I was thinking about doing a summer program at Columbia this summer, but I was just curious if it actually does boost your chances of actually getting into the college? NOTE: I wanted to do this program regardless of it helps or not. I am just wondering b/c someone told me that it can help (maybe not drastically, but apparently it can somewhat help). Does it really?
My friend went to a summer camp at Cornell for a women’s engineering program. She wrote her essays about it. She is 3.775 UW, top 40%, 34 ACT, 2200 SAT. She was accepted ED just last week. I say if the right person in the admissions room is looking out for you, then definitely.
Columbia has already answered the question for you. The answer will be the same for other Ivy League Summer Programs.
http://sps.columbia.edu/high-school/nyc/campus-immersion/faq#node-2206
So the mere act of doing the program will not help you at all. However, they experience may prove beneficial in the long run.
In general, and in the case of Columbia, specifically, the answer is “no.” Women in Engineering might be an exception (the only girls I know who have done that program at Cornell were super high scorers and got into HYPS schools they were eminently qualified for) and M&T at Penn might be another (although this one is probably due to selection effect). @thenewstyped