Yale Summer Program in Astrophysics

Pre-College Topics Summer Programs
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Hi - does anyone have a sense of how YSPA compares to other summer programs?

Thanks!

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I believe there are some similarities with SSP; YSPA was created by a former long-term SSP instructor, Dr. Michael Faison. The YSPA website has an interview with him, which gives a feel for the program: An Inside Look at the Yale Summer Program in Astrophysics | The Yale Summer Program in Astrophysics

Overall, my DS24 had an amazing experience. In his words, it was intense and fast-paced, with phenomenal instruction. He said that YSPA feels special in that there is only one cohort of students in a single location and there is a strong sense of bonding among the kids. My impression is that the experience of pushing oneself intellectually in a team of like-minded peers is pretty incredible. Although the work was challenging and the hours were long, the program makes time for social experiences, hiking, visiting NYC, dancing, many boba runs, and fun surprise activities. The website and the students’ blogs will give you a feel for these. The kids are also staying in touch, reconnecting at accepted students’ days, etc. Really couldn’t recommend it more highly.

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Thanks very much! Did you child choose YSPA over other programs, and do you think it helped with college outcomes?

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Yes, he declined another highly selective program to attend. I suspect the YSPA experience helped with college outcomes, as he and his friends from the program were very fortunate in their acceptances. It is, of course, impossible to disentangle how much of that success stemmed from the kids’ prior qualifications, the reputation of the program, how the experience helped shape their interests in a way that allowed them to present themselves authentically in essays, etc. Regardless of the college outcome, though, he would do YSPA again in a heartbeat.

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