<p>i just got back from girls state california 09 it was a cool experience but it was not life changing how everybody claims. there was a lot of nice girls. howver the final day of the camp it felt like if they were trying to brain wash us into supporting the war. they did this presentation about the lue star banner and showed us a video about soldiers. they made it seem like if they were the saviours of our freedom, the heroes of our nations, etc. it was nothing but war propaganda. not once did they evr mention the other side of the story about war. it was just dumb. basically if your not pro-war ur not going to like it at the end. evrybody there seemed to love their country and jesus way too much. they also did not touch on the subject about abortion, and everybody claimed they were ok with gays and that they should have equal rights with everybody in a civil union but that they should not have the right to call their union a marraige. yes thats how it was. sounds pretty ridiculous right? anyways the point is its ok… it can get boring because all we do is learn about state government… howver the debates were really interesting, some girls were very well educated while others were just plain ignorant… you make good friends there, but not friends that will last a life time.</p>
<p>It can only help. After all, you can’t apply (only can be nominated). I also had to prepare a resume and go through an interview process in order to get selected.</p>
<p>@ jsim: what city were you in?</p>
<p>Boys and Girls State are actually not associated with each other. Boys State is funded by the American Legion who are richer and in many cases, boys can buy their way into the camp. Girls State on the other hand is funded by the American Legion Auxiliaries which does not have as much money as Boys State and only allow one delegate from each school. The camp is a good experience, but to be honest, if you are not into politics and have no idea about how the U.S. government runs, you will feel very out of place. I’m a history buff and a speech and debate nerd so it was my kind of thing and I had a lot of fun. At my school, Girls State is a big deal. Each teacher can nominate three students. Then they recast their votes and narrow it down to five. A panel of judges from the American Legion Auxiliaries then come and do a group interview to pick the delegate. </p>
<p>what city were you in, d_dog? I was @ CA Girls State '09 too.</p>
<p>Briguy, I appreciate your condescending, holier-than-thou post; it’s perfectly reflective of my entire experience at Boys State. At the time of my post, I had already attended Boys State, and it was awful. I did participate actively, got involved, won a Toastmasters Best Speaking contest, joined the Virginia House of Delegates, played sports etc. Thanks for failing to address my question…</p>
<p>Just a question; I’m filling out the common app and I was wondering where you guys who attended Boys/Girls State are planning on putting it on your apps.</p>
<p>i went to ca girls state 09 too and i loved it. i was in cabrillo, btw. what about you guys?
im not conservative at all, and im not really into government or politics either, but i met some pretty amazing people and had one of the best weeks of my life. the people who sponsor it are pretty patriotic and pro-America, but i saw the war “propaganda” as more of a respectful way of honoring the soldiers and their families, whether or not one agrees with the war. (i certainly dont agree with the war.) i didnt always agree with the majorities there, but i did meet a lot of people who shared by beliefs, and i thought it was a very worthwhile experience</p>
<p>if youre deciding whether or not to go, it depends on your attitude mostly, how open-minded you are and how willing you are to make new friends and just enjoy yourself. i had a lot of fun, but i do know some people were kind of bored or felt out of place. but i met so many different types of people at girls state that it seems like you would have to kind of go out of your way to feel left out, if you know what i mean</p>
<p>as for how colleges look at it, i think it probably depends on how familiar they are with the program. it certainly cant hurt, though. i gave up doing other summer programs to go to girls state, too, and i have no regrets at all</p>