How helpful is it to take a summer program at a university you want to apply to prior to applying? Will it give you an advantage over other applicants? For example I want to apply to a summer program at XYZ Ivy League Uni, is it helpful for later when I apply to that same XYZ uni or other Ivy League Uni?
I’ve heard admission officers say (on more than one occasion) that going to a summer program does not help one’s chances for freshman admission at a school. I guess there could be a case here or there where a student might really click with a professor or something, but in general I’d say the answer is no.
@happy1
So is it more for the ability to experience university lifestyle and the campus?
Correct. Indeed, many summer programs are run by for-profit companies that rent space/hire instructors at the college. For instance, they can say “come summer at Yale at our XX summer enrichment course” While true, the sponsoring company may have no affiliation with Yale.
Find one if it really is affordable and it’s something you’d want to do. It gives no leg up on your eventual admissions. Your classmate, working as a life guard or at Dairy Queen this summer will be seen equally as your attending some posh program, in general.
Now then, there are some very prestigious and competitive programs (e.g TASP) – if you can get into one of them, that might set you apart. For the rest, if you’ve got a pulse and a few grand, you’re in.