Questions about summer programs

Pre-College Issues Summer Programs
1

<p>Hi,
I'm applying to four different programs this summer: BU RISE, Clark Scholars, HSHSP, and HSSSRP.</p>

<ol>
<li>How competitive is HSSSRP, especially in comparison to Clark and HSHSP? I've gone through a lot of different threads on Clark and HSHSP but there doesn't seem to be much on HSSSRP. From what I've seen, it seems like it's not quite as competitive or as great as the others, but it's not like I've been to any of them, so my judgment isn't very reliable.</li>
<li>Any advice on the reading list for the HSHSP application? I don't read quite as much as I used to in middle school because of all the APs I'm taking in HS, and a lot of the books I read last year aren't very "impressive..." And I haven't read any magazines. Do you think I could include the NY Times, even though it's a newspaper and not a magazine? I'm just worried that my not-so-impressive reading list could be detrimental to my chances of getting in.</li>
<li>Is admission into any of these programs binding? RISE is my number 1 choice, but if I happen to get into any of the others(!), I don't want to be forced to go to that program and not be allowed to make a decision on my own.</li>
</ol>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>As a past Clarkie, I can only really answer a part of your third question. Admission to Clark is not binding; last year, we were notified in mid-April. However, they do want to know if you are planning on attending relatively soon after you are notified, so as long as RISE decisions come out before April you won’t have an issues (although Clark is an incredible experience and should be everyone’s number 1 choice in my incredibly biased opinion!) :)</p>

3

<p>That’s a relief. Haha, you know, the more I find out about each of these programs, the more I find it difficult to decide which one I want to attend the most! But since RISE is in Boston, which is my favorite city, I figured that it was the best one for me. Thanks for replying!</p>