Anonymous wrote:Maybe it's coincidence BUT . . . my daughter, my nephew, and my neighbor's daughter (currently, college freshman and sophomores) attended summer programs at Duke, Princeton, and WUSTL in the summer before their senior year of high school and each was admitted to those colleges when they applied in the fall of their senior year(and for each of them, their summer experience formed a key part of their college application essays--e.g., Why Duke? Why Princeton? What experience changed you and how (general Common App question)?. Others who attended the summer programs along with them were also admitted to the specific college that housed the summer program; but, of course, just as many, and probably more, were not admitted -- so who knows? In hindsight, I wouldn't have spent $2k+ for my daughter to attend the summer program JUST to get "an edge" in the admissions process but I think, all things being equal, it could have given her (and nephew and neighbor) an edge for admissions purposes when selecting among comparably qualified applicants for the Class of 20XX (perhaps in those situations the admissions officer is more inclined to choose the applicant who has already spent time on campus, loved the program he/she partiicipated in and/or the professors/teaching staff from the summer program loved the applicant, and the applicant is enthusiastic about joining the college as a full-time student).
OP here. This is what I was thinking. If DD attends their summer program (a field that she is interested in), gets to know the school and the culture, she can possibly use that experience on the essay or interview. I figure it can't hurt, which is one of the reasons we chose college programs where she was already interested in attending. I guess we will see in time, but if nothing else, she will have learned about her chosen field and if it is really something she wants to do as a career (the #1 reason for the programs).