Hey so I got into YYGS for Biological & Biomedical Science and I am super happy, but I’m getting second thoughts. I really don’t know if I should accept the offer. Is it worth the $6000 (I didn’t apply for a scholarship ) and what do I really get out of it? Does it help my chances of getting into a US school? Are the connections really good? Is it a lot of fun?
I was also interviewed for an internship position at a research facility (lab) and I’m waiting on their final decision. The internship is paid and really competitive, especially since it is for high school students. It lasts the whole summer and the lab does really meaningful and ground breaking research, but I don’t even know if I got in. I hear back late April, but by then my acceptance for YYGS would expire.
Sadly, I am not able to do both the programs in the summer. Should I accept the YYGS or gamble at a chance of doing research?
Catlover00, they do offer spots on a need-blind basis, which means that they will have a lot of kids applying who are expecting to be able to attend via scholarship even though they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford the program. This in turn means the program runs out of money, and can’t actually offer full scholarships, or even scholarships that come close to making it affordable based on your family income.
Our family income falls below the poverty line (under $12,000/yr) and we qualify for public assistance. We were still asked to pay $2500, and given a 2 week deadline to pay it in. We asked for a review of the scholarship and was told they ran out of money, and there was no waitlist to get more. They did offer a payment plan, which still required we pay half the money in less than 1 week to secure the spot in the program, and we were told that the deposit was non-refundable, no exceptions. We have done some saving and collecting of money over holidays in lieu of gifts in order to save up for the travel expenses just in case, but we never expected to have to come up with $3,000 (for tuition and travel). We have sent over 5 emails asking for an exception, some help, or even the option to get our $1,000 deposit back if we can’t fundraise for the rest of the tuition in time, and were told flat out, no.
This program is not really concerned with finding qualified kids who can come together to form a diverse community to share ideas and information on global issues (which I would think include poverty). It is really a program that purports to be this by claiming statistically that they offer scholarships in order to water down the fact that it’s really just a glorified summer camp for wealthy parents to get rid of their kids for 2 weeks, and can afford to pay a semesters worth of college tuition for the privilege. By reporting that they offer scholarships, and claiming that they are need based, they are able to hide the fact that in reality, while the scholarships are offered to people with financial need, those kids are actually declining their spots because they still can’t afford it, and the spots and remaining money are passed on to wealthier kids who sat on the waitlist. It’s no wonder they don’t report how many kids decline their spots, or that they bury the statistic that only 54 kids out of 1700 actually attended on full ride scholarships.
This program really needs to ramp up there fundraising if they want to be a truly inclusive program. In the meantime, they should be honest about the fact that they don’t actually have enough funding to offer scholarships to kids who can’t afford the tuition (although they will offer you the spot, so don’t worry about being waitlisted because of your financial need). Needless to say, our spot will be opened up, so good luck to those of you on the waitlist who are able to afford this program.
Here’s the thing: I have my choice of college between Yale University, Duke University, Northwestern University, Wake Forest University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and never had the opportunity to do one of these. programs. However, I did a program called Global Scholar through a really great nonprofit called AMP Global Youth. This program, besides being way more affordable than programs like YYGS, is really dedicated towards the student. The staff is knowledgeable and dedicated and the curriculum is entirely centered on taking action. Because it is in DC, students have the best access to all kinds of nonprofits and businesses, and I was able to meet experts in their respective fields. I was able to visit and have conversations with experts at Action Aid USA, The World Bank, the Aspen Institute, the Global Campaign for Education, Pew Research Institute, the embassies of Croatia and Mexico, and many more legitimate places. I was able to lobby my senators in the Capitol Building and even had an hour-long seminar with Dan Glickman, the former US Secretary of Agriculture. These aren’t 15-minute meet and greets. They usually run over an hour and are totally geared towards taking action as a student. These people are present and ready to listen. I learned SO much. I would absolutely do this program again. I STRONGLY suggest applying to this. Besides being affordable and legitimate, students are able to make meaningful connections with other driven students and gain a better perspective on international affairs. As I head to Yale University in the fall to study Global Affairs, I know these experiences will be very valuable to me.
I’m also in the same struggle as some of the others. I got accepted into YYGS however I was not granted any scholarships.There is another program I applied to that is a longer program and much cheaper, however the results come in later in April. So my option is to is to accept and pay the $2800 or take a gamble on the later program.
I’m doing other small projects this summer like running helping run a Computer Science camp at a nearby University and teaching my own CS class for a week. Furthermore, doing research all throughout summer at another University which MAY get a published. However if I reject YYGS, and don’t get into the other program, then for the bulk of summer I’m not really doing anything. I’m just not sure paying $6000 is worth it tho from what I’m hearing.
im an international student, i attended one of the science sessions in 2017 with a full tuition fee waiver. i cant really say how “prestigious” it is, it has an acceptance rate of around 24%, but what i will say is that you will meet a ton of really smart kids there (almost everyone i met had 35/36 act and perfect sat subjects) AND a lot of the rising seniors i met ended up going to ivies. its not a bad experience and its fun to experience a simulation of college life. hope this helped.
Just saw your question, in case someone else is also curious for the coming year. Not all admission officers are familiar with the weight of this program, especially the older generation of AOs.
My daughter and our family are extremely grateful to the program. Based on the feedback from other families, my guess is that the percentage of the admitted students ending up in Ivy schools is very high. I wonder if it is because it is a highly selective process for any student to get in.
My daughter was overwhelmingly amazed by the students and training there. The students even laugh as they heard some moms wanted to send their kids there to meet princes and princesses. They know. My D has been to several overnight camps in the country, but she said this was the best two weeks ever in her life. She loves every minute of it. We applaud YYGS did amazing jobs admitting students. Future leaders in STEM and humanities to come for sure!
I also attended AMP Global Scholar and completely agree with all of these sentiments. This program was truly one of the greatest educational experiences I have ever had and would encourage anyone who is interested in learning more about foreign affairs to apply. I love to talk about this program so if anyone is interested in it or has questions let me know.
YYGS is absolutely worth it. They evaluate students on a need-blind basis and will attempt to give as much financial aid as possible for an accepted student to attend.
Hey! I was waitlisted at YYGS and it’s also quite expensive so I was considering applying to AMP Global Scholar. I was just wondering if you could give me a little more of an insight into how it is? I’m a bit conflicted with this whole what “looks” good and what’s actually a better experience and i’m just a bit lost in general!!
I’m far from an expert on this but I think, in general, summer camps and programs where you have to pay tuition do not give you much of a leg up in admissions to any college because if you have to pay for it, then chances are only higher income students will even apply. I just got accepted and I’m able to attend because I was granted a full-tuition scholarship plus I have a way of flying there and back. But not everyone has that and colleges know that.
I think it’s worth it in the sense that it’s a unique learning opportunity and a chance to explore Yale’s campus for 2 weeks. But I wouldn’t pay for it if it proposes any sort of financial strain at all.
*I should note that I received full tuition because YYGS worked with a partner program to pay for it. My experience is likely very rare and I’m really sorry to anyone who couldn’t/can’t go because they weren’t offered enough aid.
Me!! I got in, but unfortunately was not given enough financial aid, so I won’t be able to attend:(
It’s weird though, because I got a full scholarship last year for Brown’s summer program and my family income has not changed at all… and YYGS gave me VERY little financial aid…
Hello, I am an international student and I just got accepted into Applied Science & Engineering (ASE) with a 3.000 $ scholarship, but I am still not convinced about the few details given about the daily schedule. Could you give me any information about it?
Hi there, have you considered Global Scholar? They provide financial aid and are about half the price and honestly just as a good a program for learning, networking, and summer fun! www.globalscholar.org
I was in your position once upon a time so I hope this helps!
Hi, I got accepted into YYGS with a $2,000 scholarship, but my family can still not afford it. Does anybody know if there is any possibility that they can increase the aid? Or is the quantity given definitive?
To all those accepted, congrats! It will be a cool experience for those who like learning. However, I want to remind those that YYGS should only be a learning opportunity and not something to help with college apps. Most summer programs are typically very expensive. The ones that are accredited for and the ones that you will get accredited for are the ones that are free to attend and will give you a stipend. Examples are like RSI. Yes, it’s difficult but highly worth it.
) and what do I really get out of it? Does it help my chances of getting into a US school? Are the connections really good? Is it a lot of fun?
yeah if I don’t end up going, then hopefully you get the spot!!