College Admissions Counseling Blog

Many colleges offer summer programs for high school students. These programs are typically viewed as enrichment programs for the high school students interested in a particular field or topic. A recent article from the Palo Alto High School journalism program points out another advantage to such programs; the ability to get the experience of living on a college campus before actually moving away from home.

There are some wonderful summer programs sponsored by the colleges and if that is an option I often encourage students to consider attending a program that meets their interests. However, attending such a program should only be done if the family can afford the program and if the student really wishes to attend the program. As the article points out, the simple experience of attending such a program does not necessarily mean that your ability to gain acceptance at that particular college will be enhanced. Some student do gain an advantage in the admissions process because by spending several weeks on a campus they begin to have a better feel for what that colleges values are. This may translate into better admission essays and thus enhance your likelihood of admission.

But the reality is that most students attending selective colleges have not had such an experience and yet were able to gain admission. If you are not able to attend such a program at one of the colleges in which you have an interest, you simply need to make sure that you understand that college's culture by other means such as talking to current students or faculty in departments of interest.