NSLI-Y or JSA Summer Program?

Pre-College Issues Summer Programs
1

<p>Hi! I'm a sophomore who's really trying to create a good history on my involvement and love for International Relations and language and also do things that will attract top tier colleges such as Stanford, University of Chicago, etc. </p>

<p>I applied for the NSLI-Y program back in November, became a semi-finalist, and now I have to wait until April to see if I made it in. I stay in either Korea(first choice), China(2nd), or Russia(3rd) for 6 to 8 weeks during the summer.</p>

<p>JSA Summer Program allows you to stay at either Georgetown, Princeton, or Stanford to study politics, history, and government. You only choose one course, though. Since they have International Relations as one of the courses, you know what I'm picking. You can also travel to Beijing for the DIPLOMAT Program where you either study Chinese History After 1920 or Chinese Language. I'm kind of stuck between Beijing(diplomat) or going to the school of my dreams(Stanford) but that is another issue.</p>

<p>NSLI-Y</p>

<p>Pro's:
-It gives you a choice of 5 different languages to study abroad
-It is more specialized in language-learning so I expect to be slightly proficient or at least above Beginner when I come back to America
-It is a Scholarship program, which means everything is free if you are selected
-Going on a program because of your merit is a plus</p>

<p>Cons
-From what I read it really doesn't have to do specifically with international relations
-There is a chance I won't get in</p>

<p>JSA Summer Program</p>

<p>Pro's:
-It claims to specialize in politics, government, and history which is essential for going into international relations
-Two of my college choices are available to attend(Stanford and Georgetown)
-I may go to Beijing specifically for a diplomatic program
-Attending the college with the program can give me experience and could POSSIBLY allow me to have a good standing with the school</p>

<p>Cons
- It costs money
-Georgetown is only 15 minutes away and paying extra money would be unnecessary</p>

2

<p>I’ve done two NSLI-Y summers so I’m biased but I would advocate for NSLI-Y if you are selected for the scholarship.</p>

3

<p>I would actually choose JSA. Staying in Gtown or Stanford would help with the whole “Why Stanford” essay thing you go through, AND it would really boost up your knowledge on IR. </p>

<p>If you haven’t studied your NSLI language previously, and are going in ab initio, then I wouldn’t really put much value in NSLI as 6 weeks in Korea isn’t really going to get you THAT proficient in Korean, especially if a lot of the NSLI people going will be speaking english to you, so it isn’t a true immersion environment.</p>

<p>If money isn’t an issue, go for JSA. If you’d rather not shell out the thousand dollars or whatever it was, then NSLI is a close second.</p>

4

<p>NSLI-Y is by far more prestigious, but it is EXTREMELY competitive. I doubt JSA fills up too fast, especially with multiple sessions and programs, so you can probably call them and ask how soon they fill up. Odds are, you’ll still be able to do a JSA program if you register after April, when you find out about NSLI-Y. Otherwise, there are also other international relations programs you can look into! Do a google search!</p>