Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 19:21     Subject: Are these types of precollege programs worth it?
DS did study abroad at ND and pre college program at Georgetown. He was admitted to both and had amazing summer experiences. One of his Georgetown profs wrote a rec for him. Highly recommend.
As an aside, he listed these on his college applications and it did not seem to hurt his admission to other schools.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 19:03     Subject: Are these types of precollege programs worth it?
There are only a few pre-college programs that (most of the time) pay off with a college acceptance. UChicago ED0,Yale YYGS and MIT RSI came to mind - all highly selective and non offered online.

https://summer.uchicago.edu/pre-college/admitted-students/ssen/

https://globalscholars.yale.edu/

https://www.cee.org/programs/research-science-institute


Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 17:43     Subject: Are these types of precollege programs worth it?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:No. They are all run by the same company. You can't even list them on your activities list bc pay to play and its just a money suck.

Only thing at ND is the leadership seminar - selective:
https://precollege.nd.edu/leadership-seminars/

Here's advice on the Rice ones:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1k085x2/are_these_precollege_summer_programs_worth_it/



Some wrong info on here!

No they are not all run by the same company. Many universities and colleges run their own summer programs. My kids both did the college-run ones at various universities and liked them a lot. The summer programs are a great way to get a taste of college life, stay in a dorm, take a college level class, make friends, gain independence. Both of my kids came back much more independent and confident. And they had a great time. Highly recommend if you can swing the cost.

And of course you can list them on your college apps. My kids did and had good results. No idea if they help or not but that wasn't why they did it.

There are also a bunch of private companies that do these and rent space on college campuses. We steered clear of those.


adding that it's a great way to explore areas of potential academic interest that you don't get exposed to in high school


This đź’Ż
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 17:22     Subject: Are these types of precollege programs worth it?
Anonymous wrote:DC did a pre-college program the summer after 10th just because it looked interesting and fun, and had the added benefit of familiarizing them with what to expect from dorms and dining halls generally. For that, it was worthwhile, but it’s not going in the common app. Not useful for application/admissions purposes.


+1 both my kids did these kinds of programs (1-2 weeks). They were valuable as learning experiences and weren't overly expensive IMO. It helped confirm their interest in the majors they were considering. In both cases the programs were taught by college faculty, not an outside organization and staffed by students from the colleges.

DS referenced his in a brief essay for one college about why he was pursuing that major. I don't think DD referenced hers at all (already had a lot of other things that showed her interest/preparation for her major).

Neither applied to the colleges where they did the pre-college programs.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 16:02     Subject: Are these types of precollege programs worth it?
My son went to a pre-college program at ND (study abroad) a few years ago. Most of the students did not get adjusted to Notre Dame despite checking all the boxes. It was not a complete waste, however, he had a fabulous experience and met a strong network of friends who have stayed in touch.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 15:39     Subject: Are these types of precollege programs worth it?
Anonymous wrote:I've come across these online precollege courses at a few universities, and while they seem like they are good quality, I'm also feeling that they are college application fillers.

Notre Dame PreCollege https://precollegeonline.nd.edu/
Rice University PreCollege https://precollege.rice.edu/

So what do you think? Are they worth it?


These 2 links look identical. Look at the layout. Then dig around to see who is running it.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 15:35     Subject: Are these types of precollege programs worth it?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:No. They are all run by the same company. You can't even list them on your activities list bc pay to play and its just a money suck.

Only thing at ND is the leadership seminar - selective:
https://precollege.nd.edu/leadership-seminars/

Here's advice on the Rice ones:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1k085x2/are_these_precollege_summer_programs_worth_it/



Some wrong info on here!

No they are not all run by the same company. Many universities and colleges run their own summer programs. My kids both did the college-run ones at various universities and liked them a lot. The summer programs are a great way to get a taste of college life, stay in a dorm, take a college level class, make friends, gain independence. Both of my kids came back much more independent and confident. And they had a great time. Highly recommend if you can swing the cost.

And of course you can list them on your college apps. My kids did and had good results. No idea if they help or not but that wasn't why they did it.

There are also a bunch of private companies that do these and rent space on college campuses. We steered clear of those.


adding that it's a great way to explore areas of potential academic interest that you don't get exposed to in high school
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 15:35     Subject: Are these types of precollege programs worth it?
Anonymous wrote:No. They are all run by the same company. You can't even list them on your activities list bc pay to play and its just a money suck.

Only thing at ND is the leadership seminar - selective:
https://precollege.nd.edu/leadership-seminars/

Here's advice on the Rice ones:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1k085x2/are_these_precollege_summer_programs_worth_it/



Some wrong info on here!

No they are not all run by the same company. Many universities and colleges run their own summer programs. My kids both did the college-run ones at various universities and liked them a lot. The summer programs are a great way to get a taste of college life, stay in a dorm, take a college level class, make friends, gain independence. Both of my kids came back much more independent and confident. And they had a great time. Highly recommend if you can swing the cost.

And of course you can list them on your college apps. My kids did and had good results. No idea if they help or not but that wasn't why they did it.

There are also a bunch of private companies that do these and rent space on college campuses. We steered clear of those.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 15:29     Subject: Are these types of precollege programs worth it?
I think that if they are targeted to a student’s interests they are useful to show a kid is actually invested in a particular field.

For example, my oldest is an art history major and he did two residential pre college programs in art/art history. Useful to show he was engaged in the topic/also he learned something/solidified his major choice and gave him fodder for his “why major?” essays.

Youngest is a rising hs junior who will do a business focused one this summer along with a mini internship so he can build up the business area of his resume (wants to do finance) and get get into a competitive program and/or better internship next summer.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 12:14     Subject: Are these types of precollege programs worth it?
DC did a pre-college program the summer after 10th just because it looked interesting and fun, and had the added benefit of familiarizing them with what to expect from dorms and dining halls generally. For that, it was worthwhile, but it’s not going in the common app. Not useful for application/admissions purposes.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 12:05     Subject: Are these types of precollege programs worth it?
Anonymous wrote:The only Rice one's worth doing are:
Rice University ELITE & Tapia STEM Camps

Also, the most prestigious Texas option is The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program (Texas Tech University).


These are the ones you want. There are many others across the country. It is hard to get into one but a huge resume boost if you can
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 12:04     Subject: Are these types of precollege programs worth it?
No.

The ones worth doing are competitive entry ones: either run by universities and free for all to attend, or the competitive state governor's school programs which are also typically free.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 11:40     Subject: Are these types of precollege programs worth it?
The only Rice one's worth doing are:
Rice University ELITE & Tapia STEM Camps

Also, the most prestigious Texas option is The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program (Texas Tech University).
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 11:38     Subject: Are these types of precollege programs worth it?
No. They are all run by the same company. You can't even list them on your activities list bc pay to play and its just a money suck.

Only thing at ND is the leadership seminar - selective:
https://precollege.nd.edu/leadership-seminars/

Here's advice on the Rice ones:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1k085x2/are_these_precollege_summer_programs_worth_it/
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2026 10:50     Subject: Are these types of precollege programs worth it?
I've come across these online precollege courses at a few universities, and while they seem like they are good quality, I'm also feeling that they are college application fillers.

Notre Dame PreCollege https://precollegeonline.nd.edu/
Rice University PreCollege https://precollege.rice.edu/

So what do you think? Are they worth it?