Hey guys, wanted to ask you guys about the Summer@Brown program.
I’m a sophomore, currently living in Brazil and planning to apply for “Intro into Microeconomics” and “The Entrepreneurial Process: Turning Ideas into Commercial Realities”.
- Is Summer@Brown worth it?
- Is taking two courses at one time overwhelming and how much free time would you have?
- I see lots of comments saying that this program is just for the money, but isn't spending your time at summer programs much better than going to a beach?
- For the people who enjoyed it, which part of the program was the best/favorite? Would I have no time to experience it if I take two courses?
- How useful are the content to your future high school careers?
- How much should I write for my essay? There seems to be no maximum number of words so I have no idea the extent of effort I must put into this.
- This may be a little too much, but is there anywhere else (internship, summer program, community service) I can still apply that will give me a better experience overall? I've done my research and it's hard to find any sort of programs now...
Sorry I just ran into this! If you still have the opportunity to go-
- It’s totally worth it. Went there last year and I’m returning this year because I had such a great time.
- Yes, two courses is definitely overwhelming. I knew one girl who did that and she was super stressed.
- Colleges like to see that you’re doing something useful with your time, so yes, you’re totally right.
- The social aspect was fun, experiencing college life was cool… and yea, you wouldn’t be able to experience it with two courses. Just stick with one.
- Entrepreneurial process is a useless course. I knew someone who took that and it’s a total fluff class. You’ll learn nothing helpful. I’m actually taking microecon this summer, last summer I took macro. If the micro class is the same quality as the macro one was, you’ll learn a ton. It’s been SO helpful.
- I wrote a full-out essay, but I put more effort into it than most. (It doesn’t matter so much, it’s pretty easy to get into Summer@Brown.
- You can probably still get into Summer@brown, you just have to act fast. I looked for a long time and couldn’t find anywhere with the same quality and quantity of programs.
Btw, two of my friends from summer@brown who i met last year are both from Rio- the English School, I think? I’m from America, but there were a lot of people from Turkey and Brazil.
It’s really fun, you’ll love it.
I hate to say this, but I think that it is a ripoff, designed to get “Brown” on high school resumes, when it will make little difference to college applications. We looked into the programs for our son (medicine), and found similar programs at Toronto U for about 1/3 the price, if memory serves.
I think the courses are taught by Brown professors, but it’s crazy expensive - which is a red flag to me. The program should not be about who can pay for it, it should be about who can qualify to get in.
I applied for summer@brown this year along with a Vanderbilt summer program. I got into both but after applying for financial aid at Vanderbilt I was given about a third of the course’s cost. Yes, over $1k is a substantial amount, however my family could still not afford it.
After applying for the Dean’s scholarship for Summer@Brown I received almost a full ride to any length course I chose - only having to pay $300 and the supplemental fee. Of course, I declined the Vanderbilt acceptance and financial award and registered for Intro to Med at Brown.
My friend did an engineering course last summer and said it was the best experience he’s ever had. l’m very excited to spend 3 weeks of my summer there and I do not believe it is for the money at all.
(sorry for the late response btw)
I’ve known kids who have done these programs and had a very positive experience. One took “So You Think You Want to Be a Doctor” and the other took an international finance course. They were both well taught and helped my friends sort out what major they were leaning toward. It’s a great way to get to know Brown, if you are considering applying and it’s easy to tour many of the Boston schools (Harvard, MIT, etc.) from Providence.
If you want some other ideas or for next year, try mysummeradvisor.com Most schools have summer programs, but Brown is one of the most extensive. Some other programs offer college credit or allow high school students to take regular undergraduate classes during the summer for credit. This will certainly transfer if you end up at that school and may transfer to other places, as well.