<p>Get a job doing maintenance on a golf course. Be a summer camp counselor. Paint houses. Mow lawns. </p>
<p>Just googled Discovery Internships. Since you are paying for the privilege of doing an internship, all that summer experience says to Brown and other schools is that your parents have money and are willing to spend it. That London program costs $7800. That is just beyond absurd. Donate that money to a deserving charity and do something positive to help your community. Build a playground for poor kids. Work with the homeless.</p>
<p>The kid from my daughter’s school who did Harvard Summer School (who had great grades and SATs), only got into one of the 10 selective schools he applied to. Harvard sure didn’t help him stand out. </p>
<p>Let me put it a little differently. If you want to do something this summer that makes you stand out for college admissions, then get a job or volunteer. If you want a really cool summer experience in England or want to study something you are really interested in for the sake of learning something, then do one of those programs. IOW, only do those programs if psychology is so fascinating and important to you that you want to spend the summer studying it. Of course, you could also get a job and read Freud and Jung during your free time.</p>