<p>Many colleges have summer programs for HS students.</p>
<p>If a HS student attends in the summer, then applies to the college, do you think it improves his/her chances of being accepted?</p>
<p>I am interested specifically in schools which are popular and selective but not Ivy League territory, such as Boston University, University of Miami, Syracuse, etc, for a student for whom the school would be something of a reach.</p>
<p>Not especially. In a few instances, it may help to show interest in the school. In other cases it could show intellectual commitment. Overall, students should do something during the summer, whether that's working, a summer program, volunteering, or something else.</p>
<p>Attending a college's summer program does not guarantee admission to that college in the Fall. You are better off doing one or two other meaningful activities, whether it be an internship, community service, or classes at a community college.
Most of the programs you are referring to cost close to $1000 per week. Not worth it, imo.</p>
<p>Some college applications have a question related to what you done every summer of HS or maybe just your summer between Junior and Senior years. Think about what you would be able to write.</p>
<p>not at all.</p>
<p>I agree it won't help at an ivy, but I'm not so sure it wouldn't help some at a BU or Syracuse. Those schools have to worry about yield. Someone who went to their summer program before applying is probably much more likely to attend if accepted.</p>
<p>You shouldn't pick a summer program in hopes of boosting your admissions chances. However, I think attending a summer program at a school that's under serious consideration, especially if you're thinking about applying early decision, can help you get a first hand look at what life on campus would be like, and that in itself is valuable. First-hand experience also comes in handy sometimes when writing those "Why this school?" essays.</p>
<p>My daughter wasn't really into picking summer activities to put on college apps, so take that into account...</p>
<p>Last summer my daughter attended Summer Discovery at UCLA. It was 6 weeks, included taking a UCLA class with university students(she took psychobiology) and more activities (shopping, beach trips, movie premiers, Disneyland, college visits etc) than one could possibly do. It was expensive, and she had the time of her life. It solidified her desire to go to UCLA and she was accepted and will be attending in the fall. Friends she attended with also had a longing for 4 years at UCLA, but I don't believe any of them got in. So it certainly wasn't a guarantee, and I'm not sure it helped at all from the getting an acceptance point of view.</p>
<p>It did get her some sort of UCLA student status, which she held through her senior year. This means she still has her UCLA email account and her bruin card. So she feels like a bruin already. It also gave her confidence that UCLA was the right school for her, and made her decision easy.</p>
<p>I met one student who gave me the advice to send my kid b/c she felt that it definitely helped her gain admission to a reach school (small school on the east coast, not an Ivy or Tier 1). I looked into it, but once I saw some of the price tags, I dropped the idea. I also was not interested in having my son attend a reach school.</p>