Is there any evidence of specific summer programs boosting admissions chances?

Disneyguy
Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:28:28 +0000

Well, given that TASP and RSI are both free (other than travel expenses) and tend to PREFER diverse backgrounds (read: minorities), I’d say there’s very little, if any, discrimination in these programs.

As for why they’re helpful, people differ in opinion. There’s no question that both are highly competitive, and it’s an honor to participate in either. However, there are two theories about its helpfulness:

1-Causation: The very act of going looks good to Adcoms, and applicants who have attended TASP or RSI simply look better.

2-Correlation: Those who are accepted to attend TASP and RSI simply have better credentials, and therefore tend to get into “better” colleges.

However, there is no doubt that both programs send attendees to highly competitive schools, no matter the reason.