<p>Thanks for your insight, Magd;
You are right, but I think it depends upon the student.
Will they excel at college, or just get by?</p>
<p>We're not overpriviledged. We're strictly middle class, and have struggled to attain what we have. I worked 2 jobs, overtime, etc. My wife and I both went to college at night, and it's not the easiest way to go. We're NOT rich.
But, we prize education greatly.</p>
<p>I think it depends upon the goals of the student. How ambitious are they?
The subject of our conversation has a great work ethic. I.e. he handed out flyers to all our neighbors when he was 10 years old offering to cut their grass. He currently has 2 jobs and left his last job because he couldn't get enough hours. (He's already worked for the last 2 years.)
If he goes away, he misses work, and he's upset about that!</p>
<p>In our case, the following apply;
1. We have 1 opportunity to send our son to a summer program.
2. This is the first and only summer program he'll have access to.
If his goal is to excel in languages, then an immersion program will be of great benefit to him, and will provide exposure that he may not ever have available again,
3. This could be a life changing experience. A summer in an educational environment is infinitely better for individual development than a summer working in fast food.</p>
<p>hey if your looking for a study abroad id say roatary... they have long term and short term (summer) and you only have to pay for your personal expenses and traveling, the rest is covered by a scholarship.
i havent done it, but i may senior year, and i know a guy who is on one now in taiwon (for a year) and he loves it</p>
<p>also, i went to the university of chicago for a course in law and litigation last year for the summer... it was amazing, although the most challenging experience of my life... if you have a phobia of no sleep and up to six or seven hours of homework a night, dont go. HOWEVER... the freedom is fantastic, the prices not unreasonable, the city ASOLUTLY AMAZING, and it is the perfect college experience before college. plus, thai food at three am from the "thai truck" is a pretty interesting experience ;-)</p>
<p>Study abroad is great, but if you're looking for a highly respected summer program that is in the US and totally free, I'd recommend the Telluride Association Summer Programs (TASP). Admission to this program is very competitive, with only about 10% of applicants being offered a place in (and a full scholarship to) one of five programs: two at Cornell, one at UT-Austin, one at Washington University in St. Louis, and one at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. They are six-week seminar programs in some topic in the humanities. There were 18 students in my TASP, and more than half of us are going to Harvard, Yale, or Princeton (go tigers!) Top colleges respect the selection and preparation of students in this program, which ought to be better advertised. Do a google search on the "Telluride Association" and you'll surely find it.</p>
<p>My kids really liked Globalworks (immersion, community-service and travel program) in Corsica and L'Academie de Paris (through Oxbridge) in Paris. Another friend enjoyed Globalworks program in Ecudor and another in the Fiji Islands. I also know one kid who had a great experience with Experiment in International Living in China.</p>
<p>Seriously, there are a million things to do during the summer:</p>
<ol>
<li>Summer Programs</li>
<li>Taking Classes at Local Colleges to get ahead</li>
<li>Internships in your area of study</li>
<li>Summer School</li>
<li>Camp Counseling</li>
<li>Camp--there are fine arts camps (<a href="http://www.bluelake.org/)%5B/url%5D">http://www.bluelake.org/)</a>, foreign language camps, hiking camps</li>
<li>Summer Job</li>
<li>Volunteering</li>
<li>Study Abroad</li>
<li>Reading </li>
<li>Writing or partaking in writing contests</li>
</ol>
<p>This summer, I'm Volunteering at Red Cross (about 70 hours), Taking classes at a local community college, Traveling, Reading, WRtiing, and Working part time</p>
<p>wouldn't this just add to the stress of high school kids on here? I said it before and I'll say it again: high school activities are pretty meaningless... do whatever you actually want to do, not what you think will look good. I think for most people that would be sleeping, eating, reading, and maybe taking some interesting class at a local CC...</p>
<p>i just hope people don't get lured into those scam programs that are like $6000 to do some "leadership" seminar or some other nonsense</p>
<p>id have to disagree with reeze. yes this adds pressure. but the pressure is already there and summer activities are very important. it was an essay question on NYU's short answer. obviously colleges care. if someone has 6000 to spend, well then they should feel free. there are less expensive alternatives as well.</p>
<p>ah perfect thread, I was just about to ask about this stuff!</p>
<p>Besides RSI and TASP, are there any other prestigious summer programs (ones that are very selective and very well-respected at top-tier universities). The reason I'm asking this is because I know that these programs tend to not only boost a resume considerably, but they also provide unparalleled experiences (I have two friends who went to RSI and they were very satisfied with it).</p>
<p>Also, are there any good summer research programs for high schoolers, in which the students are actually able to conduct research and create a project with a mentor?</p>
<p>Also, what's this NSF thing? national science foundation?</p>
<p>Besides RSI and TASP, many states have very prestigious summer academic programs that are competitive and fully or mostly funded. I can't speak to other states, but in New Jersey, we have Governor's School, which is available in many different areas and is fairly prestigious, and the New Jersey Scholars Program, which is an academic program at the Lawrenceville School where 39 students are selected to learn about a topic interdisciplinarily. I'm sure that if you talk to your guidance counselor, they can give you more info on such programs.</p>
<p>Tragically, last I heard NJ's new governor slashed the budget for Governor's School! I don't know how it fell out in the end, or whether someone rescued the excellent program.</p>
<p>MOSP is an excellent and very prestigious program... but only the top 30 people in the USAMO get in (the number varies and depends on the funding AMC gets), and it's definitely not for everyone.</p>
<p>Could we please have sticky threads with only lists of programs (with links) separated by subject matter? It would make it much easier to find programs, and posters start other threads to discuss different summer program issues. We could have math/science, creative writing/journalism, foreign language, business, humanaties, music, debate/political science, and whatever else I've left out. This could be like the master lists in the parents forum.</p>
<p>I'll follow Seole's format. Actually, Seole, for a "program you did not enjoy", you made the Putney summer arts program sound good! We have considered it for D2.</p>
<p>Programs my daughter enjoyed:</p>
<p>She loved the University of Pennsylvania's Summer Arts program for High School students. She had a wonderful time, made good friends, and it made her want to go to Penn. (Sadly, for her at the time,she didn't get in but is very happy where she is now. Actually, I think the school she's attending is a much better fit for her than Penn would have been.)</p>
<p>Programs she didn't like:</p>
<p>She wasn't so crazy about the Explo program at Yale. Unlike the Penn program, classes are taught by college students, not professors. The program is very large, and the atmosphere is kind of "zooish."</p>
<p>Mixed:</p>
<p>Daughter was in the "Muggie Leadership program" (a CIT training program) at Camp Betsey Cox in Vermont the summer after her freshman year in high school. Both of my daughters went to Betsey Cox as kids and loved it, but my daughter found the 8 week length of this program too long for her. She got a little homesick.</p>
<p>Life should be lived for oneself, not for others. If you (or your sons/daughters) are truly interested in & will enjoy a particular summer program, then go for it. However, if you are in it because you feel colleges "expect" you to have such a program on your "resume" ... I suggest you stop and consider what is really important to you. Do you really want to attend a college that considers you simply the sum of your carefully packaged experiences? If so, why???!!! This is your LIFE. Slow down. Figure out what it is you want to do. Do THAT. Apply to colleges that will accept you for who you are & will help you to develop into the best possible person you can be. ENJOY this summer! Stop worrying about building a resume and build your personality. That will get you much farther in life than an ivy league education, in ways that actually matter. Chill out & develop your interests, your passions, your character ... and maybe even be bored once in awhile. Oh, and don't forget to sleep in every so often.</p>
<p>^Word. Summer can incredibly production without attending any programs, working, etc. </p>
<p>That being said, I'm doing the Brown Environmental Leadership Lab this summer. I like the fact that its only 12 days, because it leaves the rest of the summer for me. Also it seems like a pretty interesting adventure. I could never do something that took up the whole summer</p>
<p>you should try nyu's foreign exchange program. its for high school students and i <em>think</em> its free. I never personally went, but i know someone who did and she said it was an amazing experience and totally worth it.</p>