@3scoutsmom You will want to take your time with your letter. I did several edits of my daughters letter over several days, it helped to put it down for a few days so that you get the feel of what its like to read it for the first time. I would however submit it at least a day ahead of the deadline so that there are no glitches. We panicked over my daughter’s teacher recommendation because he pushed the time limit and submitted it on the due date! Also, you don’t need to hit on every point they ask about. Be sure to emphasize your child’s independence (if true) and strength in adversity. Build a picture of your child’s character and determination. Give examples to support your claims. My daughter was in China this summer and turned 16 while there. It was not always easy and she had to draw on her strength at times. It was an extraordinary experience overall. She stays in touch with her host family and wants to go back. Good luck!
just submitted my application :)>- My first choice is Korean Summer, second is Chinese Summer. Last year I made semi-finalist but was rejected for the position of finalist. Hopefully I’ll do better this year!
I just submitted mine also. 1st choice Arabic summer and second choice Hindi. Hopefully I will get semifinalist this year. I got rejected last year
I submitted mine last night. First choice Chinese summer! The wait officially begins. How do you guys feel about your applications?
@saxophonewizard I feel pretty confident about everything except the “describe a time when you realized you were wrong about someone” essay. I felt like I couldn’t tell my story in 250 words.
@pineapple86 I know! I did “describe a time when you were in an unfamiliar or uncomfortable situation”. I had to leave so much out of the story.
Ayyyy a little late to this thread but I applied for the Arabic and Hindi academic year programs. Wasn’t too confident with my essays tho since I can’t express myself completely in 250 words and I was still working on them 30 minutes before the deadline lol but at this point I’m just hoping for the best…
Hi! I’m a senior! I applied for NSLIY Korean Summer last year and only made it to semis. I’m appliying to Korean Year this time as well as CBYX and YES Abroad! So, if i get accepted then I’ll be taking a gap year!
@ComradeValdez
@ayomide86
Welcome!
For anyone who’s interested:
Countdown to December- 31 days!
One question for those who did a gap year (academic year) for China Program. When did the Program start and end? Also, has anyone been able to defer admission AND any merit scholarship(s) given by the same college? It seems most colleges do not “defer” the merit scholarship given out. And some colleges – especially public ones – might not even defer admission. It’s a real shame because one could argue that the student will come back a more mature and motivated student. I am supportive of a gap year plan by my kid, but ultimately, it’s not my decision. But applying again for a merit scholarship given by college(s) will be a real issue for us; and I was wondering if someone else had faced the same issue.
It’s been pretty quiet around here lately. Does anyone want to exchange essays?
@saxophonewizard I’m up to it, but I’d rather not exchange essays with someone applying to the same programs I’m applying to.
It’s fine if you don’t want to. I was just thinking it would help time pass. Plus, since the applications were already due, it’s not like we can go back and change anything.
Are there any other programs that you guys are interested in right now?
I’m willing to exchange essays with anyone-- just message me. I wish I could apply to other programs, but unfortunately I can’t afford anything anything that isn’t almost full scholarship.
My D is applying for Russian summer. She submitted her application in mid October, but as of this morning, her teacher (who happily agreed to write the rec) hadn’t yet submitted her part. Deadline is in a few hours. My D reminded her about it yesterday, and she said yes, she would do it. When D sees her today, she’s planning on a polite “thank you so much for helping me with the teacher rec.” I’d hate for D’s chances for this program to be torpedoed because of something out of her control.
We finally submitted the parent essay yesterday. My DS18 is applying to the China summer program with Korea as his second choice. Does anyone know when the decisions will be released?
In past years, notifications for semi-finalist status have gone out in early December.
So many people are applying for China as their first choice and Korea as their second choice! Best of luck to everyone.
I recall reading that there are many more slots for China than other programs, so it may all be proportional.