Pre College Programs
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Anonymous
| I know they vary in cost and prestige, but — in general — are they worth it? Speaking specifically about the ones that are 1-3 or so weeks with on-campus boarding. They run around $5,000, which is out of my price range. But there are some that look pretty good, and I’d be more than willing to work extra hours if it would help DC better prepare for college. Bc of finances, we have never been able to send DC to sleepaway camp, so she’s never had the experience of being away from home like that. She’s a junior, and very introverted, and I’m concerned that if she doesn’t get any experience being away like that, she’ll have a harder time adjusting to college. She has diverse interests, so interested in hearing about any subject-area focus for a pre-college program. She’s especially focused on music, as well as literature and history. Thanks so much in advance for any advice you can offer. |
Anonymous
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My kids both did them and found them valuable but they were much less than $5k. I would not have paid that much. DD went to a 1-week program at Susquehanna that was about $900. They have a bunch of topics including music. DS went to UMW and that's about $1200. They also have a lot to pick from. What I like about both of these is the programs are run by professors from the school.
I do think the short experience of staying on campus helped demystify college a bit and made DS feel less anxious about living in a dorm with a roommate. DD has long gone to sleepaway camp so that aspect was less important for her. |
Anonymous
| None of these programs give them a leg up in admissions, so it would purely be for the experience. If your kid is super interested in a subject and wants a taste of it before college and you can afford it, then go for it. But you can also have him enroll in a local community college and take courses in his area of interest. |
Anonymous
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Local schools have pre-college programs that are not boarding. And some schools/programs still offer virtual for a lower cost than in-person.
For example - if you are in DMV, Maryland's 18-day commuter program for College Park is $2500 and the student receives 3 college credits. Still not cheap but at least you get credits and do not have to pay for the boarding/food portions. If you live in other areas, check colleges around you. The school my child attended virtually during COVID has a variety of in-person, commuter, virtual options. It's just that virtual programs tend to offer fewer topic options than in-person. |
Anonymous
| I think they are great for exploring an interest, for meeting people, for getting excited about college, for building confidence. I don't think the short ones help for college admissions, whereas the 5-7 week ones that count for college credit are something to add to the application. |
Anonymous
| DC did the syracuse pre college program for 4 weeks. it was a great experience in terms of demystifying a college campus and being independent in that environment. they were also really torn between two very different majors. They experienced both majors and realized they really liked one in terms of long term learning over the other one which really helping when submitting applications. |
Anonymous
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Ive taught in a few of these programs. Some are high quality and some are for profit camps for rich kids whose parents want to get them out of the house for the summer. I don't want to diss a former employer but I would not recommend one of the programs unless you had money to burn. It was perfectly fine - your kid would be safe and have fun - but they hired me to teach without vetting me at all.
So do your due diligence, apply for a few, and see if you get aid to reduce the cost. |
Anonymous
Anonymous
| My son did a summer institute for economics at UCLA. It was virtual due to the pandemic. I think the most useful aspect of these programs is the possibility to explore a potential major and show an interest in a field for college applications. In his case, he decided not to major in economic though he still plans to minor in it. He also decided not to apply to UCLA. |
Anonymous
Thanks to everyone who replied! This helped. And thank you, poster, for this very illuminating article. Wow. DC has said she is just as happy to get a job, play music, and continue volunteering this summer. That sounds like it may be just as valuable. |
Anonymous
My child found this mostly useful to explore majors/courses that they really didn't have access to at their school. So, one option (that goes with her plans above) is to consider a community college summer course. For example, our high school has no real course in Economics - which could easily be taken at a community college. |
Anonymous
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I’d love to hear more about the Syracuse program, in particular. How was your DC’s overall experience? Structured group/community time or more left to their own devices? Fun and camp-like or more of a grind?
I ask because DC is a serious student and quite interested in one of the niche courses offered at Syracuse this summer. But they’re only 15 (would be a rising sophomore) and still wanting a fun social/camp type experience - not just the academics in the morning and then solo time for the rest of the day. Also nervous about not knowing anyone there. Social kid but has always gone away to camp with a friend or two, never solo. |
Anonymous
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Both my kids went and enjoyed it a lot. Definitely worth the exposure to college life and made moving to college very easy.
I've seen the cost go as high as $10k for 3 weeks. That is insane. Here are some reasonable ones: (less known schools but still good for the dorm life experience) https://www.sjc.edu/summer-academy https://www.umw.edu/summer/sep/ |
Anonymous
DS did a program similar to the UMW last summer before jr year and it was very helpful in terms of making the college search process more concrete. |
Anonymous
| My kid also never did sleepaway camp so I think it was useful for my kid to get that living away from home experience and some experience with a college campus. It also gave them something to do when they weren’t quite old enough for a job. |