<p>I'm a junior in high school, so this is my last summer before I go out to college. I'm torn between two really good options: Should I apply for the Stanford summer session for high schoolers (Stanford is my dream school), or should I set aside this last summer to get some more volunteer hours? I have about 200, but I don't know if Stanford would want more than that. Please give me your opinion, and if you have done the Stanford High School College Summer Program, please tell me if you would recommend it! :)</p>
<p>Stanford doesn’t “want” a certain number of volunteer hours, or care if you attend their summer program. They “want” you to show them what you are passionate about and how you have developed your expertise, leadership, and understanding in the one or two areas that you really care about and that differentiate you from all the other thousands of talented applicants. If your volunteer work is important to you, and you think you can make an important contribution by putting in more time over the summer, then do that. If the Stanford program is directly related to some area of interest that ties into your future goals, then that’s okay too-but it won’t help you get into Stanford later.</p>