<p>I'm sorry if this thread doesn't really fit this category perfectly, but it's the best I could find. I just got an email that states that I have been selected to attend the National Young Leaders Conference this summer in Washington, D.C. I'd love to go, but I have a few questions about it.</p>
<p>I read on their website that tuition for it is $2,359. That's a ton of money. How hard is it to get a scholarship from them? I know that there are also fundraisers available, but I'm not sure how one could get that much money from a fundraiser.</p>
<p>Are whole families allowed to go? I was thinking that maybe my family and I could attend and make it our vacation (since it is in Washington, D.C.)</p>
<p>When you apply to colleges, do they really care if you go to this conference? They said in the email that you can get college credit from George Mason University, but I really don't know if that would be a substantial amount.</p>
<p>I feel these a rip off program designed to milk students for cash. I doubt that this program actually “teaches” anything, but I could be wrong. Since they are pretty much for profit, I doubt the scholarship will cover the full cost. I’m sure everybody I know last year received this same letter.</p>
<p>I mean, I’m sure you would have fun and everything if that’s what you’re passionate about but it’s not going to wow adcoms and few colleges will probably take the college credit that you get out of it. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a scam (though I know very little about it except for the letters that I’ve gotten too), but they definitely try to play it up to be more than it really is.</p>
<p>Okay, thanks for the advice. I read another thread on CC about NYLC, and everyone agreed that it really isn’t for impressing colleges, that it’s more of an opportunity to go to D.C., learn about politics (aka corruption), go sightseeing, etc. I haven’t decided if I’ll go or not, but if I do, I’ll have to fundraise quite a lot.</p>
<p>Getting the nomination letter and hearing how good it is for colleges when I was a freshman, i thought I was really special. Turns out when there’s like hundreds of kids there, and I receive barely any personal attention. I really wish I didn’t go; it’s a waste of money, and I didn’t even put it anywhere on my applications except on my extended resume. </p>
<p>It’s cheaper to go to DC by yourself; all the attractions/meetings with politicians are readily available with careful planning. But if you still insist on going, I was able to fundraise $1500. I wrote letters to all family friends and several local businesses. I then followed up with a face-to-face meeting when possible.</p>
<p>ok so basically it’s a scam, and not something that looks impressive on the college application. However, I went my junior year and I can honestly say it was one of the most life changing experiences of my life. For the first time, I was away from home and had to grow up in many ways. I completely submerged myself into the activities and was surprised to discover that I had a lot of leadership ability, ability which I applied to all my extracurricular activities once I got back. For that reason, I believe the program was worth it, but it really comes down to what you make out of it. I never did put it on my college applications, but i recommend going if you think it’s something that you’re interested in.</p>
<p>It’s a scam in that its not prestigious, costs a load of money, and the academic program is a waste.</p>
<p>BUT, at least with the global one, get to meet cool people from across the world which is the best part IMO (I now have really good friends in the Bahamas, Chile, Italy, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia).</p>