Reply to Pre-college summer programs: which are high quality, merit-based, and not pay to play?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The how pay to play doesnt necessarily mean bad quality.

My son is at Princeton now and he spent 2.5 weeks at Sciences Po summer program. It was an amazing program and experience for him.
High Quality: check
Recognized by top schools: check
100% Merit Based?  Not quite. Sure there is an application process, but I’m not sure it is very selective. The only 4 kids I know that went there were accepted. [/quote]
Agreed. I don't think there are many competitive summer programs that impress AOs by themselves--e.g., "Wow, this applicant was admitted to and participated in X summer program." But participation in a summer program can help an applicant by demonstrating/corroborating interest in particular subject and developing skills. And, apart from admissions, they can be really helpful for the student-participants in figuring out what they are looking for in colleges.

My DC did a month-long studio art program at an university. While there was a selection process requiring a portfolio and essay, I don't think it was particularly competitive. But the program itself was great, and DC learned a lot and improved their portfolio. It also shaped what DC looked for in colleges during the application phase. While I doubt the summer program meaningfully moved the needle on DC's applications, DC got into a number of T20 schools, so it certainly didn't hurt. Anyhow, I'm not promoting summer programs over other options (e.g., working a summer job), but they have their place.[/quote]

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