<p>I’m not going to argue about whether or not you had great experiences there–given what you’ll encounter there, I’m sure whoever attended had positive experiences.</p>
<p>However, in terms of whether or not it’s worth the money, I can definitely say NO. When I first received these mailings, I immediately knew there was some BS going on–it’s pretty obvious with how hard they try to get you to attend. Luckily, NYLF decided it was necessary to call themselves a “non-profit” for the advertising, so of course all of their financial information is available for public viewing (IRS Form 990). You can find these through [Foundation</a> Center - 990 Finder](<a href=“http://foundationcenter.org/findfunders/990finder/;]Foundation”>http://foundationcenter.org/findfunders/990finder/;) look up “national youth leadership forum.”</p>
<p>Some very interesting figures: $30 million in revenue in 2006. $2.5 million was spent entirely on the mailings (that’s about 8% of the tuition). And get this: $10 million (33% of the tuition) went entirely to “Envision EMI” (basically NYLF’s real, for-profit company) for “Program Management Fees.” It’s the founders’ little loophole to pay themselves millions while still calling the organization a “non-profit.” If this were a true non-profit, the tuition could at the very least be about 40% less.</p>
<p>Or MAYBE, <em>Gasp</em> they’re paying the locations where the conferences take place, the outside security and supervisors, and for transportation while at the event. That stuff ain’t cheap.</p>
<p>Unless I’m mistaken, the supervisor wages and such are covered under the “other wages and taxes,” if you read the IRS 990 forms they submitted. This $10 million specifically goes to “program management,” not to the costs of actually running the conferences–that’s where the other $20 million goes to (I agree, it’s not cheap, but it could be cheaper for the students)</p>
<p>If you look at the IRS 990 forms for the CYLC, you’ll see a similar pattern–about $48 million in revenues, and 1/3 of that ($16 million) going to EMI for “program management” fees. I don’t think it’s typical for nonprofits to put that much money into a single for-profit company.</p>
<p>Note that I’m not talking about LeadAmerica’s CLSC–they’re not a nonprofit organization (as far as I can tell), so obviously I don’t have access to their finances. Might be better, might be worse–who knows? I just feel that there’s something wrong about for-profit companies exploiting the legal framework of nonprofits to make more money. True nonprofits would only charge what’s necessary to run the program, and would probably be more trustworthy (to colleges)</p>
<p>I personally attended the National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security and felt it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. No, not all colleges seem to care much if a student attended, but it does show them dedication and that the student is serious about a future.
Some may feel it is a lot of money but I personally feel it was well worth it. My family doesn’t have too much money to spare but came up with it so that I could attend, and it turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my school career. I consider it the best experience of my life to date. If a person feels the curriculum isn’t enough, the overall experience in the capitol with the information on the many government establishments and access in to what would usually be hard-to-access government agencies was well worth it.
It is not a random census or junk mail. It is a serious program with the majority of it’s attendees in AP classes with good GPA’s. Not all attendees meet these standards but the majority do.
As with falling behind on schoolwork, that is entirely on the student. It isn’t difficult to work things out with teachers on assignments and tests. NYLF does provide a very busy schedule, but if the student is in their room studying and catching up on school work (which they could have requested before leaving school) rather than socializing during free time, there is time to get your work done.</p>
<p>I attended NYLF. Unlike other students, I didn’t find it worthwhile. In fact, when I returned from the program, I felt guilty that my parents had paid so much for it (they paid part of the cost). The program was definitely “fun.” I met other kids who were nice, friendly, and generally intelligent. But, there was nothing especially rigorous in the program. We sat around and talked, went through “mock simulations” (which I did not find convincing), and got to listen to a mid-level administrative official talk at a press club.</p>
<p>Somehow, for my money, I expected more than just a vacation, which I felt that I got. The program reps. did a lot to try to foster community…we had large speeches, had a “dance,” etc. But, on the whole, while I liked the kids, the program was a disappointment.</p>
<p>My son is a junior and when he received the initial invitation last year we tossed it. He attends a private college prep school and when he asked some other kids at school about whether they received it, he was disappointed that a number of them did - none of which were as good student as he is (4.2 average - SAT scores yet to come). Recently, we received a second follow-up letter. The second time around, I went on the site and found the program schedule and the location. We live in Pasadena and the NYLF/MED this summer will be at UCLA (which just so happens has a great medical school). After we checked out the program, our son decided this was something he really wanted to do. I think the reason for going should not be focused on if colleges applied to would find this impressive, but on your child’s motivation to attend. Our son really wants to go into the field of medicine (we don’t know why, something he came up with on his own and has talked about for the last couple of years). We thought this program would provide a great opportunity to see what college life would be like; he would get to meet new people outside his circle of family and friends; he would get a look at what the field of medicine involves and does he really want to pursue this as a career (it’s a long haul…); it’s a new and different type of learning experience; a productive use of time over the summer; and last but not least, we’re hoping that he really becomes interested in UCLA as somewhere he would like to apply and attend. Right now he’s focused on wanting to go back east to school and the colleges he’s looking are big $$$. We don’t have mega bucks to spend, but we were happy this program was something he really wanted to do and was excited about attending. I’ll let you all know what are thoughts are after he attends this coming July.</p>
<p>My daughter did one of these her sophomore year during one of her school breaks, so she didn’t miss school. It was like a vacation and chance to learn about politics away from the pressure of tests. She is more interested in math/science music, so I felt like it would also help get her more interested in history/government so she could appreciate more what she saw in the news. I think it also exposed her to other students that were college motivated, which gave her an impression of what college would feel like. Once she did it, she did get another invitation last year to attend Obama’s inauguration, which she chose not to do, but a friend’s daughter did attend and that was a once-in-a-lifetime experience from what I’m told. So, don’t do it for the EC credit, instead, do it to expose your kid to more kids like themselves that are 100% college bound. It is expensive, so don’t break the bank either, but if you get a gift or have extra discretionary expense, your kids will definitely enjoy the experience. The best benefit was that she thoroughly followed the whole election process this past year, and even had a Senior gathering on election night …who would have thought that 2 years ago?</p>
<p>I didn’t know much about the program at the time(and probably never would have done it had I been a CC reader at that time) , but when S was nominated I saw that several top academic kids from the last several years in my community had been nominated and attended. All had good things to say about it, and the subject matter, government, was of interest to my son, so he went. I will say that much depends on the leader of your child’s small group - some are great leaders and some are just average. S had a great experience - they debated and voted in a mock congress, visited their congresspeople and senators (Obama was a brand new senator at the time and S walked right into his office for a chat!) and did many interesting activities. His was a good group - all nice and motivated types of kids. </p>
<p>Does it help as an EC? We didn’t do it for that reason. I think that if it’s in the context of something in which the student has an interest, and not, as I’ve mentioned here before, something done in a vacuum to impress an admissions committee, then it could be a tiny plus. It also depends on what schools we are talking about here. Will it impress an admissions rep at Harvard? Probably not, but at least one(reputable) college we looked at listed the percentage of their incoming freshman class who attended as part of their marketing materials. So IMO not a scam and by the same token not a hook, but something to do if you have a particular interest and can easily afford the money and the time. They do give out scholarships - I know one girl who originally went on scholarship and has gone back as one of their leaders.</p>
<p>I went to the program in D.C. but my take is that I learned quite a bit and was an amazing experience because I got to many like-minded students looking for the same future. I don’t know how it looks on colleges though, I put it on my Apps but I am pretty sure there are many programs like this.</p>
<p>My son will also be going to UCLA for this program. I am excited for him because we live in a small town and I want him to see there is more to medicine than just the local family practioners. Yes, this is a very expensive trip but it is cheaper than him going to medical school and finding out that being a doctor isn’t what he really wants to do. Yes, it is putting a strain on our budget but so will the rest of his education. I just hope he has a good time and meets other kids that he can communicate with and relate to.</p>
<p>I attended the National Youth Leadership Forum on Law my senior year in high school (fall of 1999) and it was an amazing experience. I got a chance to network with other students from around the country who had similar academic interests and am still in touch with a number of friends i made while I was there. We also were able to see the sights in Washington DC (the monuments, congress, the Smithsonian museums, and the Supreme Court); sit in on lectures and discussions with professors from the law schools at Georgetown and George Washington University; participate in mock trials; and learn information on what it takes to succeed in college and be admitted to law school. I found it to be an extremely valuable experience and would highly recommend it if you can afford it and your child is interested in attending.</p>
<p>and it is FREE, the program even provided lunch and field trips all FREE of charge.</p>
<p>Although it is targeted for the URM’s but there were a lot of caucasian girls there, people came from world wide to participate in the program and you can certainly meet a lot of interesting people. Many graduates from this program went to ivies and came back volunteered as TA’s.</p>
<p>I think that the NYLF programs are accurate when described as “career exploration.” My daughter, even though she was very active in her HS JROTC unit, had been undecided on pursuing a career in the military. Attending The NYL Forum on National Security was a turning point. She later received an Army ROTC full-tuition college scholarship, and now has an interesting career in Army Intelligence. She recently told me that the seminars helped her grasp the policies which now directly impact what she does in her job. My son is excited to attend the program this spring. He will soon be applying to a service academy, and also feels that the seminars address issues and policies that will affect the military and federal agencies for many years to come.</p>
<p>Having actually attended NYLF Law in the summer of 2010, I can honestly say it is one of the best experiences of my life. I would definitely recommend it, and go for the college credit if it is offered in the fall. You get to learn a lot not only about the subject at hand, but you also learn leadership skills and you furthermore gain friendships with people all over the country that you would not be able to otherwise have. It is worth the cost; your kid will not regret it and neither will you.</p>
<p>Note that the last two posts are new members who joined just to defend NYLF–always suspicious. I guess organizations like this hire PR firms to monitor the internet and then jump forward to counter negative content. The fact that they feel they need to do this speaks volumes.</p>
<p>I am trying to go to the one on law. I got a letter but am highly aware that these get sent to everyone. However I want to apply for the scholarship and it won’t let me until I agree to pay the tuition with my credit card. (My mom’s) What is your opinon on this?</p>
<p>First, I am speaking only to the NYCL in Washington DC. The cost is outrageous and the hook and line seem to be impressive. However, if you’re really in the top of your class, and have traveled or live near any major city, this is NOT the place for you. They have the kids up at 5am going all day sight seeing in high heels around DC in the heat and then bring them back to eat half cooked food at the Sheraton to fight with each other until 10pm. They call this fighting “Model Congress.” It is nothing like Model UN. The kids are rude and clueless as how to debate properly and no one intervenes to guide them. One student even went as far as to say any one who was a democrat and was liberal was a baby killer. It was awful. The lack of supervision is pathological.</p>
<p>Sure you will meet kids from all over, but if you’ve never left your hometown, then that’s exciting in and of itself. Parents need to teach their kids manners and class. I don’t care who can afford this excursion, it’s obvious that money got half of the kids there, not their brains or class.</p>
<p>tridil, you very well may be right on your opinion, but if you think all professional follow some model behavior, you may be surprised to learn otherwise. While most professionals look down on those misbehavers, the reality is that we all have to learn the skills to deal with those folks that just think and behave differently than the approved formula. You may have had different expectations going in, but I’m pretty sure you did learn something, just not what you thought you would.</p>