Hi,
I am a junior now. I am looking at some competitive summer camps next year. I am a top student in my high school and I would like to apply for top colleges like MIT, Princeton, etc. I am looking at RSI, Boston RISE, MIT LaunchX, etc. I know RSI is absolutely the top 1. But I am not sure about Boston RISE or MIT LaunchX. Do those really help my college application to top 5 colleges? Anyone has past experiences please share. Thank you very much in advance!!!
Camps themselves don’t help. But the qualities that get you into the most selective camps tend to correlate with those that get you into top schools. Apply to the ones that fit your interests well or are in an area you really want to explore. Just as with college applications, have a backup plan if you don’t get into a more selective program. Colleges want people who are interested and interesting. Pursue things that foster those traits.
They’re nice but don’t replace the rest of what you need to present. Many top colleges admit attending their own summer prigrams is no particular tip. You need to understand what “top 5” do look for.
But it is fun to learn new things and be around other students who are interested in what you are interested in.
SAMS is a really good summer camp and it is free.