How much do college summer programs help with admissions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP: There are definitely summer programs that help with admissions. As I wrote on page 2, ours received very strong & specific support for two Ivies from his two professors at the summer program. They were both regular Ivy profs at that school. Also offered to write recs for a similar program at a second Ivy because it was stronger than their school's program. Did not take advantage because ours had several offers early in the process.

I can assure you that several schools do count summer session attendance as a sign of interest.

OP: Do you have any particular schools in mind besides Ivies or Stanford & MIT ?

This is OP. I never said I was looking at Stanford or MIT and am not interested in those. My kids are likely not headed to those schools (or that tier) and I was actually looking at the RISD program for one (which someone responded about) and then got to wondering more generally about the value beyond the obvious (the kid gets to see what it is like and form an opinion).

Yes, I know that you did not mention those specific schools. My comment was intended to convey the message that demonstrated interest is assumed for those schools and reflected in their very high yield rates. Sorry if I was not clear enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Attending a summer program at College A can be a signal to other colleges that you prefer College A. Really can hurt admissions.
Other benefits for sure to some summer programs. Especially the truly serious writing programs etc. Benefits mostly in terms of kids who just get a lot out of them.
Most are pay to play

Depends upon how the applicant reflects upon the experience.

Use the college app to present yourself to the school. How you do so is likely to be reflected in the admissions decisions.

As an example: One who makes an overly simplistic statement such as: "Most are pay to play." probably offers little to any academic community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Attending a summer program at College A can be a signal to other colleges that you prefer College A. Really can hurt admissions.
Other benefits for sure to some summer programs. Especially the truly serious writing programs etc. Benefits mostly in terms of kids who just get a lot out of them.
Most are pay to play

Depends upon how the applicant reflects upon the experience.

Use the college app to present yourself to the school. How you do so is likely to be reflected in the admissions decisions.

As an example: One who makes an overly simplistic statement such as: "Most are pay to play." probably offers little to any academic community.

Oh Jeepers H. Christmas. I get it now, you must run one of those programs.

Fact: most are pay to play and don't help in admissions. Simplistic? Sure. Also true? Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP: There are definitely summer programs that help with admissions. As I wrote on page 2, ours received very strong & specific support for two Ivies from his two professors at the summer program. They were both regular Ivy profs at that school. Also offered to write recs for a similar program at a second Ivy because it was stronger than their school's program. Did not take advantage because ours had several offers early in the process.

I can assure you that several schools do count summer session attendance as a sign of interest.

OP: Do you have any particular schools in mind besides Ivies or Stanford & MIT ?

This is OP. I never said I was looking at Stanford or MIT and am not interested in those. My kids are likely not headed to those schools (or that tier) and I was actually looking at the RISD program for one (which someone responded about) and then got to wondering more generally about the value beyond the obvious (the kid gets to see what it is like and form an opinion).

Yes, I know that you did not mention those specific schools. My comment was intended to convey the message that demonstrated interest is assumed for those schools and reflected in their very high yield rates. Sorry if I was not clear enough.

OK, thanks. Helpful. --OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Attending a summer program at College A can be a signal to other colleges that you prefer College A. Really can hurt admissions.
Other benefits for sure to some summer programs. Especially the truly serious writing programs etc. Benefits mostly in terms of kids who just get a lot out of them.
Most are pay to play

Depends upon how the applicant reflects upon the experience.

Use the college app to present yourself to the school. How you do so is likely to be reflected in the admissions decisions.

As an example: One who makes an overly simplistic statement such as: "Most are pay to play." probably offers little to any academic community.

Oh Jeepers H. Christmas. I get it now, you must run one of those programs.

Fact: most are pay to play and don't help in admissions. Simplistic? Sure. Also true? Yes.

Thank you so much! A little surprised by the other PP's snark. Just offering my honest take, based on experience. No skin in the game - cycle this year and last successfully concluded. Wishing all the best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Attending a summer program at College A can be a signal to other colleges that you prefer College A. Really can hurt admissions.
Other benefits for sure to some summer programs. Especially the truly serious writing programs etc. Benefits mostly in terms of kids who just get a lot out of them.
Most are pay to play

Depends upon how the applicant reflects upon the experience.

Use the college app to present yourself to the school. How you do so is likely to be reflected in the admissions decisions.

As an example: One who makes an overly simplistic statement such as: "Most are pay to play." probably offers little to any academic community.

Oh Jeepers H. Christmas. I get it now, you must run one of those programs.

Fact: most are pay to play and don't help in admissions. Simplistic? Sure. Also true? Yes.

No, but I understand how you arrived at the thought.

Good luck with your applications !

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Attending a summer program at College A can be a signal to other colleges that you prefer College A. Really can hurt admissions.
Other benefits for sure to some summer programs. Especially the truly serious writing programs etc. Benefits mostly in terms of kids who just get a lot out of them.
Most are pay to play

You don’t have to disclose that you attended any summer program. If you did a summer program at College A, then you can disclose that to College A as a way to demonstrate interest in College A, but you don’t have to disclose it to College B. On the flip side, you could disclose the summer program to College B (provided they don’t have their own summer program) to demonstrate interest in your intended field of study.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Attending a summer program at College A can be a signal to other colleges that you prefer College A. Really can hurt admissions.
Other benefits for sure to some summer programs. Especially the truly serious writing programs etc. Benefits mostly in terms of kids who just get a lot out of them.
Most are pay to play

You don’t have to disclose that you attended any summer program. If you did a summer program at College A, then you can disclose that to College A as a way to demonstrate interest in College A, but you don’t have to disclose it to College B. On the flip side, you could disclose the summer program to College B (provided they don’t have their own summer program) to demonstrate interest in your intended field of study.

My DD was told she had to disclose because she had received college credit so it was a college she had to identify. It did not hurt her. So far, she has 7 acceptances and 2 deferrals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Attending a summer program at College A can be a signal to other colleges that you prefer College A. Really can hurt admissions.
Other benefits for sure to some summer programs. Especially the truly serious writing programs etc. Benefits mostly in terms of kids who just get a lot out of them.
Most are pay to play

Depends upon how the applicant reflects upon the experience.

Use the college app to present yourself to the school. How you do so is likely to be reflected in the admissions decisions.

As an example: One who makes an overly simplistic statement such as: "Most are pay to play." probably offers little to any academic community.

Oh Jeepers H. Christmas. I get it now, you must run one of those programs.

Fact: most are pay to play and don't help in admissions. Simplistic? Sure. Also true? Yes.

Rather than the blanket and unprovable assumption that summer programs don't help with admissions, it would be helpful if people could identify which programs, if any, actually do help with admissions. Hardly seems possible that NO summer program exists that helps with admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Attending a summer program at College A can be a signal to other colleges that you prefer College A. Really can hurt admissions.
Other benefits for sure to some summer programs. Especially the truly serious writing programs etc. Benefits mostly in terms of kids who just get a lot out of them.
Most are pay to play

Depends upon how the applicant reflects upon the experience.

Use the college app to present yourself to the school. How you do so is likely to be reflected in the admissions decisions.

As an example: One who makes an overly simplistic statement such as: "Most are pay to play." probably offers little to any academic community.

Oh Jeepers H. Christmas. I get it now, you must run one of those programs.

Fact: most are pay to play and don't help in admissions. Simplistic? Sure. Also true? Yes.

Rather than the blanket and unprovable assumption that summer programs don't help with admissions, it would be helpful if people could identify which programs, if any, actually do help with admissions. Hardly seems possible that NO summer program exists that helps with admissions.

Yes it hardly seems possible, and yet it is the overwhelming position by AOs when you speak to them, college consultants, and books written by former AOs. Universally and without and informed disagreement I have seen.

And yes, it would be helpful if the few that WERE helpful were mentioned, and fortunately they were, in this very thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Attending a summer program at College A can be a signal to other colleges that you prefer College A. Really can hurt admissions.
Other benefits for sure to some summer programs. Especially the truly serious writing programs etc. Benefits mostly in terms of kids who just get a lot out of them.
Most are pay to play

Depends upon how the applicant reflects upon the experience.

Use the college app to present yourself to the school. How you do so is likely to be reflected in the admissions decisions.

As an example: One who makes an overly simplistic statement such as: "Most are pay to play." probably offers little to any academic community.

Oh Jeepers H. Christmas. I get it now, you must run one of those programs.

Fact: most are pay to play and don't help in admissions. Simplistic? Sure. Also true? Yes.

Rather than the blanket and unprovable assumption that summer programs don't help with admissions, it would be helpful if people could identify which programs, if any, actually do help with admissions. Hardly seems possible that NO summer program exists that helps with admissions.

Yes it hardly seems possible, and yet it is the overwhelming position by AOs when you speak to them, college consultants, and books written by former AOs. Universally and without and informed disagreement I have seen.

And yes, it would be helpful if the few that WERE helpful were mentioned, and fortunately they were, in this very thread.

+100%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Attending a summer program at College A can be a signal to other colleges that you prefer College A. Really can hurt admissions.
Other benefits for sure to some summer programs. Especially the truly serious writing programs etc. Benefits mostly in terms of kids who just get a lot out of them.
Most are pay to play

Depends upon how the applicant reflects upon the experience.

Use the college app to present yourself to the school. How you do so is likely to be reflected in the admissions decisions.

As an example: One who makes an overly simplistic statement such as: "Most are pay to play." probably offers little to any academic community.

Oh Jeepers H. Christmas. I get it now, you must run one of those programs.

Fact: most are pay to play and don't help in admissions. Simplistic? Sure. Also true? Yes.

Rather than the blanket and unprovable assumption that summer programs don't help with admissions, it would be helpful if people could identify which programs, if any, actually do help with admissions. Hardly seems possible that NO summer program exists that helps with admissions.

I think it depends on what you mean by “helpful.” There may be a very few that are helpful in that it is a direct admissions boost (I don’t know if there are). There are some that may help you demonstrate interest at a college that tracks it. Some are for college credit and can demonstrate to a school that your child can handle the rigor of college courses (real college courses, not APs, which many say are less rigorous that college courses). And there are many that let your child try out and explore areas, which may show interest in that area on an application or define the child’s interest in favor or against that area.

These are all different ways of being “helpful” for admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Attending a summer program at College A can be a signal to other colleges that you prefer College A. Really can hurt admissions.
Other benefits for sure to some summer programs. Especially the truly serious writing programs etc. Benefits mostly in terms of kids who just get a lot out of them.
Most are pay to play

Depends upon how the applicant reflects upon the experience.

Use the college app to present yourself to the school. How you do so is likely to be reflected in the admissions decisions.

As an example: One who makes an overly simplistic statement such as: "Most are pay to play." probably offers little to any academic community.

Oh Jeepers H. Christmas. I get it now, you must run one of those programs.

Fact: most are pay to play and don't help in admissions. Simplistic? Sure. Also true? Yes.

Rather than the blanket and unprovable assumption that summer programs don't help with admissions, it would be helpful if people could identify which programs, if any, actually do help with admissions. Hardly seems possible that NO summer program exists that helps with admissions.

I think it depends on what you mean by “helpful.” There may be a very few that are helpful in that it is a direct admissions boost (I don’t know if there are). There are some that may help you demonstrate interest at a college that tracks it. Some are for college credit and can demonstrate to a school that your child can handle the rigor of college courses (real college courses, not APs, which many say are less rigorous that college courses). And there are many that let your child try out and explore areas, which may show interest in that area on an application or define the child’s interest in favor or against that area.

These are all different ways of being “helpful” for admissions.

Yet it is obvious that is not what OP was asking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Attending a summer program at College A can be a signal to other colleges that you prefer College A. Really can hurt admissions.
Other benefits for sure to some summer programs. Especially the truly serious writing programs etc. Benefits mostly in terms of kids who just get a lot out of them.
Most are pay to play

Depends upon how the applicant reflects upon the experience.

Use the college app to present yourself to the school. How you do so is likely to be reflected in the admissions decisions.

As an example: One who makes an overly simplistic statement such as: "Most are pay to play." probably offers little to any academic community.

Oh Jeepers H. Christmas. I get it now, you must run one of those programs.

Fact: most are pay to play and don't help in admissions. Simplistic? Sure. Also true? Yes.

Rather than the blanket and unprovable assumption that summer programs don't help with admissions, it would be helpful if people could identify which programs, if any, actually do help with admissions. Hardly seems possible that NO summer program exists that helps with admissions.

Yes it hardly seems possible, and yet it is the overwhelming position by AOs when you speak to them, college consultants, and books written by former AOs. Universally and without and informed disagreement I have seen.

Such as? Names, links to articles?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of these programs can lead to a good recommendation.

but could the more expensive ones create more of a backlash with the attending child seen as privileged?