<p>I am a Canadian high school student going into grade 11 and I was looking into summer programs in Canada, the U.S and England. Not many people in my community (or city for that matter) take part in things like this or go to university outside of Canada, but I have always had my sights set on a school like Cambridge or Yale. Will attending a summer program really help me get into a prestigious college? If you have attended a summer program I would love to hear about your experience!</p>
<p>also:
-are the high expenses worth it?
-what amount of actual academic work is involved?
-what level of freedom are you allowed?
-what are some names of good summer programs? (I was looking into the ASA programs at Cambridge or Oxford, the Columbia summer program in New York or the Exploration program at Yale but if you know of others please let me know!)</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>I don’t think attending a summer program by itself will help you get into a prestigious college but it won’t hurt. It will help you get adjusted to being independent, working with new students and give you a taste of college life and academics. There are some great summer programs offered ranging from 1-6 weeks, depending upon the school. Some offer college credit but many do not. There are some great options including:</p>
<p>Cornell
Georgetown
Northwestern
Notre Dame
Brown
University of Richmond
Furman University
Boston University
Syracuse</p>
<p>There are also several summer adventure companies that provide credit and non-credit options at places like Penn State and UCLA. These programs can be very expensive so you would have to decide if it is worth the expense. In general, though, I would not attend a summer program for the sole reason of thinking it will get me into a great college.</p>