<p>I just received the People to People Student Ambassador program in the mail, and it seems really interesting and a fun way to travel and interact with new cultures.however, my family is low income, and i'm not sure if we'll be able to afford the program. has anybody participated in the program ?? does it help on college apps ?? is there any financial aid ??</p>
<p>They give you tips on how to fundraise yourself and get sponsors for the trip. A lot of my friends have done it, and most say it is fun but a little structured. However, some people like structure, and some don't, so it's all up to your personal preferences.</p>
<p>oh okay. thanks !! </p>
<p>i did some research and apparently they mislead people and say that they have been "nominated" when in reality they buy people's names off a list. :(</p>
<p>I got a letter about this yesterday, and it does sound interesting, so can anyone with any experience with it talk about it a bit? It would be much appreciated.</p>
<p>I think if you google them and put "rip off report" next to their name it will answer your questions. Here's a sample <a href="http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/005/RipOff0005572.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/005/RipOff0005572.htm</a></p>
<p>It's not a ripoff. I know people who have gone. They got their money's worth. They came back alive.</p>
<p>I know people who have gone and it's a good program; it's just not that special to be nominated.</p>
<p>All 3 of my kids have been "nominated," getting those invites since 7th grade. (probably from standardized testing results) Getting nominated really doesn't mean much - it doesn't appear to be too selective, just a good student who's willing to pay several thousand dollars. The trips have a theme (some are simply sports related - you get those when you turn down the more academic ones) and the trips make sense if that's what you want to do. BUT don't think this is selective or means anything to college admissions committees. It's simply a nice trip - one I'd let my kids do if offered for free. I just don't like the idea that kids are encouraged to fundraise (beg) for someone to fund their trip. That's not the same as going out and searching for scholarships. We've had numerous kids from our town/church who went after writing letters about themselves and asking the community to "support" them but there was a lot of community talk about feeling guilty if you said no to their requests for money. Many felt it seemed silly to pay for them to go to Europe, when they couldn't afford to send your own kids to go. It's not like these kids were top students or did anything to "earn" their spot.</p>
<p>My daughter has gone on 5 trips. They were all amazing experiences. I hate trying to defend the program against negative comments by people that have little or no experience with the program. The program has access to places that an average tourist would not see. Would you stay in an Aborigine village as a tourist with your family? Would you stay with a New Zealand family for three days? Probably not. No, it will not help you gain access to Harvard but it goes a long way to making yourself a global citizen. At my daughter's college admissions interviews, the colleges were very interested in her experiences. Don't go into debt to go, but if you can swing the price then go for it. Any specific questions, I will answer by pm.</p>
<p>I agree that the sending letters idea is sort of silly, but there's nothing wrong with holding a car wash or bake sale, or even reselling those costco/sams packs of candy bars. There are so many easy ways to get the money for this trip, and you have a whole school year to do it! You should go.</p>