Admissions Essays
Blog  |  About Us  |  Help Center  |  
Admission Essay & Personal Statement Development Services
Admissions Essays Blog
Through our very own editors and guest writers, this blog will discuss the INSIDE scoop on the admissions process of various schools and programs. If you wish to ask a specific question, please write to us, and we will make every attempt to address your questions in our future blog discussions.
Monday, June 13, 2016
Are High-Priced Summer Programs Worth the Cost
With college admissions mania reaching almost folkloric status, it's not surprising that the universities themselves are forever in search of new opportunities to woo new students. And let's be honest-they aren't shy about making money in the process.

Elite colleges across the country offer a cornucopia of "pre-college" courses to students during the summers before college. These classes span a wide range of subjects and formats. Some are weeklong day classes, while others are packaged into six-week sessions, during which high school students live and study on campus.

In theory, the opportunity to test the college waters before diving in is great. Do you really want to be a lawyer or a doctor? Take one of these courses and find out. For the colleges, it's a boon. Top institutions charge thousands of dollars for these packages, and anxious college-hopefuls (or their parents) are happy to pay.

Some universities offer scholarships, but the pre-college concept smacks of privilege, and feeds the hysteria surrounding the competitiveness of college admissions. Many college admissions officers are quick to admit that the courses don't necessarily improve a student's chance of getting in.

Still, the demand is there, and it isn't hard to convince students that adding a whiff of pedigree to order ambien their resume will give them an edge. Like carrying a designer handbag, being able to say you attended a summer program at Yale just smacks of importance.

So whether or not bloggers like me, or more influential folks like admissions deans-sing the praises of these pre-college campus romps, it's clear there's a market for them. Whether the cost-benefit analysis weighs in a student's favor is entirely another matter.

Labels:

posted by at

Previous Posts
Archives
Admission Essay  |  Personal Statement  |  Letter of Recommendation  |  Scholarship Essay
© Admissions Essays, Inc. 2013. All Rights Reserved. Terms & Conditions  |  Privacy Policy  |  Site Map