Pre-college summer classes/program for high-schoolers: worth the money?

[rnorwo1]

Hi!
My oldest son is in 10th grade, and he's in a talented art program at his school. They are starting to have recruiters from all of the country come and talk to them, and he's interested in attending a summer program at one of the universities or art schools. I was all for it, until I saw that most of them are around $5-6k for a 2-3 week class! Some offer a class credit, some don't. Some do offer scholarships, but I don't know the likelihood of getting one.

I was wondering if anyone has ever sent their kids to similar programs? Even if it wasn't in art, did you think that it was worth the money? I would want to make sure that he learns stuff that he isn't already working on, and I wonder if it will increase his chances of getting a scholarship at that particular school if he attends the summer institute.

Any opinions would be very appreciated!

 

[gottalovepluto]

Fwiw- I was a liberal arts major (no artistic talent at all!) & was being pushed to this sort of program geared toward politics, go learn in DC, get college credit, etc. Similar prices to what you're looking at and my parents told me we just couldn't afford it. I was bummed but it was what it was. And you know what? I truely believe it didn't make a whit of difference in my life. Would it have looked nice on a college transcript? Sure. But so do great test scores, community involvement & the ability to write a compelling admissions essay. Yes, I'm sure he'll need some art as well for an art school but it sounds like he is well on his way already to having a great art portfolio.

As to if it will increase his chances of getting a scholarship at a particular school I don't know if you'll ever get a clear answer but don't bet on it unless you have been clearly told otherwise. ($5-6K is a steep price for a chance at a scholarship.)

It better be a heck of good program as they're charging you full college prices. And DEFINITELY confirm he will be learning things he can't learn elsewhere. BTW, if some of them are offering credit you'll want to make sure it will transfer to schools he is interested in otherwise the credit is useless and should not be considered in your evaluations. I don't envy you this decision, good luck!

 

[QueenIsabella]

Well, it's been decades, but I participated in a couple similar programs when I was in HS. I was a future engineer, so I was invited to a bunch of engineering and science programs. I applied to 4, got in to all 4, went to 2. We were pretty poor, so I got a full scholarship to 1 (it was $200, back in 1980). The other one was cheaper ($45) and at the Naval Academy. These were for 1-week sessions, including room and board. My, costs have grown eh?

Anyway, I can't say that either of them did much for my resume. Also, I ended up not applying to either institution for college. However, they were beneficial in learning about college life generally, and those schools in particular. We had interesting classes and a few fun field trips. I had a lot of fun--it was a great taste of college, I was in with like-minded students, it helped me see the path I was on. No regrets at all.

All that said, I'd be lying if I said there aren't things to be aware of. At the Naval Academy, we were run ragged (scheduled from 6:30am-11pm or thereabouts). It was a very regimented program. The college one wasn't as jam-packed, but it was on a college campus, a little more loose on the rules, and some of the attendees did stuff like attend frat parties. We weren't supposed to, obviously, but there were opportunities for mischief (drinking, hook-ups) at both locations. As a parent, you really have to think about it like, "Would I want him on a college campus for a week, at his current age and maturity level".

All that said, it would also depend on if he liked the particular school, and was considering it for college. He could gain insights in the campus and the programs offered, without a big commitment. It's not a guarantee, but in most cases, if they'll accept you to their summer program, they consider you a good candidate for college acceptance. Even though the programs are pricey, if he gets a chance to sample Artistic U, he might really benefit.

 

[mjkacmom]

Yikes! Dd20 just took a 2 1/2 week college class for $5000 - in Greece, including room and board and excursions!

 

[kymom99]

I think it's a way for colleges to increase enrollment. I'm sure you all know the amount of mail high school kids get from colleges

 

[tink1970]

I can't speak for art, since we are much more left brained in our family. That said, my DD has been to the International Summer School of Scotland for 3 years and will be returning to St Andrews this summer for summer number 4. They have campuses now in Cambridge and Yale as well. This is definitely an expensive evolution (since until Brexit, the pound was SOOO strong, and still isn't a 1:1). That said, for an only child who has ADHD and some mild processing delays, this has been a wonderful experience for several reasons:

1) the school is truly international- her roommate year 1 was from Singapore, roommate year 2 was from Belgium, and roommate year 3 was from Italy.
2) living in the dorm and being responsible for eating and getting to class on time was a good "preview" for life in college. One instructor punished tardiness with having to sing and dance...my DD was never tardy!
3) learning new skill sets as above plus techniques learned in film, debate and golf instilled a sense of confidence in my DD I'd not seen before.
(4) no teenager drama for 3 weeks plus a summer trip to the UK for mom...I drop her off and her father picks her up...3 weeks of peace is kind of awesome)

So despite the expense, it was worth it to us! As a matter of fact, one of my acquaintance's daughters has attended the past 2 years base on our experience. Since the enrollment is no more that 10% from any country, our small Florida town is well represented

Again, just my experience with summer school. While she would love to attend the University of St Andrews (where Will and Kate attended) I don't know if she has a chance and don't believe attending has any advantage, per se, except for the lectures on How to Apply to University in the UK she has attended.

I know these are hard decisions, so good luck!

 

[seashell7290]

I did one for pre medical high schoolers and had a great experience! I did end up going to medical school but not everyone else in the group did. It's really tough to know exactly what you want to pursue as a college major in high school but if you absolutely believe your child's future is in the arts then maybe pursue it.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Hi!
My oldest son is in 10th grade, and he's in a talented art program at his school. They are starting to have recruiters from all of the country come and talk to them, and he's interested in attending a summer program at one of the universities or art schools. I was all for it, until I saw that most of them are around $5-6k for a 2-3 week class! Some offer a class credit, some don't. Some do offer scholarships, but I don't know the likelihood of getting one.

I was wondering if anyone has ever sent their kids to similar programs? Even if it wasn't in art, did you think that it was worth the money? I would want to make sure that he learns stuff that he isn't already working on, and I wonder if it will increase his chances of getting a scholarship at that particular school if he attends the summer institute.

Any opinions would be very appreciated!

If the cost of the camp won't affect you being able to pay for 4 years of school later - go for it. If it will, and you are doing it hoping for a later scholarship - don't. It won't make a difference. You are better off taking that $5-$6K and putting it in a 529.

 

[rnorwo1]

Thank you all so much for your thoughtful replies! Each of you have touched on something that is an important consideration. Financially, we would not have blinked at the cost a year and a half ago, but I just opened my own practice and it has taken all of our savings and we have a good bit of business debt. The practice is thriving now, but it is going to take a little while longer before our personal savings is built back up. So, my first instinct is to say no-way due to money alone, but, then again, I think later this year we will be back to where this amount won't seem so formidable. (Not that I would ever think this is a reasonable amount, but it won't hurt as much.)

I've read several articles from Forbes and similar sites, and they were all pretty clear that it does not necessarily increase chances of scholarships; however, if it does increase chances a bit, then it may be worth it. We do not have any in-state universities or art schools with decent programs, so we are looking at private art school or out of state university... so tuition will be a minimum of $30k-50k a year! So, when looking at it like that, then $5k would be a really good investment. Another student in his art program attended a summer program at a private art school, and they felt like it increased his scholarship offer that he received. Still, there's no guarantee, and I agree with you all that there are other things that we could do for free that would also increase his likelihood of offers. We will not be paying $50k a year for school, but I want to do whatever we can to help him not have a lot of student loans.

He is a shy kid, and I think it would be so helpful to get that small dose of college experience. He is also a very slow (perfectionist) painter, so it would be helpful to get another portfolio-worthy piece done during a summer program. I wonder if it would even light a fire under him to focus a bit more on portfolio building (which is why I want him to start one this summer, rather than waiting til next). He is absolutely sure about going to art school, he's just not sure about a university vs an art school (I want him to go to a university) or about his exact concentration; again, maybe doing this may help with some of that. But, I also feel like he will have plenty of time to decide that, even after he starts school.

So, I have been driving myself crazy with the back and forth reasoning! I'll keep thinking about it and will talk to his art teachers, but the admission deadlines are soon! Thanks again for all the advice!!

 

[rnorwo1]

Yikes! Dd20 just took a 2 1/2 week college class for $5000 - in Greece, including room and board and excursions!

I can't speak for art, since we are much more left brained in our family. That said, my DD has been to the International Summer School of Scotland for 3 years and will be returning to St Andrews this summer for summer number 4. They have campuses now in Cambridge and Yale as well. This is definitely an expensive evolution (since until Brexit, the pound was SOOO strong, and still isn't a 1:1). That said, for an only child who has ADHD and some mild processing delays, this has been a wonderful experience for several reasons:

I would LOVE for him to go somewhere internationally, but I would want us all to go, and that is definitely not in the budget right now!

 

[danygirl]

Here is thing. If your high school offers a lot of advanced placement classes and you take a reasonable number of ap - say 7 or more, then these programs won't do much for you other than offer enrichment. But...if your school only offers a few ap classes colleges will want to see you do more on your own. You could take online classes or go to community college to pick up a class or do one of these summer programs. I got this from a former admissions advisor at the highly ranked university where I work

 

[rnorwo1]

Here is thing. If your high school offers a lot of advanced placement classes and you take a reasonable number of ap - say 7 or more, then these programs won't do much for you other than offer enrichment. But...if your school only offers a few ap classes colleges will want to see you do more on your own. You could take online classes or go to community college to pick up a class or do one of these summer programs. I got this from a former admissions advisor at the highly ranked university where I work

Thanks! He is taking AP classes like English and History, but they don't offer them for art. He is in the "talented" art program, which you have to audition for and have an IEP for, but that's it.

 

[aprilgail]

My daughter did Summer at Brown last year and she had the time of her life- it was only 3 weeks- she got a 100% class scholarship all I paid was dorm and meals. She thought she wanted to go into cancer biology field so she took a class on cancer biology and really liked the class- but she also found out that it is not what she wants to do, which is good! In those three weeks there she made some wonderful friends, saw how it would be dorming and being on her own and really because more independent in those three weeks. When one girl was struggling with classwork the rest jumped in to all help and support each other, my daughter said she was so glad that she went. No they don't get credit for going nor will it help her get accepted into Brown but it was worth it.

 

[pklein09]

DD18 is in the Arts, and she took part in Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)'s Rising Star program last summer. It is specifically designed for students who finished their junior year. This was a 6 week program and the price tag was about $5,500, which included room and board and extra activities (day at Tybee Island or kayaking on the weekends). Yes, expensive. DH and I weren't interested in this program at all. They have other 1 week programs that are around $1200 (room and board included) which we thought were much more reasonable. We toured the campus the fall of her junior year and inquired about the summer programs when we were there. They sold us on the Rising Star program, and here's why:

• They actually take SCADs college programs and earn college credit. Because they are intro classes, the credits could transfer to another school. If the student decides to attend SCAD, they count towards the degree. She was able to add 2 pieces to her portfolio while there, and came away with a better understanding of what her "best work" was. Anyone who reviewed her portfolio asked, "Is this your best work?"
• They do offer scholarships, and it's NOT based on financial need. It's based on artistic merit. DD received a scholarship which covered about 20%. Some students were there on full or close to full scholarship.
• DD really liked SCAD and wanted to attend the school for college. We're from NJ, and this would be the first time DD was away from home for any length of time. Even though it was pricey, we decided that it was cheaper for her to do this program than pay a full semester's tuition as a freshman and have her decide that she hated it and wanted to come home.
• If the student does well in the Rising Star program, they take that application and roll it forward to their college application. DD got her acceptance to SCAD on September 9. It is her first, and pretty much only choice. We looked at other art schools, and DH and I like their approach to getting jobs after school. (Long explanation that I won't go into here.) We looked at Ringling and MICA, and took a cursory glance at Pratt, RISD, and Moore.
• Again, if they do well with Rising Star, they have the opportunity to take online classes with SCAD at half price. DD is currently taking her 2nd online class during her senior year. She will walk into her freshman year with 25 credits under her belt (out of 180 needed to graduate).

Let me know if you have any questions about this program. It was a great fit for DD, and a good fit for some of the friends she made while there.

 

[QueenIsabella]

That's wonderful how this worked out for the PP! It seems like money and time well-spent for pklein09's daughter.

One thing I wanted to mention is, generally, scholarships are need-based, versus merit, for summer programs. (Apparently, the arts are different from the sciences, or at least that one program is.) But, that could work in the OP's favor, if your last tax return reflects business start-up costs and a (temporarily) lower income stream.

 

[kymom99]

DD18 is in the Arts, and she took part in Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)'s Rising Star program last summer. It is specifically designed for students who finished their junior year. This was a 6 week program and the price tag was about $5,500, which included room and board and extra activities (day at Tybee Island or kayaking on the weekends). Yes, expensive. DH and I weren't interested in this program at all. They have other 1 week programs that are around $1200 (room and board included) which we thought were much more reasonable. We toured the campus the fall of her junior year and inquired about the summer programs when we were there. They sold us on the Rising Star program, and here's why:

• They actually take SCADs college programs and earn college credit. Because they are intro classes, the credits could transfer to another school. If the student decides to attend SCAD, they count towards the degree. She was able to add 2 pieces to her portfolio while there, and came away with a better understanding of what her "best work" was. Anyone who reviewed her portfolio asked, "Is this your best work?"
• They do offer scholarships, and it's NOT based on financial need. It's based on artistic merit. DD received a scholarship which covered about 20%. Some students were there on full or close to full scholarship.
• DD really liked SCAD and wanted to attend the school for college. We're from NJ, and this would be the first time DD was away from home for any length of time. Even though it was pricey, we decided that it was cheaper for her to do this program than pay a full semester's tuition as a freshman and have her decide that she hated it and wanted to come home.
• If the student does well in the Rising Star program, they take that application and roll it forward to their college application. DD got her acceptance to SCAD on September 9. It is her first, and pretty much only choice. We looked at other art schools, and DH and I like their approach to getting jobs after school. (Long explanation that I won't go into here.) We looked at Ringling and MICA, and took a cursory glance at Pratt, RISDI, and Moore.
• Again, if they do well with Rising Star, they have the opportunity to take online classes with SCAD at half price. DD is currently taking her 2nd online class during her senior year. She will walk into her freshman year with 25 credits under her belt (out of 180 needed to graduate).

Let me know if you have any questions about this program. It was a great fit for DD, and a good fit for some of the friends she made while there.

That sounds pretty cool! Sounds like a great opportunity. Plus mom and dad get to visit beautiful Savannah while she is there!

 

[rnorwo1]

DD18 is in the Arts, and she took part in Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)'s Rising Star program last summer. It is specifically designed for students who finished their junior year. This was a 6 week program and the price tag was about $5,500, which included room and board and extra activities (day at Tybee Island or kayaking on the weekends). Yes, expensive. DH and I weren't interested in this program at all. They have other 1 week programs that are around $1200 (room and board included) which we thought were much more reasonable. We toured the campus the fall of her junior year and inquired about the summer programs when we were there. They sold us on the Rising Star program, and here's why:

• They actually take SCADs college programs and earn college credit. Because they are intro classes, the credits could transfer to another school. If the student decides to attend SCAD, they count towards the degree. She was able to add 2 pieces to her portfolio while there, and came away with a better understanding of what her "best work" was. Anyone who reviewed her portfolio asked, "Is this your best work?"
• They do offer scholarships, and it's NOT based on financial need. It's based on artistic merit. DD received a scholarship which covered about 20%. Some students were there on full or close to full scholarship.
• DD really liked SCAD and wanted to attend the school for college. We're from NJ, and this would be the first time DD was away from home for any length of time. Even though it was pricey, we decided that it was cheaper for her to do this program than pay a full semester's tuition as a freshman and have her decide that she hated it and wanted to come home.
• If the student does well in the Rising Star program, they take that application and roll it forward to their college application. DD got her acceptance to SCAD on September 9. It is her first, and pretty much only choice. We looked at other art schools, and DH and I like their approach to getting jobs after school. (Long explanation that I won't go into here.) We looked at Ringling and MICA, and took a cursory glance at Pratt, RISDI, and Moore.
• Again, if they do well with Rising Star, they have the opportunity to take online classes with SCAD at half price. DD is currently taking her 2nd online class during her senior year. She will walk into her freshman year with 25 credits under her belt (out of 180 needed to graduate).

Let me know if you have any questions about this program. It was a great fit for DD, and a good fit for some of the friends she made while there.

SCAD was actually the school I was referring to in my second post! I was saying that an older student's mom told me he attended SCAD's Rising Star and they absolutely believed that it helped increase his offer. He got scholarship offers from 3 other schools, but this one was the highest and it was also his first choice. I don't think DS15 is eligible for it since he's only in the 10th grade now. I thought about doing it the following year and finding a 1 week program this year, but I'm having a hard time just finding a 1 week class. SCAD has them, but I'd rather him experience 2 different schools, rather than the same one twice. He is also interested in RISD and Washington Univ in St. Louis, but they have 3-6 week classes only. I also thought about just not doing one this year and applying for the Rising Star next year, but I'd rather him get more direction on his portfolio sooner.

Do you remember what other schools did have a one week program? I think that if we can find a shorter one, or get a scholarship for one, then we will definitely do it this summer just for the experience and guidance on portfolio work. I'll just keep reminding myself that he may not get anything else out of it, and that will be enough!

 

[pandamom]

My daughter did a 2 week summer residency program at SAIC (School of the Art Institute of Chicago) last year and it was well worth it. She received a partial merit scholarship based on her portfolio submission and that helped with the cost. It was a great learning experience and she met some good friends. She created some excellent pieces while there that she added to her portfolio and was able to earn 3 merit based art scholarships for college this year at NIU. She also received 2 hours of college credit hat she was able to transfer to NIU.

Being part of the program does increase chances of SAIC scholarships and also waves the application fee. DD's best friend talked her into going to a different college and she regrets it.

 

[pklein09]

The other college programs we looked at were all 4-5 weeks long, which is why SCAD's 1 week programs were appealing. I'm sorry, but I don't know of anything else.

 

[4shinystars]

2 friends of my DD went to RISD and SCAD, respectively, and neither did any summer programs. Both got generous merit aid.

Oldest DD got her BFA in Art and Design (minor Art History) at Alfred University in 2013. She absolutely loved it there, small university, it's one of the very few in NYS that offers glassblowing and glass sculpture (she concentrated in Neon and Glass and painting), and they are one of the top schools in the country for ceramics. She liked that it wasn't strictly an art school, and took many courses in other areas so that she had a wider education (and better job prospects) Best of all, tuition was less than half of RISD and SCAD, as the art and engineering schools at AU are part of the NYS college of ceramics. She also got the best financial aid package than anywhere else.