<p>Does anyone know of any summer program that permits drinking? I know that Travel for Teens allows participants to try local beers and wines with the permission of parents…do any other organizations have similar policies?</p>
<p>Also, are there any programs that are really laid back about the whole party scene/curfew…?</p>
<p>Just curious of course.</p>
<p>Laid back and policies based on trust are 2 different things.</p>
<p>Many programs are trying to simulate a realistic college experience so they give you a lot of trust, assuming you will make the right choices. If you abuse these policies and get caught you can get in a lot of trouble and lose these privileges.</p>
<p>Bottom line: No program in the US permits drinking, correct me if im wrong.</p>
<p>If some international program allows you that is different.</p>
<p>I would spend the summer hitting the house party circut if drinking is what you are concerned about.</p>
<p>Um…if you’re in the US, it’s illegal to drink unless you’re 21 and over.</p>
<p>If you’re out of the country, it might be something else altogether.</p>
<p>Most programs that are run by American companies will not allow you to drink, even if you are in a country where you are legally old enough to drink. It’s a major liability. With some programs, your parents sign a waiver saying that they will permit you to drink while on the program, but a lot of programs will still dismiss you if you get really trashed.</p>
<p>Just want to clarify - I don’t want to attend a program that allows drinking, and have decided not to apply to certain programs based purely upon reviews that indicate drinking and drugs are prevalent.</p>
<p>I found it interesting, however, that Travel for Teens would be so out there. It seems that every other organization has zero tolerance policies while Travel for Teens allows it! Craziness…</p>
<p>By asking for programs that are relaxed, I was hoping to develop a ‘black list’ of sorts…I don’t drink, and I don’t want to.</p>
<p>Haha. Its chill. Sorry about that.</p>
<p>Thats very responsible of you.</p>
<p>My advice is just show your discretion once you get there. In the end any program with a lot of kids that have some freedom there is going to be something a little sketch, but that doesn’t mean a lot of kids will be doing it so just separate your self from those people. I know 2 kids who went to the same program, one drank every night and lost her … The other had a lot of fun and learn a bunch without getting tipsy.</p>
<p>So good luck. And once again sorry.</p>
<p>i think that being allowed to sample wine and beer with parental permission while in Europe is very different than going out every night and getting trashed.
and, to me it seems that a more laid back program means that the leaders respect you as adults who can make good and logical decisions, or will deal with the consequences of your bad decisions. although i totally understand not wanting to be around people who abuse that trust.</p>
<p>The Brown Pre-College program is, to the best of my knowledge, extremely lax with regulations of any sort.</p>
<p>Harvard SSP is very strict about alcohol - no one i knew there drank at all and I heard stories of instant expulsion for kids who did. </p>
<p>Btw Redlobster, is there much drinking at TASP?</p>
<p>I went on a trip to Europe last summer with a program called Explorica… we were allowed to drink beer/wine but only during meal times (even though kids would go out during free time and drink ). When we were in Amsterdam a few kids got into drugs and were kicked off the program. I know that they cut Amsterdam out of the tour for this year and I think they changed their drinking policy too but I’m not sure.</p>
<p>I went to a program in spain called enforex, i lived in a homestay, and partied every night until 4-5 am, drank all the time, super lax. It was a SPANISH program, not run by americans. </p>
<p>Tip to you all— programs typically run by the native countries in europe are cheaper than the american ones, like tasis, that charge 6k for 3 weeks! Absolutley ridiculous.</p>
<p>^^^^ great tip! US sponsored programs are sort of ridiculous, and most don’t include airfare.</p>
<p>but on another note…i’m going to brown this summer :)</p>
<p>i’m heading to brown also, hoping i’ll get to party a little. I worked my ass off all year, and last summer at JSA. Princess, what course you taking?</p>