<p>I've heard a countless number of times on this board, that programs such as Summer@Brown or other workshops held by the Ivies for high school students are a waste of time and money, and don't really help with college applications. </p>
<p>Was wondering what views were on this? </p>
<p>To go or not to go? - Fun and useful? Or unhelpful?</p>
<p>Do they stand out on college applications? Or, more appropriately prep school apps?</p>
<p>Actually Summer at Brown is a very good program. It provides a great variety of courses, and is extremely well run. Just treat it as a summer camp for the brain. Dont expect it to help with college apps.</p>
<p>I’ve done a summer program at Choate Rosemary Hall, and I loved it! I don’t know about college apps, but if you get good grades at a school’s summer program it definitely helps with apps to that prep school! Bring it up in your interview. I’m sure it would help with college apps too.</p>
<p>Look, if you are only going to those things because you think it will get you into your top school and your parents can foot the bill then NO it does not look good to colleges. Unis generally hate being “pandered” to. If however you chose that program because you LOVE a certain subject material that you can’t experience at your reg hs, then go because you WANT to. </p>
<p>But remember that going to these programs will not get you an automatic in; it’s likely you won’t even meet a professor from the school (unless you go to Ivy Scholars at Yale which I known is taught by the actual professors in the field), but you will get a feel for the environment/surroundings of the school which could help you articulate WHY you want to be there on your college apps.</p>
<p>But going JUST to get a “edge” - yeah that’ s a waste.</p>
<p>@zenxan, I didn’t intend to go just for it to help with college/prep school apps. The programs seemed great, and I was wondering what opinions were on how, or if they helped with college apps. I was looking into creative writing workshops, because I LOVE English and Literature, but I asked IF it was worth mentioning, and IF it helped with college apps, as some summer programs do provide depth and breadth within a certain subject that one may wish to take at university level - Thus would it be worth mentioning on an application that you’ve studied a certain subject at a high level at a summer school?</p>
<p>You mentioned it would help WHY you want to be at the school if you’ve done their program. Would it then, be appropriate to mention that you’ve completed the program and that is WHY you believe that the school would be a good fit as you’ve got a feel for the environment at their summer school?</p>
<p>Definitely go if you want to. I can’t think of anybody who went to any of those kinds of programs who felt it was a waste of time - make the most of the experience and anything you do is worth it. If you love it there, yes, tell them on the app that you loved the experience/atmosphere/etc. and why. Take time to explore the school and area too. </p>
<p>Just don’t say you can handle the workload at an ivy institution because of a summer program lol. A lot of kids go in thinking “YES I GOT INTO HARVARD SUMMER SCHOOL - That totally means I’m a shoo in for Harvard!” - Um. No. Ivy summer school programs generally accept everyone who applies and pays.</p>
<p>@preppy, I think it would be a good way to see if you have any issues about being away from home for a certain length of time. My kids have gone to several types of summer camps from sports to academic. In all cases they enjoyed the campus environments and the friends they met.</p>
<p>You mentioned it would help WHY you want to be at the school if you’ve done their program. Would it then, be appropriate to mention that you’ve completed the program and that is WHY you believe that the school would be a good fit as you’ve got a feel for the environment at their summer school?
- on a common app there is a place to list your summer activities. Which is where you will list your creative writing workshop. DO NOT say b/c I completed the program I feel the school is a great fit etc. Brown Summer happens to be a great summer camp. Its not a step into admission. It’s not even a nod towards admission. As at any camp you will make great friends, have fun, quite possibly learn something interesting.
So to answer your question - no, it is not worth mentioning except as a line for on a tiny portion of an application, of what you had done during summer</p>