<p>Ok, I am a freshman and eventually would like to apply to top Ivy League schools. I am keeping my grades up really well, volunteering and such, but I cant afford Summer programs. Will that hurt my chances? I know it gives you more experience and it looks really good, but I just cnt afford it. So will it hurt me? And, this Summer, should I work or continue volunteering?</p>
<p>I’ve never been to one. And most of them aren’t worth 10 cents, as far as college admission goes. </p>
<p>Try this one if you really want something:</p>
<p>[Telluride</a> Association: Our Programs: For High School Students: Summer Program for Juniors (TASP): General Information](<a href=“http://www.tellurideassociation.org/programs/high_school_students/tasp/tasp_general_info.html]Telluride”>http://www.tellurideassociation.org/programs/high_school_students/tasp/tasp_general_info.html)</p>
<p>And really, freshman year is way too early to worry about this crap.</p>
<p>I don’t think it will hurt your chances at all if you take advantage of your summers in other ways, like volunteering or internships or work or whatever it is you feel like doing. </p>
<p>Definitely look into TASP. There’re other ones as well, which you can probably find if you go through the “summer programs” forum. Several of them, like TASP, are free, but it’s really hard to get into these programs.</p>
<p>Also next spring, or like the end of your sophomore year, you can look into the QuestBridge College Prep scholarship for low income students. If you qualify and are selected, the scholarship will pay for one of the summer programs listed on the QuestBridge website, but this one is also extremely competitive.</p>
<p>The few colleges that care about ECs and summer activities (and, yes, Ivies are among them) want to see students doing something productive. With the exception of free, highly competitive programs like TASP, such colleges prefer that students do things on their own initiative, not expensive programs that only wealthy students can afford. The top colleges also don’t favor students who attend their summer programs.</p>
<p>Students who spend the summer reading the Great Books on their own; running a lawn service that they started; doing volunteer work for a cause they care about will stand out far more in such colleges’ adminissions than would students who attended expensive summer programs.</p>