<p>How did you all spend your summer going into junior year? I'm currently a sophomore and I'm researching summer programs, but most of them require you to be either a rising senior or 16 years of age (I'm turning 16 in September, which is too late). Ideally, I want to spend $1000 or less on a program, although I know most go into the $2000-$3000 range.</p>
<p>Any experience or recommendations from juniors/seniors? Thanks for any input!</p>
<p>(I realize this would probably be more appropriate in the summer programs forum, but there's not many people over there and I'm looking for insight about to spend my summers as opposed to a specific program.)</p>
<p>I got my job at McDonald’s and volunteered at the library.
I would recommend getting a work permit and applying for jobs like this, if programs don’t work out. Work experience is impressive, even when it’s at a fast food place or something, because it shows colleges you’re not an overprivileged schmuck. </p>
<p>Here are some free programs I’m aware of that accept juniors. (I would recommend looking for a free program, because the more expensive ones are less likely to be selective/prestigious.) I went to the second one as a rising senior, but not the others. </p>
<p>Edit: Note the typo…I went to the second program on this list.</p>
<p>Not really different from my other summers, at least, not by much. Two month vacation in Russia (family), two two-week sessions at this one Russian language summer camp (for a total of ten times since 2009, got a hefty leadership award), one three week session at [Intensive</a> Language Courses at the Humboldt-Institut - Learn German in Germany at one of Germany’s top language schools](<a href=“http://www.humboldt-institut.org%5DIntensive”>http://www.humboldt-institut.org) in Berlin, got all sehr gut’s on my final transcript, honors bio class online to make up for lost time (A for Bio E, B in Bio M), trip to St. Petersburg and Tula, normal long, boring AP Lang summer assignment. Nothing really specail</p>
<p>@halcyonheather - How was your experience at PAN and did you learn a lot? Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems like the teachers who teach the program are applicants as well (which makes me a bit unsettled). How are the surrounding areas?
SAMS was actually one of the programs I was looking at, but I unfortunately can’t apply because I’m not going to be 16 until September. /:</p>
<p>@wcao - Aren’t you in middle school? I’m most likely going to apply to PROMYS and HCiSSM, but so many brilliant students are too, and I doubt I have much of a chance. I want to apply to some less-prestigious but equally rewarding programs so I’ll at least have options come April if I get rejected from the more competitive programs.</p>
<p>@Buggie - That actually sounds really interesting and unique! (:</p>
<p>I spent my summer mostly sleeping and watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Netflix, mostly recovering from the Mono I had for quite a few months the preceding school year. </p>
<p>That use of a summer seems to have proved to be useful, because I am now analyzing an episode of Buffy for use in my UCLA film school application.</p>
<p>I also attended Comic Con. It was a very notable highlight of the summer.</p>
<p>There are two programs, one for teachers and one for students. They take place in different weeks and you won’t encounter the teachers. The program is taught by scientists and grad students from the university.
I thought it was a challenging program with significant lab/computer work (though no programming), and the topics covered are not what they cover in a typical high school physics class.
I thought the surrounding areas were pretty nice, but then again I’m from Cleveland. :)</p>
<p>So yes, OP, I’d really look at either humboldt or [??? ??? “???” - ??? ??? ? ??? ??? ??? ??? !!!](<a href=“http://www.euroclubs.ru”>http://www.euroclubs.ru</a>) for a language camp. I had an awesome time at both, and (in the case of the latter) they’ll accommodate people without a solid Russian base.</p>
<p>@CultClassic - That’s basically what I spent last summer doing, adding in some test prep and daily commutes to NYC. Who did you cosplay as for Comic Con? So many of my friends went but I’m not really in any fandoms. :P</p>
<p>@halcyonheather - That clears a lot up, thanks! I’m probably going to seriously consider applying now because it sounds pretty interesting and I won’t have to dish out a fortune to attend. Was the program consisted of mainly lectures, or did you have a lot of problems to solve/think about?</p>
<p>@Buggie - The website looks really neat but I don’t think I’m up for a summer of intensive language learning out of the country (especially considering I’ve never been away from my parents for longer than 2 weeks). Thanks for your suggestions, though! :)</p>
<p>There’s a lecture in the morning, but in the afternoon it’s pretty much all lab work. There aren’t really any sterilized physics problems to solve like there would be in a physics class…it was mostly just running experiments, then collecting data and analyzing it. (There was a lecture on theoretical physics on the last day of the program, but the focus is definitely a lot more on experimental.)</p>
<p>@CultClassic - I don’t watch Doctor Who so I’m not exactly sure who that is (I only know Supernatural and Homestuck stuff because of my friends), but I’ve heard so many great things about SDCC! I’m stuck in NY.</p>
<p>@Buggie - Haha thanks! I’ll try not to. :P</p>
<p>@halcyonheather - Thanks for all the information! (: Definitely different from some of the math programs I was looking at, but I want to apply and see what happens.</p>
<p>@halcyonheather, for the physics program, what if I’m not strong in physics? I’m interested in learning, but I haven’t really done much physics; the little I have done has escaped me.</p>
<p>I’m not strong in physics either. A lot of the stuff went over my head, but we did something different every day, so not understanding something one day didn’t preclude me from understanding what happened the next day.</p>
I attended SRAP in the summer after my junior year (2013), and, I must say, it was one of the best experiences of my life (not exaggerating). I believe application process involved test scores, an essay, and letters of rec. When/if you got in, you have to fill out quite a bit of paperwork, but it was all worth it. They paid for room and board, and I made $2000 (!!!). Plus there were weekend excursions to Denver (we stayed at a hotel overnight and went to the zoo and aquarium at no cost to us; they handled food too!) and a hiking trip in the mountains (got to see snow in summer). Evenings and weekends are your free time (I suggest exploring Laramie), and I still remain good/great friends with my fellow SRAPers to this day (they also went to some of the best schools in the nation, such as Yale, MIT, and Stanford; I attend UF on a full scholarship). You work/research 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, but the strenuousness of that schedule really depends on your research mentor. In the end, I wrote a 15-page paper and gave a presentation in front of fifty people. A great, relatively obscure program that pays both financially, academically, socially, and experientially!
Literally, you pay for only the flight there and back, and any personal expenses beyond the meal plan food they provide.
you’ll probably be good whatever you take. Have fun and don’t procrastinate.</p>