Hi, I’m just wondering if anyone here has done the Stanford EXPLORE Program over the summer for Biomedical Research? What is it like? Is it worth it, especially for me since I’m out of state? What do you do? Does everyone who apply get accepted? Does it look good on college apps?
Haha I have no idea what it is and any information or experience anyone has to share would be very helpful!
Be wary of those summer programs. A lot of them are just money making exercises to sucker in kids who want to pad their resumes. Some are genuinely good though.
You should post this in the Stanford forum.
The more expensive a program is, the more likely it is that everyone is accepted. I did a number of summer programs at Harvard that cost an upwards of five thousand dollars (all bills footed by my school 
) - and it seemed like if you could pay the price (or you could find someone to - like your high school, lol) that you’d be admitted automatically. However, the more expensive/less competitive a program is, the less impressive it looks on a college application. If anyone with a trust fund can get in, there’s nothing really remarkable about your participation other than you were able to get your hands on x amounts of dollars.
Try, however, not to view your experiences in the context of how they will supplement your Common App - I did a number of Model UN summer programs that on their own didn’t really mean much when it came to college admissions but were nevertheless experiences that allowed me overcome my fear of public speaking and improve my ability to work cooperatively with others. This Stanford program sounds really interesting and it will probably be useful in some manner by helping you realize if you want to pursue study or a career in BioMed (whether it be research, engineering, medicine, etc.)
TL;DR
It’s better than spending your summer on the couch eating Lays chips off your chest.
@Mandalorian @preamble1776
Actually, I applied for financial aid and got accepted. They said that the program would be at no cost for me to attend, but I still don’t know whether I should go or not.
What would you be doing instead?
@bouvardia- I don’t care about the actual price tag, rather what you are getting for it. A lot of these programs are just: Pay, Show Up, Twiddle your thumbs, leave, add to resume. Make sure it’s something worthwhile doing, not just sleeping in the dorms, wearing shorts, outdoor activities, and playing on your phone.