<p>What should I do for the summer? Should I participate in some program (leadership, etc)? Or would it be better to go to the summer program of my top choice school? </p>
<p>I met with the alumni who interviewed me for Exeter (my top choice school, I am waitlisted there and at Andover, rejected everywhere else) and she told me to that if I could, I should do something fun. However, I don't want to waste time either. </p>
<p>But of course, it would be best if one of the schools I am waitlisted for accepts me :D</p>
<p>My S attended Access Exeter last summer before applying in the fall. He was accepted for class of 2012. I will never know how much of a difference it made in the admissions process. The AE program is outstanding on many levels; enough academics to give prospective applicants an idea of life at BS, but with enough fun activities (beach, cruise, movies, dances) to make it seem like summer with (really smart and interesting) friends. It is only 5 weeks, but it solidified his desire to attend boarding school, and tipped the scales in Exeter's favor. When it came time to apply to various schools (AECD and SPS), he was a known quantity at Exeter, and the other school knew without a doubt he could handle the BS lifestyle because he had already been introduced to it. If you don't take the program seriously, I imagine this could be the rope that hangs you. You ARE a known quantity, and therefore may get eliminated based on not just your app but also track record over the summer. Again, it is hard to get a definitive answer on how those Access kids are looked at during regular admission - I have found no statistics (and believe me, I looked!).
Just to clarify - Access Exeter is for incoming 8th and 9th grade, the Exeter summer school program is for 10,11, and 12. They are separate programs and no classes, dorms and dances are mixed.</p>
<p>Perhaps if you found out why you were waitlisted, it may help with your decision. If you were waitlisted because you didn't have enough EC's, community service, etc... maybe it would be better to do a great community service program for 3 months and get a fantastic recommendation from your supervisor (for when you reapply next year.) If you were waitlisted because you are from China and they have already accepted their quota of Chinese students for the year, then perhaps you should go to Exeter, so that they will get to know you, and you will stand out in their minds, come next year's applications.... Do you have an educational consultant who can make a call for you? Or even the alumni who interviewed you--perhaps she could call and find out the reason you weren't accepted. Sometimes, the schools will tell the ed consultants a lot more information than they would tell you or your parents.</p>
<p>My D was accepted into the Davidson Institute's Think Institute with FA (will be studying College Math and Economics), however, we need to get just a little bit more.</p>
<p>She was also accepted into Awesomemath Camp, but will have to work and save up all summer to go next year. We could not secure FA for that camp, although she did get a small scholarship.</p>
<p>There are so many, many opportunities out there -- so what you have to decide is what you want and if that program meets your need. For a student that is waitlisted at a BS, a summer program at that boarding school might help give you a better chance when applying next year.</p>
<p>Ryanone -- your D will love Davidson, I have heard excellent things! </p>
<p>My youngest will spend 4 weeks immersed in Spanish at the Middlebury Monterey Language Institute, 4 weeks doing trail work in the backcountry for the Student Conservation Association (hopefully, he finds out soon) and will attend the Democratic National Convention with the Junior Statesmen of America program. If he doesn't go to Nationals for History Day, he will spend 2 weeks at Concordia Language Village learning Arabic. As usual, he will be busy this summer! (he has a blast)</p>
<p>going solo in a foreign country, meeting all kinds of people, and traveling without being a true tourist imho is a way better learning experience than going to summer school.</p>
<p>Hsmomstef I'm glad you heard great things about the Think Institute.</p>
<p>We had always wanted to do the Concordia Language camps not only because my girls REALLY wanted to go there, (could never swing it - and the FA is not available to us), but because our daughters' language teacher said that they must have an immersion experience if they hope to score a 5 on an AP language test, and the Concordia camps fill the bill.</p>
<p>Now if my daughter attends Exeter, they have a term in Germany, or she can do the school year abroad program at either Hotchkiss or Lawrenceville for immersion.</p>
<p>I'm with Rosesandclovers. Do something fun. Prepackaged programming may look "good" on a college or boarding school application, but you have your whole life ahead of you. If you do what you want instead of what you think will credential you best, you'll be more genuine.</p>
<p>My son will pursue his passion for soccer with his premier team and also play on a local summer collegiate league. He might also squeeze in baseball. And, he really wants to learn Arabic. A friend of mine is fluent and teaches in Wisconsin, but she lives here in the summer. I am hoping she will tutor my son. He is excited about the prospect.</p>
<p>i'm prayingg that i can do a boarding school summer program.
then i can not stop talking about it for like a year, and convince
my parents to let me apply as a boarder! (:</p>
<p>I agree completely with those people who are saying to do something enjoyable -- definitely don't do it for a resume or anything like that.</p>
<p>for my son, he really enjoys the programs during the summer -- they always include plenty of "fun" stuff. He meets kids from all over and has a blast. </p>
<p>Ryanone -- isn't it great when the FA makes things possible.</p>
<p>I'm going to get up every morning and have some cereal. Then I'm going lying on a towel on the beach. Once in a while, I might get off my towel and try to surf. I hope this will look okay on my college aps, otherwise, what the hey? I did what I wanted and avoided an ulcer.</p>