<p>They probably got into Penn because they were qualified, not because NYLF. It is just something to list on your app, like any EC. The only way it might help is if you discuss your NYLF experience in a personal essay.</p>
<p>Inquiries about NYLF on CC will never go away. It's like a virus that keeps popping up over and over again. People either defend it with their last breath or bad-mouth it. There never is any resolution, no mind-changing insights introduced.</p>
<p>it isn't given to ALL high school students, at least not at my school. The teachers reccommend the top 3 in bio and AP bio (since some kids couldnt take ap bio who deserved it, since we have mandatory summer school for ap bio) for the medical one. someone random is going to one of them this summer, and i got invited to the defense, intelligence, diplomacy one too. at my school they make a big deal about it if you go, ie announcing it at a school assembly or over the PA for a week</p>
<p>Any teacher or mentor can go to the NYLF website and nominate up to 10 students. That process just requests the contact info for the students ... no GPA, test scores or nominating statement.</p>
<p>The Forum on Technology is happening here in San Jose this week. Maybe I'll cruise by and see how the students are enjoying it. </p>
<p>When I did that a couple of years ago, they didn't seem very excited. They had briefly visited bay area colleges, sat through a lot of "tech talks," visited some high-tech companies and took some recreational field trips, but the 9-day forum WAS NOT worth the $2,000+ price tag!</p>
<p>The NYLF website talks about how the Forum can accommodate 1,000+ students, but there were less than 200 that I saw here in San Jose.</p>
<p>Maybe someone who attended a forum can verify how many actually participated.</p>
<p>all in all, i'm sure it's a great program, but don't go to it b/c its prestigious. to tell you the truth when i got one of these i was ecstatic cuz it seemed like i was the only one, but they are really good at it. i mean no offense but really all they want is your money, they don't care who fills up the slots. plus, don't do this to have something extra to put on your college application b/c i have been told that summers aren't really that important. but i'd consider going if you really have a strong interest in that area, but only for that purpose just to broaden your horizons. not a college app plus, it wont do anything</p>
<p>they talk about the 1000+ students, meaning over the course of several different 9-day sessions in several different locations. you won't ever come into contact with that many students at the NYLF</p>
<p>makkuroi - you can sign up yourself on their website. A teacher nomination is optional.</p>
<p>yeah, well i personally have no interest in any of the careers they have the forum in, so i of course never even considered spending all that money to go, especially since colleges are more impressed by TASP and that's free (tho i didnt do that either b/c once again, i wasn't interested in the course offerings)</p>
<p>I'm glad to hear that you liked the NYLC. My son was the only student in our middle school to receive an invitation.</p>
<p>He gets a lot of things in the mail too. We did the Duke TIP (7th graders taking the SAT) but they seem to be really interested in selling classes. It is done by achievement scores though and he did receive a recognition certificate from Duke. At least he's on the mailing list.</p>
<p>It seems to me that it is easy to get all of these things mixed up. It is my empression that you must be nominated by a teacher for NYLC while some of these other programs you do not. I might be totally wrong. </p>
<p>I'm not looking at NYLC as a step towards college but more as a life experience. Thanks for your info.</p>