Summer program vs Summer research Program vs Volunteer

Applying to College
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Hey everyone, this upcoming summer is my last summer before senior year, and I want to use this summer to learn and maximize my chance of getting into the ivy league. I can choose between Summer camp, summer research programs such as Eureka, and teaching assistant at a language school, which of these maximizes my chance of getting into a selective college.

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Any one of them.

What matters is not the activity, but what you do with it.

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Honestly I am not sure any of these can reliably help. Therefore, it might be best to do what you would most enjoy and find challenging, without regard to admissions. Or is there something else entirely you would really like to do? What are your interests?

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Agreeing with the above posters. NONE of them will automatically increase your chances of admission to a super-selective university. The best bet is the one that is truest to you and your genuine interests.

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sorry @skieurope I meant to reply to the thread, not you!

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What are you looking to study in college? If you’re interested in STEM, take a look this list of summer programs:

Summer programs | MIT Admissions

CollegeV*ne also has a list of STEM and non-STEM summer programs, but CC doesn’t allow me to insert the link.

It’s good that you’re searching now, as some programs have very early deadlines. Note that most of these programs are highly competitive.

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What other ECs have you been participating in? Sports? Tutoring? Pay-to-learn programs?
I see assisting at a language school as a service to the community, unlike the others you listed, which are for your own enrichment only. This assistance job can be used to demonstrate your commitment to serve others, and therefore, be valuable in your college applications, showing your caring character and willingness to help.

I don’t know anything about Eureka; I looked at their web page “eurekaprogram” and there is no mentioning of costs, yet it seems like a pay-to-research program. Do not buy into the mindset that I must publish “my research”, to have any chance to a selective college.