Will attending the Yale Summer Program help my chances to get into Yale? I’m trying to decide whether its worth going there or Columbia if Yale is my number one but my plans line up more with the program at Columbia.
No, not more than attending one at Columbia or any other useful pursuit.
No it won’t. It will go on your application like any other enrichment program you participated in during your high school years. So, do it because you want to, not for any perceived advantage.
Even better than attending either program, spend the summer volunteering. It will likely be more fulfilling (and more impressive on your application, although that should not be the primary reason for doing it), as well as more affordable, than a pay-to-play summer program. Now is a good time to start participating in a community service organization that you value and then continue with it for the summer.
I disagree. Community service is not a requirement for top colleges the way it was 10-15 years ago yet people still think it’s a major piece of the puzzle. Only do it if it is something you are truly interested in. Otherwise, academic pursuits are fine even if they are pay to play. Almost all of these programs have some financial aid available and AOs don’t know if you attended with aid or not.
A junior interested in physical science/math/engineering might consider the Yale Summer Program in Astrophysics (http://yspa.yale.edu/).
All are great programs. But the question was whether it would influence Yale for admissions if I am correct. Our response to that was NO. Many of these programs are not run by Yale. They may be great enrichment programs, but are just a part of the bigger picture for admissions. Thy Yale name on the program will not be a deciding factor.
@Ynotgo @Tperry1982 YSPA is a program run by the Yale Astronomy Department. It’s a selective summer research program similar to RSI or SSP. Getting into YSPA has no direct affect on getting admitted to Yale as an undergrad, but it’s a good chance to check out the Yale campus and science programs, which may inform your decision to apply to Yale and what you put on your application.
^^What you say is true. But being a Yale sponsored program does not do any more to give the applicant a boost. Having been on this site forever, I just want to give applicants and parents a realistic view. I was at that decision point at one time with my own child - trying to decide whether or not going to a “named” summer program would help in admissions down the road. She did end up going to Brown for a summer program. Had little, if anything, to do with her final decision to apply or not. Going for a summer program only lets you see the physical layout of the school. Most students are not there, and those that do stay for summer school are so intent on cramming a semester’s worth of work in a few weeks that they have little time for much else (I know, my D did a whole semester’s worth of German in 4 weeks after freshman year). These programs are not cheap and I wholeheartedly think that if the Ivy is your goal, then these programs have no added value. However, if you are applying somewhere else, the Ivy name on a summer program may carry a little punch. Again, just my opinion from my long, long association with Yale.