Hi guys,
I am an international student from a developing country, in the middle of deciding whether I should participate in either of these two programs ( if this is too long you can skip to the end of my post)
- U-Motion Camp in collaboration with UWC Changshu China: Beijing, 2 weeks The total fee is $3000, but I've received a partial scholarship worth of $1500. However, the cheapest flight tickets would be around $500, adding up to $2000 in total. Although the camp will certainly be an enriching experience for me (personal development and cultural exploration), it would be too luxurious for my family to afford. I need to give them confirmation by June 4.
- Asian Leadership Student Conference: Singapore, 4 days I will have to pay $1000 in total, and my family is willing to pay for it. However, the conference is a 'conference', and a leadership camp is not what I have in mind about self-development and self-exploration. Some of the students at my high school who attended it last year have got into really prestigious colleges after getting the gold medals from the conference. But since they have already had great credentials, I don't know if attending the 'international' conference helped the college admission much.
Can you please offer me some insight into how summer activities like these are viewed by college admission officers? What would you choose if you were me?
To recap: The conference would be cheaper and valuable for my application, but not fulfilling enough for me, whether the camp costs twice but offers valuable experience ( I don’t know whether college officers regard summer camps highly, since some wealthy students just need to pay money for it without demonstrating qualifications)
Thank you a lot !!!