<p>My D is already looking at what she can do this summer and the option she likes is doing medical research for almost all of the summer. I'd like her to have more free/fun time -- but she thinks the research (1) would be fun and (2) would help her get into JHU. Does summer research carry more weight than, say, the NYLF medical program? She did CTY last year.</p>
<p>Honestly, as somone who did high school research, I don’t think it makes as much of a difference as you might think. A lot of people, especially those applying to Hopkins have done research. If she is a semi-finalist in Siemens or Intel, then it will increase her chances dramatically.</p>
<p>What you are asking about is academic enrichment experiences and whether they can help with admissions. The answer is a resounding YES. Students who pursue academic passions outside of the classroom display a quality that is quite representative of what makes a true Hopkins student. Therefore, during the application review process, the admissions counselors are making note of what academic enrichment experiences are available to a student and which they have pursued.</p>
<p>The related question is whether there is different values given to different experiences and once again the answer is YES. For obvious reasons, we would look more strongly at a student during actual medical research throughout the summer compared to a student doing a one-week program like NYLF. Each academic enrichment experience is judged differently compared to time involved, the amount initiative shown by the student, the uniqueness of the experience, the amount one gets out of the experience, etc. </p>
<p>We prefer to see any type of enrichment experience from CTY, NYLF, NYLC, to college summer programs to actual research … some experiences will be valued more than other based on the strength of the experience. </p>
<p>Hope that helps!</p>
<p>Thank you, it does!</p>