<p>how hard is it to get accepted into the columbia summer school program for high school students?</p>
<p>not very hard...
they want your money...</p>
<p>iam not sure if iam going to apply to columbia..... would this be worthless if iam not even planning on applying to col?</p>
<p>No, it wouldn't have helped you get into Columbia anyway.</p>
<p>Everyone else is right. College summer school programs are a waste of money and don't help you get into that college (or any other college).</p>
<p>I wouldn't say its a waste of money, because it is definitely a great experience. I took a class last summer and it was amazing.
The program gives you a nice feel for the campus and the city. You get access to all of the same facilities as Columbia students, including the gym, Butler library, etc. It gives you a good idea of what the campus is like.
Also, if you don't live in NYC (like me), it is definitely a good experience to live for a month in the area. I loved just going around the city with my friends from the program and having a good time.
I don't know if this is clearly covered on the Columbia website, but you have a TON of free time during this program. No classes on Friday, and every day the classes are two two-hour long sessions, with a 2 hour lunch break. Since you can go around the city by yourself, you can essentially leave the campus at any time you want, as long as you're back by 11 pm (midnight on weekends).
I would only consider it a waste of money if you are tight on funds or if Columbia isn't one of your top choice schools. Other than that, go for it.</p>
<p>And to answer your original question- no, it is not hard to get into at all. I think they accept something like 95% of the applicants.</p>
<p>jsw, isn't the gym only open to rising juniors and seniors? For some reason I believed the gym at the Columbia SSP had restricted access.</p>
<p>Nope, the gym is completely accessible. I went there a few times to play basketball with my friends. </p>
<p>I think the only thing the high school students can't do is check out books from the library. Aside from that, everything else is open to them.</p>
<p>If your parents have the money, then it doesn't matter. But that money could be better spent on "better" educational experiences. Another "cost" is the opportunity cost. Spending a summer doing this means that you can't do something that will actually help your college admissions odds. Sure, the summer programs offer some benefits, but I believe that they aren't worth what you lose (cost and lost opportunity).</p>
<p>I agree with what Columbia2002 said. But, there are some pretty fun courses to take :).</p>
<p>You'll have 4 years to take fun courses, use a college gym (the Columbia gym is overcrowded and sucks, anyway), go to a college library, act like a college kid, etc. What's the hurry?</p>
<p>Well, do it if you want to. Yes, there are some pretty cool courses to take, and you don't have to wait until college to have this incredible experience. But, there are probably some better things to do over the summer.</p>
<p>Hey,</p>
<p>Im a current freshman at the bronx high school of science. studying at columbia, im sure you've heard of the school. i dont know how much of an impact the reputation of the school will benefit me - but i do know that i messed up the first term of my freshman year. i came out with a 84 average.. a 70 in honors geo and 80 in chem. the thing is, theyre both sophmore classes. i finished bio, and the first year of math already prior to my freshman year. i improved second semester, with a probable 91+ average. i dont know what i have to do to make it to columbia, its been my dream school ever since i was little. im a senator at my school, in 2 asian clubs and key club. im treasurer of one of the asian clubs. but that aside, what else do i need to do to increase my chances? As the summers coming close, i was thinking about applying for the summer program for high school students. would that increase my chances? is there anything more worth while that i could benefit from? i just want to improve my chances drastically for columbia. i was also hoping you could give me some advice on what kind of averages im going to be needing. i really appreciate this</p>
<p>thanks,
talk<em>about</em>ambition</p>
<p>
[quote]
dont know how much of an impact the reputation of the school will benefit me
[/quote]
</p>
<p>It will hurt you. Everyone from BxSci applies to Columbia. You've got to be one of the better people to get in.</p>
<p>
[quote]
what else do i need to do to increase my chances?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Get great grades. Do great on your standardized tests. Do well in your ECs.</p>
<p>
[quote]
would that increase my chances
[/quote]
</p>
<p>No</p>
<p>talk<em>about</em>ambition- work your butt off to pull off a high GPA (set very high goals and try to reach them,) and to get high SAT scores. You need to get intensely involved in a few extracurricular activities that you love. If you work very very hard you will be able to get into a good school- but Columbia still is far from a promise. It will be worth working hard in the end, however, even if you don't get into Columbia; from someone who had dramatically improved her mediocre freshman/sophomore year marks and involvement, I can tell you that the experience itself is a beautiful, mind-stretching journey. </p>
<p>In general about the summer program...
I attended it and I had one of the most enjoyable summers of my life. If you are looking for a way to improve your chances, I don't think this will help you; on the other hand, this program can be exciting and fun because of its location in the city.
Based on your situation, my suggestion would be to act fast and find a unique opportunity doing something you love... if you like physics for instance, try a physics camp; if you like to write, take a college creative writing course @ NYU. Don't waste time though, because most deadlines are coming up or have already passed.</p>
<p>talk<em>about</em>ambition - did you go to the key club convention?</p>
<p>There are definatly other, better, summer programs that will actually help for admission purposes...</p>
<p>MITES (from MIT springs to mind)
so does SAMS (carnegie-mellon)
there's also a few I cant remember the names of that I remember seeing like one where you go to arizona and track a comet...then there's the ultra prestigious one (whose name i cant remember) where like 1% of their applicants get accepted and those are the people who have won like nobel prizes :P</p>