Hi all, recently I was accepted into the UC Davis YSP! But with no aid, ~7k is a lot of money to pay, even if it’s for a 6-week long residential program where you can conduct research with a professor (still have no idea how I got accepted, aha). It doesn’t seem like a sham, and I know their acceptance rate is ~10%, so rather low, but that doesn’t change the fact it’s still a lot of money. My dad is supportive and told me not to worry about the price & that he’ll pay if I truly want to go, but we’re far from rich and I do feel guilty. My savings from past internship stipends can’t even pay for 1/5th of the fee… he’d be shouldering virtually all the cost. I’ve looked around the internet but haven’t found much testimonials.
Is it worth the money? Will it help on college applications? And what is the overall quality/experience of the program?
My daughter was also accepted into YSP, and I couldn’t be prouder. My guess is that your dad feels the same way and wants to support you in any way that he can. It makes parents feel good to see their kids do well. If he says he can help, and wants to, let him feel that joy.
Nobody is going to be able to tell you if a particular program is worth it or not. That’s just something that you’ll have to weigh for yourself.
It is expensive. But, in addition to the experience, a quality piece of writing to submit with your college applications, and maybe a solid letter of recommendation, you are paying for college credit.
If you intend to apply to public universities in California this credit may well pay for itself in the future. Many UCs and CSUs base enrollment priority on earned units (the more you have the better your enrollment date. Entering university with earned credits means a better enrollment date and that you’re more likely to get the classes you need to stay on track and graduate in four years. If you can avoid an extra quarter or two of classes because you’ve accumulated those units, you come out ahead in the end.
There are a lot of things to think about here. Have an honest conversation with your family about what you want and what they can afford. Either way you should be proud of yourself. Congratulations on an acceptance well earned!
I am in a very similar situation and have basically decided to go. I talked to an alumni and she said it was “one of the best experiences of her life” and she got into Berkeley. She also said she talked about the program in her essays and that it was really easy to talk about. If you end up going let me know ! I’d like to have a friend when I go !
Not sure about other UCs, but I know this is not true at Berkeley. Only credit earned at Berkeley counts towards enrollment priority. Again, I am not sure about other UCs, but you definitely need to check this if you are interested in the UCs and this a consideration for you.
yes these programs definitely help, even if it isn’t direct admission into the school. i was invited to programs at UCLA and got into Berkeley! (but rejected from UCLA, weird) it was very easy to write about it on the UC application
If 7k is a lot of money and you worry, then IMO it will not be worth it.
There are better ways to get “college experience” and possibly for free.
I’m a huge fan of community college classes. My kids do them. They are free (at least for us in San Diego) and you have a whole catalog of classes to choose from. Our enrollment cap is 11 units which is easily three classes each term.
It’s not fancy like a Uni Based residential program, but solid and earns you real college credit, boost in your application GPA, and demonstrate college readiness. Did I already mention free?
No doubt the UCD YSP will help you later, but consider free options and how you already feel about 7k being a burden, I think you can spent 7k elsewhere.