Summer programs at colleges?

<p>Well I don't know if this is the right board for this, but it was the most suiting one I could find. Anyways, I have two major questions:
1) Will they help me get accepted (not just to the college I take the course at, but any college)?
2) Which ones would you reccommend?</p>

<p>I've been invited to EPGY at Stanford (but seeing the kids on this board, I'd bet a lot of other kids have been as well), and I've heard good things about the ones at Georgetown, Cornell (I was also invited to that one), Brown (invited), etc. There's way too many to choose from, so I'm trying to decide. I live in Jersey but I don't mind traveling to get to whichever program I take. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.</p>

<p>I have a bunch of friends that have gone to summer programs at my school. The best thing I can tell you is that if you really want to get into a school like an Ivy or a top Liberal Arts College or whatever, you'd better do the summer program. If someone's applying identical to you and you attended EPGY and they haven't, you're in.</p>

<p>My friends love them, anyway- apparently you make a bunch of friends and learn a lot, you all generally have a great time. If you're worried about the money.. I bet it's worth it if you get into the college you want. Good luck!</p>

<p>Well the main school I want to go to (Bowdoin) doesn't offer a summer program, and I highly doubt I'm going to Stanford, so I'm leaning towards whatever program is the most prestigious/will look best on my college app. I know some friends who went to Georgetown Summer and just got deffered from Georgetown, so I tend to think going to the school's summer program may not be as important as going to a really good one.</p>

<p>For what it's worth, Bowdoin gives out Chamberlain scholarships to entering Frosh who are URMs and pays for them to attend a summer program the summer before they enroll. The summer program they pay for is the Exeter Summer School (at Phillips Exeter Academy). You may want to check it out.</p>

<p>Is the one at Exeter really worth it? Upper school, I mean</p>

<p>the one at exeter has gotten extremely good reviews from my friends.</p>

<p>1) No. They won't help you at the top schools. Attending Harvard SSP will not help you get into Harvard. Same for Brown, etc. The academic work you do there will, of course, help you in general, however there are far cheaper ways to achieve the same thing, like community college. The experience is usually quite good though.</p>

<p>2) My D attended Brown for 2 summers and liked it. She took the full college course, not the cutdown courses tailored for high school kids. She received a Brown transcript with grades.</p>

<p>Summer programs are for virtually anyone that can afford them. That's why they don't carry any weight in admissions. Taking real college courses, anywhere, does carry some weight. Review the programs carefully to see which are the real thing.</p>

<p>Some college programs do have requirements and give college credit. My d earned 3 credits in English from Cornell's summer program. She will have her Cornell transcript sent to the colleges she applies to.</p>

<p>bandit has it right. Depending on you age and experience living away from home, any of the programs you asked about (and others) can be a great experience. But, as far as an admissions boost, you could probably do lots of other things that would help as much or more.</p>

<p>I also agree with the "real thing" point, as long as you understand that the summer programs do not necessarily have a huge number of students or professors from the sponsoring school. The EPGY and other programs are primarily for students younger than those in the real thing.</p>