Hi guys, i recently got accepted into Stanford pre collegiate summer program for the topic quantum mechanics which lasts from july 13 to august 8 , the fees is about $5000 and i have applied for financial aid (news of which i will get by 22nd april)
my question is …obviously… should i go? is it worth it? will it improve my chances to get into top universities for college?
thanks in advance 
No, it won’t help you get into top universities for college.
But, you will probably get a good survey of the current state of quantum mechanics.
Spending $5000 on one class isn’t worth it in my opinion. You could spend less than that on multiple other opportunities over the summer.
Another option would be to take courses at a local college and have time to volunteer or take part in ECs that interest you. This would cost much less, and you’d be able to get more stuff done.
Hmmm…since tuition at Stanford is just about $1,000 per unit, someone should tell all those students who are taking 5 credit classes there about how they are getting taken.
i got a $5150 scholarship? any worth it now?
Then you do not have to pay for anything, go for it. You might find your interest and have a deeper understanding of what Stanford really is
The answer is no. It is a self enrichment program, you learn some thing that is not taught in HS otherwise.
D was in a free computer camp at Berkeley and that includes fee lunch as well. I really don’t think her participation in the program added her chances, although many students from the program did get into top schools. But most of the selected students are top students in their HS anyway.
thank everyone
bump
its 7150 and i got 5150 scholarship?
will it improve my chances?
Was it a selective process in which you had to send test scores, grades and recs (and maybe even fill out essays)?
If no, then no it will not improve your chances.
If yes, then it will increase your chances by a decent margin. Some of the selective summer programs will significantly boost one’s chances for college such as TASP.
yes i sent all the stuff you mentioned
there was also a math test and a written work to submit, and are you sure it will boost my chances, atleast to stanford?
Other schools might be impressed, but it won’t do anything for you with Stanford.
but it will definitely add weight age to my resume …right?
i mean i received a scholoarship and its quantum mechanics!
is the course selective? how many people apply?
thanks
@Scriscavenger, if you do go I would emphasize the fact that you had to qualify based on testing and written work and that you got a substantial scholarship. Other than that, this just shows that you are doing something constructive with your summer.
@JustOneDad, I think there are some exceptions to this, though they don’t help the OP. The Stanford Summer Humanities Institute was started in part to attract more humanities and social science oriented students to Stanford to balance out the high STEM student applicant group. It’s a competitive program even though it is expensive (about $5700 cost with financial aid available; roughly 20-25% acceptance rate). A rather high percentage of students who have completed the program went on to matriculate at Stanford (11/30 rising seniors according to one article), so attendance may have had an impact on both the students and the adcom.
Quantum mechanics won’t help nearly as much at Stanford. It might be nice for Yale, though, which has the opposite problem, and is looking to attract stronger STEM students. It certainly won’t hurt.
@renaissancedad - thanks
any more views?
@renaissancedad It’s possible, but in order to effectively examine the question, one would have to be able to control for the other factors involved in such “Summer Institutes”, not the least of which are the socio-economic advantages attendant to a household that can come up with $5700 for the Summer.
I will note that I have kids who attended similar Summer programs and very large numbers of the Summer Students would like to go to Stanford, yet only small handfuls ever appear on campus as admitted students.
oh ok, but will scholarship have any value, well without it i am sure i wouldnt have been able to afford it.
, also what do you guys recommend me to go?
will the professors provide recs?
As I recall, asking for recs wasn’t encouraged, but I’m sure it was done.
Think about it this way. You’re there with the most highly motivated students from around the country and the world who want to get admitted. What is more likely, your HS teacher saying that you were one of the best students they had taught in the last ten years, or the Stanford professor saying that same thing?