<p>So, we received a really fat official looking envelope addressed to my S saying that he had been nominated to attend this forum. Since we have received numerous solicitations hiding under official looking names before, should I investigate further? It looks like a lot of money for a 10 day seminar but will it be worth it? Thanks!</p>
<p>thumbs down in my opinion although to be fair I know a very good student at a top public ivy who attended the one in Boston. Not a good way to select your peers for a learning experience or a good use of money. My opinion only. And we did get these envelopes as did most of our sons’ peers in a public honors high school.</p>
<p>It’s not selective or prestigious. It’s not a hook for college applications. It’s just a trip.</p>
<p>My daughter attended this a few years ago in Boston. Yes it was cotly but she loved it! It also allowed her to explore the medical field to see if she really liked it. In my opinion it was worth it for her to attend.</p>
<p>Nope.
Don’t do it.
Throw it away.</p>
<p>It’s not worth anything in terms of college admissions, but my son did it and had a very positive experience. It was one of many experiences that helped solidify a lasting interest in medicine. They are able to get students into areas of hospitals to see things that they would not normally have an opportunity to observe in high school.</p>
<p>No it is not particularity prestigious. No hook for college. Teachers nominate kids (his history teacher did) and then some get letters from other sources. S3 attended one for politics and loved it. Had sessions with congress and DoD and other Federal agencies. Met some really interesting people. The folks that were on panels and in discussions were really interested in the kids. </p>
<p>Look at the agenda and decide if you think it is worth the money for your child. Since his was held where we live, we had no travel expense. For us, he was teetering on disinterest in schools despite being in gifted programs and this helped him see some cool things he could do with his interests. Helped get him over the issues and get a spark back. For us it was worth it. For my brother, he felt it was a nice reward for his D’s hard work.</p>
<p>My younger daughter (2012) did their Leadership Conferences three times in various forms, others I know also did more specific (medicine, law, etc.) and also loved it. It is expensive but the kids get a lot out of it and a nice addition to your application but only if you can afford it.</p>
<p>DD did medicine in Chicago after sophomore year and loved it. She met kids from all over the country that she is still in touch with. She didn’t particularly like the lecture format, but enjoyed the hospital/med school trips. Costly, yes, but a good experience for her and confirmed her interest in health care. I found it safe and well-organized.</p>
<p>My daughter also did the program in Boston the summer after her sophomore year in high school. Any yes it was pricey but it was definitely worth the money. At that time my daughter was thinking of being a doctor. She is now in her freshman year at Penn studying nursing. At the conference they observed a surgical procedure; she held a heart and a brain. She had a wonderful time. It also solidified that medical school was not where she wanted to be but rather nursing school. She listened to the doctors and heard that several of them would not do it again if they were starting over due to the hours, strain on the family and less and less patient contact. She also will tell you she never met a nurse that didn’t like her job. Her ultimate goal is to become a nurse practitioner. For us it was worth the money and for her it helped her feel good about her decision.</p>
<p>My son attended a Leadership conference and absolutely loved it. He was exposed to new career opportunities and able to hear from top people on a personal level. It helped to solidify what he would like to do with his life. In the end I thought the experience was worth the money.</p>
<p>Before I sent my daughter, I spoke with a dad from her school who had sent his daughter. He said it was worth it because she was exposed to enough medicine/health care experiences/issues that she wanted totally OUT of the field. In his mind, it was a lot cheaper than paying for a 5th year at college once she figured out she was heading in the wrong career direction. So that might be a consideration. For my daughter, it helped affirm her choices</p>
<p>DD did the medicine one also. She did NOT even put it on her college application. We sent her because the information being covered was interesting to her…and we could afford to pay for it. It was a nice chance for her to stay on a college campus for 10 days and interact with kids interested in the same subject matter.</p>
<p>If you are looking at this as a college application boost…don’t. If you are looking for 10 days of away for your child and the money is available, it’s fine.</p>
<p>Thanks! I liked thumper’s conclusion. At this point, I don’t forsee spending money on such an expensive summer experience, so out in the trash it goes.</p>