<p>Among the most prestigious summer camps are:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>RSI at MIT (Research Science Institute) - you basically do a science project here (a very very advanced one). They accept about 75 people every year from an international pool of applicants. This camp is incredibly selective but it is relatively easier for a female to get in.</p></li>
<li><p>TASP at Cornell - This isn't quite as selective as RSI (but I'm not sure). According to Wikipedia, one in ten people are selected.</p></li>
<li><p>MOSP - If you have any flair in academia I'm sure you've heard of the AMC 10 and AMC 12 competitions. Well this is the summer camp for it after you managed to perform well enough. First you get either 120+ or 100+ on the AMC 12 and AMC 10, respectively. Generally they just take the top 1% in the nation to take the next test, the AIME. From the AIME qualifiers, they select the top 250 (now they have extended it to about 400) students in the nation (grades 6-12) to take the USAMO. Afterwards, based on USAMO (USA Mathematical Olympiad) scores, they take the top 30 freshmen for a Red MOSP, the top 30 everyone else for Blue MOSP, and the top 12 for Black MOSP. At the summer camp, roughly the top 12 students take the TST to try out for the IMO (the international mathematical olympiad). This is essentially the Holy Grail of High School Mathematics, to get a gold medal at the IMO. They take the top 6 people from each nation. Roughly 1 in 10000 people are selected for MOSP.</p></li>
<li><p>Other Olympiad Camps - Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Computing, Astrology. None of which come even close to the prestige and the competitiveness of MOSP.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>*note: for the olympiad camps, it really doesn't matter what race or sex you are. Everyone has an equal chance of getting in. RSI is slightly biased in that, even though they say they're not (they get lost in their effort to reach diversity).</p>
<p>Of course these camps were listed in no particular order, but 1-3 are definitely the most prestigious academic camps around. I've heard that the Young Scholars Program (YSP) is also pretty good, especially in Florida.</p>
<p>Does anyone else on this board get fed up with the obsessive concern with "prestige?" Really, enough already. Just do what interests you. Have fun.</p>
<p>It's not the "prestige" that people are looking for. The more prestigious camps usually provide better experiences (which explains their selectivity and high value to students). There are probably hundreds of science research camps throughout the country, but why does everyone want to do RSI? Yes, it's prestigious, and people know that, but this is mainly because RSI sets you up with great mentors and puts you on projects that high schoolers would not normally get to work on. So, those who want to attend prestigious summer camps aren't plagued by an "obsessive concern with 'prestige'", but rather they know that the prestigious camps are the best ones.</p>
<p>I've had some interesting summer experences.</p>
<p>1) In the summers after my Freshman and Sophomore year I attended Mathworks at Texas State University in San Marcos <a href="http://mathworks.txstate.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://mathworks.txstate.edu/</a> Mathworks is a Ross/PROMYS type summer studies program where students take classes in Number Theory or Real Analysis, interupted with weekend trips to rivers, parks, and museums.</p>
<p>2) In the summer following my Junior year I opted for a position as a summer student in the SUNY-Stony Brook Physics REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates). Despite the acronym, REU programs will accept students in high school when pressed and impressed! This is a great alternative to RSI-esque programs as you will get more done in a more professional setting while working with postdocs and graduate students on cutting edge experiments. I was part of the PHENIX collaboration, analyzing new data from the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, however REU's are more likely to cover ion/condensed physics, nanotechnology, or astronomy.</p>
<p>3) The summer after my Senior year I did reseach at Rice university working with the Bonner Nuclear Lab, logging into CERN and FNAL computer systems to run models of the new Data Aquistion System for the LHC when it <em>eventually</em> comes online.</p>
<p>4) The summer after my College Freshman year, I attended a SULI program at Oak Ridge National Lab, working with the neutron source team to help build the pure physics beamline.</p>
<p>As you can see, there are too many research opportunities within reach to list. Anyone interested in math/physics/chemistry should try applying for an REU ---> BEFORE <--- applying to RSI. These programs are funded by the NSF and some offer pretty hefty stipends as well as a lot of "Research Clout" when it comes to impressing colleges and, more importantly, graduate schools.</p>
<p>"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. "
^^I agree, but please keep in mind that there are tons of kids who ARE truly interested and excited for their summers. personally, summer programs have been some of the most interesting and challenging parts of my life, and without them i would be a different person.</p>
<p>erosannin, that is an impressive research background, especially while you were in high school. Might I ask how you impressed the people that run REU so much that they accepted you? And what college did you attend, if you don't mind me asking?</p>
<p>College: Re-post 43. If applicants are concerned about the quality of experience (teachers, projects, etc.), then they should ask about those qualities. Obsessing about "prestige" seems to imply a greater concern about the perception of others, rather than the quality of the experience. How often does reality not match up to expectation? How often does an institution or program slide by on "reputation?" And in the end, how many post doc scientists are asked about their "prestigous" summer internship/program? Really, let's try to keep things in perspective.</p>
<p>I think that we should all keep in mind that these message boards are visited by both young students and older parents. Some posters will not have the life experience to put this whole "college"/"career" thing into perspective. </p>
<p>But for what it is worth, those who have said to "do what you enjoy and relax" are correct. While grades and sats are important, college admission reps are looking for passionate students - this doesn't mean a laundry list of "prestigeous" BS. Passion good - pretentious, not so much. </p>
<p>So if you are looking for a summer experience in an area that thrills you, go for it. If you are simply padding your resume, your time is better spent elsewhere.</p>
<p>^ I agree. I'm a rising senior. We don't have that many more "summer vacations" left in our lifetime. The best way to spend it is to do what you like, if that means relaxing or not. Just chill out, have fun, the rejection letters will come anyway. But, I think these programs do help your application. You have to decide what your priorities are. Don't do it for college, whatever you do.</p>
<p>^ That is true - real summer vacations are almost gone. However, you can really get in both good relaxation and some that include of doing what you love. Beside, doing what you love isn't really that bad. </p>
<p>I agree with the general theme of this thread - most of these summer programs are simply testament to how much money a family has. Although these experiences will undoubtedly be great, I'm not sure if they have as much college admissions benefit as winning or competing in some national contest. Finding these shouldn't be a problem - many opportunities are available through information databases like <a href="http://www.fastweb.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.fastweb.com/</a></p>
<p>There are large numbers of students who cannot afford many of the programs being suggested here (and I mean really cannot afford even a free program because of commitments to the family such as care of younger sibs, a need to work, lack of funds to travel to the program, etc). They should not despair. When NYU and other colleges ask you to indicate how you spent your time over the summer, they will get it if your answer is that you had to work to help your family or whatever. They want to see that you are engaged in life, during the academic sessions and otherwise. Stay-at-home obligations are valid. Just present your response in context. </p>
<p>And remember there are probably many volunteer; self -initiated research or entreprenurial opportunities on your doorstep or around the corner to consider.</p>
<p>I highly reccomend the Junior State of America summer school programs (which take place at a number of prestigious college campuses-I attended at Princeton) for anyone interestested in government/politics/communications. JSA is an intensive summer school program at which students take a full credit each (if their high school will grant the credit) of two high school courses--one government (AP US Government is the normal one) and one speech-- in four weeks (the Georgetown program is slightly different). In addition, students participate in Congressional Workshop, for two hours a night for roughly three weeks of the program. The program is extremely intense, given the short time period for covering so much material. Students attend classes for about six hours a day, six days a week (not including CW) and then have homework at night. As difficult as that sounds, for students who are interested in the material it can be an extremely exciting, fun, and rewarding experience. I made a lot of really great friends, learned a lot, and generally got a much better preparation for college (through college-style work, writing a research paper, and living in a dorm) than I possibly could have gotten otherwise. JSA was a lot of work, but it was also one of the very best experiences I had during high school. I went the summer after my sophomore year, but I believe the program is open to all rising high school students--it was my experience that most people were rising seniors, but there were people from all classes. I will note that the program is somewhat pricey, but there is some scholarship money available for students who need it.</p>
<p>does anyone know of any summer programs that may help in preparation for applying to RSI...for example i've heard of the KEI in puschino and several other science camps and such....but can anyone recommend anything in particular?</p>
<p>AzureWrath-Its a 120 on the AMC 10 and a 100 on the AMC 12, I think you mixed them up.
Does anyone know anything about Governor's Scholars Program in Kentucky?</p>
<p>for those of you worried about doing something with your summertime who don't want to spend money, consider doing an internship. i'm a rising hs junior and i've been working at a local engineering firm on an internship this summer and it has been a really good experience. not only does it teach about a topic you're interested in, it teaches you how to handle workplace situations (learning to deal with difficult bosses is a big one for me) and i'm working with kids from the area. so i get to be with people my own age, and work with real engineers on their projects. if you have the opportunity to take on an internship, it will definitely help you, especially if you're like me and you don't know what you want to do after college yet.</p>
<p>I'm in S. Korea right now which is what I do every summer. my friend came with me too but she just left today after a month.. how sad.. ;_; I just wanna relax but i should really do something.</p>
<p>MIT has a 4 week program for girls called WTP -- teaching E. Engineering, computer science and math to about 40 girls, plus this year they added mechanical engineering for another 20 girls. Its selective, but they're looking for girls w/o a lot of previous experience in these areas. It's for rising seniors only and is partially subsidized (although still seems expensive)
MIT also has a free program called MITES for URM's
My daughter did a creative writing program called Iowa Young Writers' Workshop at University of Iowa last summer and loved it.</p>