<p>I was wondering if going to the Summer program at Brown would look good on college applications. Would it look good on Brown’s application?</p>
<p>when I did summer@brown they said specifically that it won't make a difference for getting into brown. can't hurt though can it?</p>
<p>I've heard it really strongly emphasized that it does not make any difference in admissions.</p>
<p>Of course, I've never <em>really</em> bought that. If you've done summer at Brown, you MUST have more of an idea about Brown than the average applicant, and I imagine that it must help you - if only a tiny bit - at least if you're applying ED. That is assuming, of course, that you communicate in your application that you did it.</p>
<p>i really don't think paying $8500 for a summer program is worth it. Instead, if all you focus on is getting into an Ivy League School, use that money for something else. Summer@Brown, from what I've heard is a money-making machine.</p>
<p>don't use it as a way of "getting into brown" - nonetheless, it certainly can help, what with your "why brown" essay and "who influenced you in brown" -- u have ur answers right there if u spend 6 weeks, or even 1 week on campus in one of brown's many summer programs... the people u connect with, professors especially, can certainly aid in ur admissions process (at brown or elsewhere)</p>
<p>Well, I have been reading about it and I REALLY want to go next summer. My parents said that they will let me go IF I can prove to them it will have a good influence on my college application.</p>
<p>Maybe your parents can speak with the Director of the Summer at Brown program. I doubt they will go as far as saying it will help get in to a particular school, or even college generally. But, they will likely tell your parents all the reasons the program is a good investment. We decided to let our D attend, not b/c we thought it would help her get into Brown or any other school. Rather, we decided that it would give her the academic challenge she was looking for, give her an insight into college generally and thus help her decide what "fit" might be for her, expose her to kids from all over, and be fun. She worked very, bery hard. She made some good friends, she gained a lot of insight about herself and where she would like to spend the next four years, and she got a lot of advice about her work. She did not take advantage of the college tours, college info sessions, etc. but that might be another reason your parents might find this program worth the money. The college fair is huge, and D did get an opportunity to visit with adcoms of schools we can't visit.</p>
<p>@movinmom- Thanks. I will tell my parents to contact someone involved with the program. Hopefully it will convince them. The college fairs and stuff should be useful in swaying them.</p>
<p>@movinmom- THANKS! My dad is convinced that it will help a little bit. WOHOOO!</p>
<p>I attended summer@brown last summer, and it was the best experience of my life! of course, the academic aspect was amazing, because I got to see what a college class was like, but there was so much to do and I had a great time...also you're not tied down at all and have so much freedom. it was a really great experience & even if it doesnt help you get into brown, i say go anyway if you can (i know it's quite expensive!)!!!</p>
<p>oh yeah i also went to the college fair there...it's HUGEEEEEEEE....there are hundreds of colleges stationed around their indoor track....i learned about schools i've never even heard of! also, there are TONS of infor sessions every night...plus all the counselors go to brown so they could tell you what it takes to get in</p>
<p>bonus: my professor offered to write my whole class college recommendations if we wanted it! hey, it can't hurt to have a recommendation from a brown professor....can it?</p>
<p>While I agree that summer programs like this are generally a waste of money, it's not a direct comparison between taking classes at your local CC and Brown. Summer@Brown is kind of a combo of taking classses and summer camp, and if your parents are willing to pay, it sure is nice to be able to spend the summer without parental supervision. Sure there are RAs, but most of them are more interested in being your friend than your keeper.</p>
<p>I'm not that familiar with the Brown program specifically, but wanted to add my 2c.</p>
<p>I'm a parent, and I think that programs like this have value and are not a complete waste of money. I attended a program similar to this which unfortunately is no longer in existance at a boarding secondary school when I was in HS. I thought the "pre college experience" was very very valuable! When I showed up at college (an Ivy league college) and already had been in an environment where I had managed my academic deadlines in an independent setting without parents keeping an eye on me, it made it easier to do so in college. So many kids in my freshman dorm went wild and weren't able to adjust as quickly to the new environment.</p>
<p>I valued my experience so highly I encouraged my older daughter to attend a similar program this summer. We'll see if it has as great an impact on her as my program did for me. Yes, smart kids are self motivated, but I think that being away adds to doing it for yourself and not for others. To me it was money well spent.</p>
<p>We aren't made of dough to do a program like this every year, I give each of my kids one time to do this, the rest will be devoted to summer jobs.</p>
<p>Also, my d had an opportunity to take classes not offered at her HS. Yeah, she could have gone to a community college, but we don't have tons of options in that area and with working parents and no public transport and no driver's license (or car!) yet, that isn't the most convenient option either.</p>
<p>how much does summer@brown cost?</p>
<p>Thanks for the help everybody. I'm kind of convinced that it'd be great to attend this program. But one final question - do you think it's worth missing exams for?</p>
<p>what kind of exams? It certainly won't help you get into college if you miss your finals for it.</p>
<p>I would agree that it is a very bad idea to leave before the end of the program. At the program my daughter is doing, if you leave early they won't give you grades or recommendations. Since there are several academic residential programs out there, I would think you'd be better off attending a different one than to leave Brown early. You could get most of the same benefits from attending a different location, just that you wouldn't be at Brown. If your end goal is being accepted to Brown for undergrad, doing the summer program and leaving early I think would be worse than doing a similar program elsewhere.</p>
<p>I just returned from a three-week session there, and am happy to say that it is worth all the money ($4,300 for a three week mini-course). By no means does it make a huge difference in admissions, according to a former Brown admissions officer, who also noted that a letter of recommendation from the professor of your class wouldn't even be that significant (very unfortunate). Nevertheless, I am glad that I took part in this program, as it has many good aspects that overcome its rather trivial role in admissions.</p>
<p>Throughout the program, there are several of these info sessions that are led by admissions officers (like the one mentioned above) and current students, all of which were very useful. If you are taking a mini-course, most classes are only 3 hours long, leaving with much free time - which is up to you to budget, of course. There are dozens of fun activities every week, from yoga classes to trips to Boston and Newport to speaker series to dances (during my stay, there was a 80s dance).</p>
<p>Moreover, Summer@Brown is a fantastic opportunity to experience college life - you get to meet people from all around the country and world, get your first taste of taking classes in a college setting, adjust to dorm life, and perhaps most importantly, develop a sense of independence and responsibility away from the comfort of your own home.</p>
<p>@Jackief- when I said missing exams, I didn't mean the exams being administered during the program. I meant my school exams. Since I live in India, I will have to be missing school and exams to attend any summer program in America. My break is in April and May. </p>
<p>@OrchidThief- Thanks for the reply. I have been getting the feeling that even though the program doesn't help much with admission, it will be a very positive experience for me.</p>
<p>exams > summer school.</p>