<p>Hi. My son isn’t going to do it–he needs to work this summer–but he was nominated for the 2006 National Student Leadership Conference. I have no idea; is that worth mentioning on a college application? I don’t doubt the experience itself is worthwhile, but are so many kids nominated that just being “selected” is not application-worthy?</p>
<p>Definitely not worth mentioning. We throw their stuff in the trash. It is the equivalent of “Who’s who” - vanity press to the max!</p>
<p>Yup. It’s a scam.</p>
<p>Well, no offense to you two but you are quite ignorant of the program. I actually attended the NSLC Leadership Conference in Washington DC and for me it was a life chaning experience. You go for the experience it provides not to fill up a resume. It was my first chance living on my own, I got a taste of a college experience, and it helped me become a more extroverted individual. It always bothers me when people dimiss these programs as scams because everyone I know who went absoultely loved it. If you have the opportunity go to better yourself–not to “look good” in the eyes of the adcoms. Its pretty sad when people just do things for recognition rather than for themselves.</p>
<p>It’s a little bit scam, a little bit real. Essentially, it’s a student tour company where you have to get a teacher to agree you should go, then you pay for it. It’s not worth mentioning on a college app–it’s mostly a paid summer trip.</p>
<p>However, I sent my D on the international studies one, and you do get a) ten day trip to DC at a reasonable cost, b) chance to live on college campus, c) well-organized educational trip with visits to many places hard to get into, d) “good kids” on the trip.</p>
<p>And best of all, I didn’t have to go to DC in August for my D to have all that.</p>
<p>Okay I get the picture: going to the conference can be very positive and mean a lot to the right student; the fact of being nominated means very little. My son needs to work all summer, so we’ll leave the whole thing off the app. Thanks.</p>