Anonymous
Post 04/22/2026 15:50     Subject: Is Chicago summer worth the money?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:SSP is a little over 11K


SSP gives you a good chance to T10 and ivies. 11k is actually well worth it.


I don't disagree, but uchicago is a T10 too, and I guess RIBS can help with admission? I am DP, but just my opinion
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2026 15:46     Subject: Is Chicago summer worth the money?
Anonymous wrote:SSP is a little over 11K


SSP gives you a good chance to T10 and ivies. 11k is actually well worth it.
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2026 14:49     Subject: Is Chicago summer worth the money?
Anonymous wrote:Go to Chicago summer for enrichment and experience, not for college acceptance. How do you know they will even like UChicago after they experience it?


My DS did it summer of '24 as a rising senior thinking Chicago might be his first choice. While there were many positives from the experience, in the end it helped he decide that it wasn't his top choice.
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2026 13:59     Subject: Is Chicago summer worth the money?
SSP is a little over 11K
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2026 13:55     Subject: Is Chicago summer worth the money?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:the downside is you almost have to take it off your resume for all schools that aren't u chicago.

Why? DC found that their immersion programs like RIBS a lot more meaningful than short one week ones. RIBS is a four week long biological science research summer program at Chicago. Why can't they list RIBS for other schools?


You could -- of course. My kid isnt into stem, but do all other stem science research programs cost that much?

Iowa sstp costs 7.5 K total but DC wasn't selected.
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2026 13:44     Subject: Is Chicago summer worth the money?
Anonymous wrote:^ It's quite expensive, $15,200. We are full pay. You are saying DC can only use it for Chicago?


This is a new level of insanity. Better get in Chicago ED0 and pray that your DC still likes Chicago after the summer.
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2026 13:43     Subject: Is Chicago summer worth the money?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:the downside is you almost have to take it off your resume for all schools that aren't u chicago.

Why? DC found that their immersion programs like RIBS a lot more meaningful than short one week ones. RIBS is a four week long biological science research summer program at Chicago. Why can't they list RIBS for other schools?


You could -- of course. My kid isnt into stem, but do all other stem science research programs cost that much?
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2026 13:37     Subject: Is Chicago summer worth the money?
Anonymous wrote:the downside is you almost have to take it off your resume for all schools that aren't u chicago.


5 days isn't all that long and they included admission workshops as a part of it. The instructor is a uchicago faculty and admissions people are the uchicago admissions people (of course they may not remember my kid by the time he applies as he did this after 9th grade). My kid also met really great friends there. He also liked staying on campus and they had some event at the end with current students. While he probably won't list this for other schools, I would say most activities of that length probably won't be listed either. For us it was worth the cost (2500) and we are also alumni of uchicago so it is high on my kid's list
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2026 13:32     Subject: Is Chicago summer worth the money?
^ It's quite expensive, $15,200. We are full pay. You are saying DC can only use it for Chicago?
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2026 13:30     Subject: Is Chicago summer worth the money?
Anonymous wrote:the downside is you almost have to take it off your resume for all schools that aren't u chicago.

Why? DC found that their immersion programs like RIBS a lot more meaningful than short one week ones. RIBS is a four week long biological science research summer program at Chicago. Why can't they list RIBS for other schools?
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2026 13:26     Subject: Is Chicago summer worth the money?
the downside is you almost have to take it off your resume for all schools that aren't u chicago.
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2026 13:11     Subject: Is Chicago summer worth the money?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DD did the 1week program last summer. She had already toured Chicago and loved it. Wanted to see how she felt about safety.
Importantly, we also had run NPC and determined we’d get the necessary FA so that she could apply ED0 if she wanted.

She went - loved the program, said it was the first time where everyone is passionate about their interests. She came home fairly certain she’d apply ED0. I ran the NPC in August just to make sure again that we could afford it. Well, the calculus somehow changed and we would now be full pay (this was when Chicago was announcing its huge debt - so FA became much less generous). I called FA office explained we’d never have left DC do program under this new NPC scenario. Crickets.
So she’s going elsewhere.
Of her good friends there - 1 didn’t get in, and 2 others didn’t apply bc too $$$.

Also know kid who did full summer program who applied ED0 and did not get in. (Grades were fine but not too 20, SAT 1530)

My DC still talks wistfully about U Chicago. She’s going to a similar, much smaller school with an aid package that means we’re paying about 60% of what we’d be paying U Chicago.

If your kid would get in anyway (look at SCOIR) then ED0 allows kid to get in earlier. If kid wouldn’t get in or is borderline, do not count on the $$$ summer program to push kid over the finish line. Treat ED0 simply as an opportunity to know much sooner - not really an advantage.


So many issues with this post. So you used the money that could have been saved for college for a $ summer program with hopes that you would get financial aid?


The weeklong enrichment programs are $2500. And they are free if income is below 125k.
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2026 09:19     Subject: Is Chicago summer worth the money?
This is insane.
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2026 08:52     Subject: Is Chicago summer worth the money?
Anonymous wrote:DD did the 1week program last summer. She had already toured Chicago and loved it. Wanted to see how she felt about safety.
Importantly, we also had run NPC and determined we’d get the necessary FA so that she could apply ED0 if she wanted.

She went - loved the program, said it was the first time where everyone is passionate about their interests. She came home fairly certain she’d apply ED0. I ran the NPC in August just to make sure again that we could afford it. Well, the calculus somehow changed and we would now be full pay (this was when Chicago was announcing its huge debt - so FA became much less generous). I called FA office explained we’d never have left DC do program under this new NPC scenario. Crickets.
So she’s going elsewhere.
Of her good friends there - 1 didn’t get in, and 2 others didn’t apply bc too $$$.

Also know kid who did full summer program who applied ED0 and did not get in. (Grades were fine but not too 20, SAT 1530)

My DC still talks wistfully about U Chicago. She’s going to a similar, much smaller school with an aid package that means we’re paying about 60% of what we’d be paying U Chicago.

If your kid would get in anyway (look at SCOIR) then ED0 allows kid to get in earlier. If kid wouldn’t get in or is borderline, do not count on the $$$ summer program to push kid over the finish line. Treat ED0 simply as an opportunity to know much sooner - not really an advantage.


So many issues with this post. So you used the money that could have been saved for college for a $ summer program with hopes that you would get financial aid?
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2026 08:48     Subject: Is Chicago summer worth the money?
Anonymous wrote:
If your kid would get in anyway (look at SCOIR) then ED0 allows kid to get in earlier. If kid wouldn’t get in or is borderline, do not count on the $$$ summer program to push kid over the finish line. Treat ED0 simply as an opportunity to know much sooner - not really an advantage.


This is a good way of framing it.

Fwiw, DC did the weeklong program, applied and got in early (in September). Top 10 in graduating class, 1590 SAT, strong ECs. Based on Scoir, would have been accepted (based on experience of similar candidates from their high school). But it was certainly nice to have a stress free senior year.