schools might like to see you have an acedemic summer if your stats are not high. It's another things that shows you have spare money. Stanford is so popular now that high scoring legacies were rejected (deferred) in record numbers.</p>

<p>toooonnnns of people get the letter.....</p>

<p>but it definitely seems like fun...</p>

<p>Not particularly selective, but possibly very interesting, and not a particular admission boost.</p>

<p>wouldn't a $5000 "investment" in a univeristy be an admission boost?</p>

<p>I went two summers ago and LOVED it. You get to take classes with real students and professors and stuff, and if you form a good rapport with your prof you might be able to get a rec out of it. But yeah--costly, and not much of an admissions boost. But fun. I guarantee it.</p>

<p>DukeBlueDevils: How did you only go for 4 weeks? SSC is 8... did you do EPGY there or something?</p>