<p>I got a letter recently from People 2 People, an international summer travel group. The say for the summer of 2014, high school kids from my area (Silicon Valley) will be heading to Australia, Fiji and New Zealand for three weeks. My mom was excited when she saw it, thinking I had been selected. Of course, I checked online on this program including College Confidential to see the facts, and understand the general consensus that it's not impressing at all to colleges. Since I might as well start thinking about what to do for summer just because I can and wanted something to do before going to bed, should I still do this program if it's worth the time and money? The letter also mentioned scholarships were an option, no idea what the requirements are. Besides this option, I'm thinking about an internship with a local museum for service in the surrounding community, an internship with MTA/VTA (local transportation agency), and that's all I know. I am a sophomore by the way. My interests lie in urban engineering and planning, but I can't seem to find anything that has to do with that field. Or what other options are there?</p>
<p>I did something similar to People 2 People, and it was the best experience I have ever had. But, it was the summer after Freshman year. Now, I am a junior, and my summer needs to be focused on work or something productive, earning money rather than spending it. So while an internship will look great on college apps, people 2 people will be very fun. Of you’re a freshman, I say go for it. Sophomore, maybe. Junior, take the internship.</p>
<p>Sorry, didn’t see that you mentioned you were a soph. In that case, see if you can do both.</p>
<p>You NEED TO DO IT!!! it was an amazing program and I know people that have gotten into major ivy league schools like Cornell that have gone to People to People. At this program, they met incredible profs, peers, etc. you can meet ppl of the same caliber at people to people and keep in touch with them. Who knows, maybe if you keep in touch long enough, they may offer u a position in their lab for research, or rec letters? GREAT PROGRAM!</p>
<p>I don’t believe there is any type of research/lab experience in this organization at all. It offers travel opportunities with an educational component. The best summer programs are the ones you have to compete for and those are free. This organization I believe is for profit and their scholarships are essentially giving you ideas of how to raise money for the trip. I’m not saying it is not worth your effort but would not put much stock into thinking it will impress admissions.</p>
<p>It’s by no means something you HAVE to do. It’s expensive and will require fundraising. Also, not to burst your bubble, but pretty much everyone at my school who doesn’t have a drug conviction or isn’t failing their classes gets those letters, it’s not that selective.</p>
<p>I’d do the internship if I were you; less expensive and far more impressive.</p>
<p>It’s not prestigious, just a program. Nothing special about it.
Internship is better, and more solid.</p>
<p>I did People to People after my freshman year (2011) to Western Europe. We went to Ireland, Wales, England, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. It’s very expensive and I paid for it through fundraising, donations, and my personal savings account. The scholarships they had when I traveled were essays that are submitted and reviewed. They are very limited though, and only usually $250-500 when I went. The program was amazing though! I learned a lot about myself, independence, and how to live with other people who you don’t know very well. One of the most interesting parts is the participation in the Full On aspect of the trip, which is where you have a program one night about believing in yourself and personal growth and the next day you do an activity to go out of your comfort zone. I haven’t incorporated it into my application process yet and I haven’t heard of anyone who used it in that way. Some people use it for essay ideas though.</p>
<p>The other types of programs People to People has are Leadership programs and those are on high ranking college campuses and usually have some sort of academic focus - medicine, technology, international diplomacy, ect. Those are shorter and have a more direct approach. The cost is less but you have to pay for more of your own expenses, such as your plane ticket. </p>
<p>Both types of programs are very interesting and amazing experiences. If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask! :)</p>
<p>I think I didn’t spell it out enough. I do know they are not prestigious at all and will mean nothing to colleges. I was asking if they were worth doing. Just curious, but is there any kind of internship/study program related to urban planning at all? Or civil engineering? Particularly competitive free summer programs as someone mentioned. I’m going to generalize this question, and ask about other extracurriculars that I’ve read about on the forum. What is the Intel Science Talent Search or the Siemens Competition? Any other competitive programs like them?</p>