Hey everyone,
After reading all your messages about not getting into YYGS cos of how competitive/expensive it is, it reminded me so much about the way I was feeling this time 2 years ago! I was also on the waiting list to get in and eventually I had to decline my offer cos it was just too much money for my parents and I wasn’t offered a scholarship. So I thought I would write this to let you all know that it’s really not the end of the world and there are alternatives!
So it is true that the name Yale comes with a lot of prestige but in the end I’m not sure that the stress of being put on a perpetual waiting list or emptying your parents life savings is really worth it. when I realized I couldn’t do YYGS, I was pretty upset. I thought that I was too late to get a place on other good summer programs but my parents nagged me to keep looking so I did. Then I found this youth leadership program called Global Scholar and saw they were still accepting applications through spring. It had a curriculum that I was really interested in, mainly international affairs and social justice so I jumped at the chance! I got accepted fairly soonish after and before I knew it I was on my way to DC for two weeks in July! While I was there I got to meet with experts in the field of international affairs/development like ambassadors, politicians, policymakers, researchers, humanitarian aid workers etc etc. I also got to meet some executive directors of organizations I really wanted to intern for which was great for networking (I got some useful business cards and offers of mentorship!), I also chatted to a few heads of faculty for colleges I wanted to apply for in DC. A massive plus was attending different panels and seminars at DC-based HQs like United Nations Foundation, World Bank, Save the Children etc. and I learnt skills that helped me launch a campaign in my school (this is the kind of hands-on experience that employers and admissions officers are looking for!!). for example, have you ever been to an interview where they asked you to “talk about a time when you did xyz”… and you’ve got nothing lool. Global Scholar simulated those experiences so that I had my go-tos ready for when the interviewer asked about a time I was a great leader or worked through a difficult situation in your team or whatever. There’s even mentorship from the program trainers with career development and I got to be on their advisory board which looked great on my resume. not to mention all the fun activities we did like visiting the White House, national monuments, Capitol Hill and loads more. I made super good friends that I still talk to today and basically I’m just really happy that I went to Global Scholar! It saved my summer!
The price was much better… it was waaay less than half the amount for YYGS if I remember correctly and they had scholarships and payment plans available too. It was super affordable for my parent’s budget and I don’t think I lost anything in value for a summer program in youth leadership. You can still be ambitious and not spend thousands - I definitely think my experience at Global Scholar my resume. Check them out for yourself at globalscholar.org
Obviously I’m a bit biased cos I attended but only because it was an amazing experience and I don’t want others feel down like I did thinking that there is nothing else out there.
I’m happy to chat to whoever wants to know more but their staff are super friendly and probably know more than I do about the program info.
Good luck to you all out there and don’t let rejection, finances or a waiting list get you down - backup programs are a good way to guarantee your summer and I think Global Scholar is a really great choice.
