Agreed a week is not forever but STEP was much more than a camp, with long days and late nights focused on the task at hand. In fact my son was rejected with his 32 ACT but appealed when he bumped it to a 34. He also got 10k merit…very rare from Purdue after he applied for admission….not sure but STEP attendance may have helped because no one else he knows at home or Alabama that was admitted to Purdue got money.
It’s not school…I understand…but it is real hands on learning and for my son who waffled between aviation, atmospheric sciences, and astrophysics…it helped cement the path or even let him know, yes he’s going down the right path. So I wouldn’t minimize the impact or exposure for an undecided student. No, it won’t give them the academics, etc but it does let them know what engineers do and it gives them an engineering related project. Imagine showing up on day one of school and a week in realizing you made a mistake. This won’t necessarily eliminate that risk but it is another validator.
https://www.rose-hulman.edu/admissions-and-aid/early-planning/operation-catapult/index.html