<p>What are some of the summer programs that high school students have attended that they have found to be worthwhile? Since everything is expensive, and there is only so much time, I would like to make the most of the summer.</p>
<p>For music, Tanglewood is an extraordinary experience (although by audition.)</p>
<p>Columbia Univ. HS Summer Program is great. Son did 2 summers there studying genetics and bio med. He loved the atmosphere and other students and the program included a lot of trips to relevant sites.</p>
<p>The FBI (and CIA, I think) hold one-week programs for teens in the summer. I think it’s too late for this summer because the app deadline has passed and kids have received their acceptances/declines. But, keep it in mind for next year. </p>
<p>The best part: they’re free!</p>
<p>Cornell is excellent, but costly. They do an excellent job with the parent thing (locus parentis?)?</p>
<p>YSP at UC Davis is a fabulous program if your kid wants to do science research. It’s a long program that gives you time to work in a lab, 8 hours a day for almost a month–there’s also field trips and lectures.</p>
<p>RSI/MITES at MIT.</p>
<p>Many summer programs will be taught by faculty and will give a student a real taste of college life. If the school’s faculty works with a student, it is an opportunity for them to get references and at times preferential treatment during the admissions process. But not all programs housed in colleges use faculty and have anything to do with the college’s programs. So research carefully.</p>
<p>For high school musicians…I second BUTI (Boston University Tanglewood Institute) and Eastern Music Festival.</p>
<p>The Rhodes writing institute is terrific. My eldest did it for two years.</p>
<p>The North Carolina School for the Arts has a superb 5 or 6 week residential filmmaking program with amazing facilities and equipment. It is relatively inexpensive as compared to other programs that are out there, and gives excellent didactic and hands-on experience. (There are also some fun, summer camp type activities thrown in, but nothing that detracts from the intense focus on film.)</p>
<p>My kids both volunteered at the zoo during the school year as well as summers, although the program was discontinued when younger D began high school, older D had volunteered often enough to get her 1000 hr pin.</p>
<p>They also attended a residential summer camp and as high schoolers, started learning as a CIT ( counselor in training- ) although older D, preferred horses and she was a WIT ( wrangler in training) and upon high school graduation- riding staff for her summer job. ( until she found that day camp programs were not only less work and more flexible, but much better paying)</p>
<p>I have observed that through volunteer work, youth can gain experience that would take years of putting in their dues at low paying jobs to acquire.
If you are thinking of saving money for college rather than spending it on a pricey program, volunteering is a place that you get more out of it than you put in.</p>
<p>For several first hand reviews check out <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/summer-programs/[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/summer-programs/</a></p>
<p>[SSP</a> - Summer Science Program](<a href=“http://www.summerscience.org/home/index.php]SSP”>SSP International "The educational experience of a lifetime"...since 1959 An experience of a lifetime since 1959)</p>
<p>this program sounds really cool</p>
<p>Concordia Language Villages are awesome. Prepare for AP year or earn college credit in a language you know well, or pick up an interesting unusual language from the start.
[Concordia</a> Language Villages - Summer Villages](<a href=“http://www.concordialanguagevillages.org/newsite/Programs/Youth/summer_villages1.php]Concordia”>http://www.concordialanguagevillages.org/newsite/Programs/Youth/summer_villages1.php)</p>
<p>univ of chicago pre-college program–my son says it’s terrific</p>
<p>My D did Harvard’s SSP last summer and took Intensive Computer Programing using JAVA. She loved it. Met great people and had a mini college experience. Many of the worries she might have had as a freshman have already been worked through. She can’t wait for September to come and college to start.</p>
<p>the hopkins cty progam is great but sadly this year my son’s class was cancelled (actually the whole program was cancelled) after one week of a 3 week program because a kid came witht he flu and passed it to many others (thanks kid for ruining the long-looked forward to camp)</p>
<p>I agree that CTY is very good–primarily for late middle school and early high school. My daughter is going this summer, between 9th and 10th grade, and this will probably be her last summer.</p>
<p>I second the Concordia Language Villages in Minnesota. My S did three summers there studying Spanish. Also, the Center for Talent Development program at Northwestern Univ.- he enjoyed the chance to live on campus and take an AP course.</p>