Would putting another college's summer program on your application look bad?

I am a junior who is currently looking at the Yale and Columbia Summer programs, though those are not the only two colleges I am thinking of so far. For my other university choices, would it be bad to mention a summer program taken at a different college come admission time? Or would it look good regardless of the college that holds it?

I believe it looks good that you are doing a college program. Colleges are aware that you apply to many schools (as you should), and that you may go to various summer programs. I don’t think that will hurt at all just because it is not their university. Additionally, not all colleges offer summer programs for high schoolers. Good luck!

Not at all. My D took summer programs at both Boston U and Carleton college. She has applied to Carleton, but it won’t help her chances really that she did a summer program there. The main point is that it emphasizes that you enjoy learning and want to have a productive summer. In my D’s case, all her summer courses reinforced the things she was able to say on various essays about her interests. Do the courses because you are interested though, not because you think it will give you an advantages, because it won’t. In fact, the main reason she took the course at Carlton was because it was great value, and gave her college credit. The BU program didn’t give credit, was much more expensive, and wasn’t as long. So shop around before committing to one.

Not at all, colleges just like to see summer programs as proof that you did something worthwhile over your summer

There are only 5 spots in the common app to list activities so it may be hard to fit it in unless there is an essay about what you did over the summer. Some schools that are need aware see things like these summer programs as a sign you can afford the school which is a good thing.

It would not be an issue at all. And from what I hear from admission officers, attending a summer program at a particular college does not generally give a student an advantage in terms of freshman admissions.

Wouldn’t it depend on the college and the program? For example, Stewie takes a class or two from Watsamatta U during a program they have for rising HS seniors. Watsamatta U puts on the program to recruit, not because they’re bored and now they know Stewie’s academic abilities and they know the yield for students like him. That’s gotta help.

But if he’d done a program somewhere else, maybe not so much.

I think Watsmatta U puts on the summer program mostly to make money during a time when the school would otherwise be very quiet and underutilized.

Probably varies with school. DD did a non credit week at a private U in South Bend for a lower daily cost than DS was paying to go camping with the Boy Scouts (his tent, half food, on a govt site). That kind of messed with my head.

No it won’t look bad. That’s paranoia. Do you think colleges think you’re solely considering them? That’s a stupid expectation.

@dcplanner there are 10 spots on the common app for activities, not 5.

As for OP, summer programs aren’t going to be that big of a deal in terms of your whole application, especially since most of these programs are very expensive. Colleges know you are applying to other schools, so don’t worry about it if you decide to list it.

Dcplanner is incorrect, there are ten spots on common app for activites. And if you have to make a choice between listing something such as a club with lots of commitment in time and energy, or a fun pre college summer program, choose the one you were most involved in that you feel is the best demonstration of what is important to you. Some people end up not listing things at all, because they have to make choices between things to list.

At the conclusion of the summer programs, you will most likely receive a write up, recommendation, call it what you will, from a teacher on the course. My D recieved two from the BU teachers, which were very generic and useless. She didn’t use them. But the one from Carleton was important, as she had spent three weeks doing a very intensive course. The teacher knew her well by the end, and wrote a very specific rec which was useful. Because she also had another independent rec from her violin teacher of many years, she didn’t want to submit supplemental recs in addition to her high school ones. So, in her couselor’s letter,she had her counselor incorporate the keys elements of the additional recs she had.

I can see how it might work against you if you attended a summer program at a school you were a legacy at, but even then I don’t think it counts against you much