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<p>Ugh! I know that all too well. You think it’s not even going through and then, by the time the Internet comes back up, it’s uneditable. Sometimes I think that putting my mouse too close to the “Post Quick Reply” button on CC triggers a sequence that first sends the post and then shuts down my router.</p>
<p>A lovely Andover student, Maya, spent last year SYA in China and kept one of the student blogs for Admissions. Her posts give a detailed view of her year. To read, scroll down to the bottom of this link for the first post, or click on her name to get her bio before reading. </p>
<p>[Maya</a> | Andover Snapshots | Page 2](<a href=“Private Site”>Private Site)</p>
<p>**lemonade1’s **link to the Andover blog calls to mind an important factor (I think) and that’s how common the SYA experience is at a particular boarding school. Where the SYA is quite common (I’ll let others debate what % = “quite common”) the boarding school will know exactly what it’s doing with those students both during and after the SYA. In that environment, I suppose missing out on the “all-important junior year” concern that I zeroed in on is “less-all-important.” In fact, the more commonplace the SYA is at the boarding school, the more likely it is that the student is missing out on the all-important-SYA experience in terms of bonding and getting the full flavor of the boarding school experience which may, in various cross-curricular ways, make the SYA a centerpiece. If, however, the boarding school is making exceptions and accommodations for a handful of SYA students (which was the assumption I was originally operating off of), I’d be more hesitant about going for it at this point in time than I’d be in an environment where SYA is an established rite of passage for many students.</p>
<p>As for the whole “is it better for college admissions” side-discussion, I think self-selection works that out for itself and I wouldn’t let it be the driving force. Those who profit most from a SYA will be those inclined to embrace it for its own merits and thrills and eye-opening experience. Those who are wired to the more traditional track and AP credits will favor that path and get the most out of it. If, however, the “SYA-or-not-SYA” decision is made based on how, overall, one’s beliefs as to how HYSPM admissions offices will look at it, then some bad decisions could flow from letting that be your guide. If your child would flourish abroad but you think getting that AP Scholar With Distinction during junior year means more to HYPSM, why would you turn your back on that year abroad? Conversely, if you think the SYA is the bee’s knees for college adcoms but your kid may be better off waiting to experience an immersion in another culture for a wide variety of reasons, why send your kid into what could be a disaster? The college admissions bump comes from making a wise choice, not following one particular path or the other.</p>
<p>“The college admissions bump comes from making a wise choice, not following one particular path or the other.”</p>
<p>Beautiful!</p>
<p>I’m sorry to make you read all of that and have to get to the end to find something of value. 
As most people know, I take the War and Peace monkey-typing approach to posting on CC. I figure that eventually, like those monkeys, if I type long enough something worthwhile will get posted. Thanks for sticking with that to the end, 123mama.</p>
<p>@D’yer–I’ve been known to be a blabberfingers, myself ;)</p>
<p>@D’yer - amazing clarity as always. Sums it up perfectly! (and ummm - what I should have said 
)</p>
<p>My D is at our local public high school. She was wait listed at Exeter for this fall (heartbreak) which will be her junior year. She wants to go to Columbia for college. She is CONVINCED that it would be the wrong choice to go abroad for her junior year because of AP’s, class rank, GPA, etc. I would love for her to go (her sister went to Japan for a semester in her sophomore year and it changed her life). Does someone have a specific link or a thread about Columbia admissions and their preferences? My D currently has the numbers (or close) for Columbia (2010 on her SAT taken as a sophomore, 2nd in class of 264, unweighted GPA of 4.0). She does dance and theater, no sports, so that is not a problem. She is currently taking the highest level of French offered at her high school. We have travelled abroad extensively and she has no fear of being away from home. Isn’t it a no brainer that she should go? After the Exeter disappointment, I am afraid for her that it will happen again with Columbia. Any thoughts or advice are truly appreciated.</p>
<p>^^admission to any ivy is a lottery - the rates are in the single digits. To be in the game though, she needs to have her SAT at the 2200 level. Under 2100- she won’t even be looked at unless she’s a legacy or urm. In terms of class rank - just as an example - this year UVA won’t accept anyone out of state with below 3%. For all those reasons its not a no-brainer that she should go, especially since she’s travelled abroad extensively already. I think your daughter’s concerns are extremely valid. However, you will be better served posting this in Columbia’s forum.</p>
<p>I think a school year abroad experience only works when it is the <em>student</em> who is passionate about the idea, and is the one pushing to go.</p>
<p>Is your daughter desperately wanting the SYA experience, but is being held back by her belief that she needs the “traditional” junior year full of APs and test prep? If so, I would try to help her understand that gaining admission to Columbia is in many ways a lottery, and your very best guess at what they want to see in an applicant (whether that’s lots of APs, or the experience of a SYA) is just that - a very good guess. </p>
<p>If it is her dream to study abroad - I would encourage her to follow her heart and her passion and pursue that experience. It would be heartbreaking for her to stay home, loading up on APs and grinding through a tough academic year with the idea that it would help her get into Columbia, and then be denied admission - which is a very real possibility.</p>
<p>And if it is not her dream to study abroad, but your dream for her, it may not be the best idea unless she gets excited about and invested in the idea, too.</p>
<p>On the SYA website there are many pages dedicated to college admissions. There are even some quotes from top universities about the SYA experience.
I thought these may be appreciated: </p>
<p>“We appreciate the fact that you keep academic standards high (at SYA) and that students seem to work every bit as hard as they would back at their home institution. Many students write about their SYA experiences in their essays or talk about them in interviews and there is no question that the added perspective and maturity gained from SYA can be a real plus to some candidates.”</p>
<p>William Fitzsimmons,
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Harvard College</p>
<p>“We see some excellent candidates who have been involved in the SYA program. Many SYA candidates come to Georgetown with an increased knowledge of the world around them and are able to share some of their experiences studying in another culture with their classmates. The students who have studied abroad are usually more willing to take chances in and outside of the class and tend, in many cases, to be more mature as a whole. Those who have been involved in programs abroad have had learning experiences and opportunities that most 17-year-olds don’t have. They can learn another culture, language and educational philosophy and can share these experiences with others. They have a broader understanding of the world around them compared to those who have limited themselves to their immediate communities. This experience can help in their essay, college interview, and is a very strong extracurricular. Most colleges, particularly the competitive ones, pay close attention to these factors when reviewing an application.”</p>
<p>Greg Roberts,
Former Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Georgetown University</p>
<p>“In today’s hothouse atmosphere, a student’s decision to take part in a program like SYA signals to us just the sort of adventurous approach to life, just the sort of open and curious mind that seeks to take advantage of new opportunities and challenges, that we believe are essential to making the most of the great resources offered by Princeton. And they do this at no cost to themselves, either academically or with respect to the chances for admission to first-rate colleges. On the contrary, my experience with students who participated in SYA suggests that their experiences only enhanced their attractiveness as college applicants.”</p>
<p>Fred Hargadon,
Former Dean of Admission, Princeton University</p>
<p>“At Dartmouth we strongly support the SYA program because it demonstrates a student’s willingness to try something new. In the process we see that many important human and intellectual qualities are developed. To cite some that we see at Dartmouth: independence, confidence, respect for difference, greater understanding of life outside the U.S., language skills, communication skills, ability to deal with academic and personal challenges, self-awareness, self-understanding and good material for essay topics.”</p>
<p>Karl Furstenberg,
Former Dean of Admissions, Dartmouth College</p>
<p>Thank you all for your advice- I received a private message which helped a lot too. You are all right- it is not her dream to go abroad. It was mine for her. She wanted to go to BS. It is a strange position as a parent to be in. My husband and I went to public schools and public university and were not Ivy caliber students at all. When we were her age, we were thinking about what to do this weekend, not what we were going to do to change the world. Most of my friends have children who are younger or are perfectly content to go to local colleges. It really helps to have a supportive community who understand the “plight” of having a bright, motivated child. Thanks again. :)</p>
<p>I am the parent of two public HS students who went to SYA, both as Juniors. I have only positives to report, and will PM you if you are interested. Bottom line: SYA was a far more worthwhile endeavor than an extra 4-5 AP classes at home would have been. Bottom line: if she wishes to go, let her, from public or private school. Even if she thinks she might go, apply and see how she feels when decisions are out, because some hesitation about attendance is more than to be expected.</p>
<p>Good luck @Classicalteacher - ultimately I say at this juncture leave it up to the student. With so many good options available to her, she can’t make a bad decision. And if she’s got her heart set on Columbia and doesn’t get in, you don’t want her wondering if going to SYA hurt her chances.</p>
<p>But - a caveat - many of us know students who have their heart set on a school just to see it broken because they forget to factor in how many other students have set the same goal. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees. If she’s truly bright, she will have plenty of options no matter what path she chooses for junior year. Hopefully her first choice will be one of them.</p>