<p>I was recently accepted to the LEAD Business program, and I am also a TASP Finalist.<br>
If you were in my situation, to which program would you go? Why?
Which would be more fun?
Which would be more rigorous academically?
Which would help more with college matriculation?</p>
<p>Well you still have to do your interview with TASP, so that is not a done deal.</p>
<p>TASP is not “academic” in the strictest sense… but it’s a learning experience.</p>
<p>I have had my interview. </p>
<p>And while I understand what you are saying about not counting my chickens before they hatch, I would still like to be more informed about my options for this summer, so I would greatly appreciate anyone’s help in comparing these two programs against one another.</p>
<p>I think one thing that would help us evaluate is to know what your interests are. I believe that the LEAD program is very strong and well known and if business is your long term interest, then being involved with business programs is advantageous. TASP is more about developing yourself as a person and if the topics passionately interested you, to the point that you can sit around for 6 weeks discussing these with others on both sides, you would likely enjoy that experience. It however will not make you stronger at business :-).</p>
<p>which school did you get into for LEAD? I did LEAD and it’s very well known, the alumni network is great, we get internship, program, and career opportunities that are made exclusively for LEAD alum :).</p>
<p>I’m a TASP alum currently at Wharton. No question, pick TASP.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the responses. Again, I have not yet been accepted to TASP. I am not necessarily interested in a career in business, but it does sound like a fun thing to learn more about. I actually think I’d enjoy a career as a lawyer. </p>
<p>As far as TASP is concerned, I really do think that the seminar topics are interesting. Are both programs well known? Or are they only well known on college confidential…</p>
<p>TASP is definitely not well known. None of the people in my school knows about it. I’m in the same situation, newsperrys. I got a scholarship to Europe this summer for two weeks, and the day coincides with TASP. Now, I haven’t got my interview, and I don’t know whether I’ll be accepted to Tasp. But I’m interested in knowing the percent of TASPers who got into their first choice as well</p>
<p>TASP is well known at top schools. In any case, it’s not like LEAD will help you in admissions and I doubt that any business knowledge gained will be helpful in the long run.</p>
<p>TASP is structured to be a very unique experience. The seminar topics are interesting, but they’re probably the most forgettable part of the program. TASP won’t guarantee you acceptance into a top school, but I think most people gain a lot from it and mature quite a bit, which helps when applying.</p>
<p>fwiw i think something like 15/18 people from my seminar ended up at Ivies + Stanford</p>
<p>really Major Lazer? wow</p>
<p>@MajorLazer LEAD is well known at top schools, the schools that are amongst the SBIs actively recruit LEADers (this includes Stanford, UPenn, Duke, etc.), so I don’t know what you’re talking about but LEAD does help in admissions. Being apart of LEAD is not just class sessions, you learn outside the classroom too from other bright individuals and counselors, the business knowledge can be applied to other aspects of life. The career oppotunities that are made EXCLUSIVELY for LEAD alum are indeed helpful in the long run.</p>
<p>fwiw, even though the admissions cycle has not ended, people from my LEAD have already gotten into Stanford, Dartmouth, Yale, Duke, Harvard (likely letter), UVa (likely letter), Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Williams, UNC-Chapel Hill (which asks if you did LEAD on their application), and in a few weeks there will be more top schools to add to this list. </p>
<p>Ignorance is not bliss.</p>
<p>^You can also add West Point to my list.</p>
<p>Oh boy. In the end they’re both just summer programs. I feel like I shouldn’t respond because you’re a high school senior and so obviously LEAD is still the **** to you (I know becasue I’ve been there), but here goes.</p>
<p>It’s great that people from your LEAD program are going to top schools, and it doesn’t surprise me. The inherent nature of any reasonably selective summer program pretty much guarantees that a lot of people will end up at good schools. I even said in my post that I don’t think either program guarantees admission anywhere.</p>
<p>If you want to go to a summer program to be encouraged to pursue a career in business, then I’m sure LEAD is great. It seems to be generally low-impact in the grand scheme of things, though. If you’re a bright student, you don’t need LEAD to get that job at the end of the day. When you’re a college junior, is LEAD going to be the differentiating factor that wins you the banking job? That secures funding for your startup, or hell, encourages you to start a startup? Probably not. If you’re at Wharton or Dartmouth or Stanford or Harvard or x, you’re not going to turn to the LEAD network first.</p>
<p>I mean, just look at the mission statement.</p>
<p>“LEAD Business is a national partnership of top U.S. corporations and graduate business schools that encourages talented students from diverse backgrounds to pursue careers in business.”</p>
<p>That’s a very narrow and very pragmatic mandate. All the testimonials amount to “LEAD convinced me that I want to do business!” which is like, cool and all, but for the demographic of this site, probably doesn’t mean anything significant in the long run. If you didn’t have to weigh the decision, I would totally say to go to LEAD given the opportunity. But I think the Telluride Association promotes a very unique set of ideals. Just compare the mission statement</p>
<p>“Telluride aims to foster an everyday synthesis of self-governance and intellectual inquiry that enables students to develop their potential for leadership and public service.”</p>
<p>It might be light on the tangibles, but TA is very serious about creating an atmosphere that allows you to develop tremendously as an individual. The small size, democratic self-governance, seminar etc. etc. ultimately facilitate a very introspective community. It’s hard to explain, but the timing of TASP is central to its success. It just wouldn’t work if it was at any other point in a persons life besides the summer after junior year.</p>
<p>Just realized that no one actually answered OP’s questions.</p>
<p>Which would be more fun?
- Can’t say. </p>
<p>Which would be more rigorous academically?
TASP</p>
<p>As was mentioned, it’s not “strictly” academic, but you are basically taking a senior-level seminar. It’s reading intensive, you write a lot, and you get a lot of face-time with the professors.</p>
<p>Which would help more with college matriculation?
TASP (even though this shouldn’t really affect your decision, but realistically it does for most people)</p>
<p>It’s more selective. Something like 7% compared to 25%
It’s free. Adcoms know that money was not at ALL a factor
Even though TASP isn’t well known in the general population, adcoms know what it is. It’s not a guaranteed in, but being in the 7% in an extremely self selecting pool is a stamp of quality. I had to chat with my advisor over the summer going into freshman year, and he was familiar with TASP.</p>
<p>By the time you’re partway through freshman year, the actual summer itself will feel like a distant memory. I think TASP is VERY unique though, so if given the choice, why deprive yourself of it?</p>
<p>also i guess this is just ingrained elitism on my part but of the schools jadore listed, i didn’t have UVa, ND, Vanderbilt, UNC or West Point in mind when saying that LEAD won’t help.</p>