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Top 5 Competitive Summer Programs

As we turn the calendar to 2024, it’s hard to believe it’s already time to plan for the summer. Colleges care about how you spend your free time: are you golfing and sunbathing at the beach, or are you cultivating your intellectual curiosity by delving more deeply into your areas of academic interest? The Common App has space for describing your summer activities, and some colleges, like Stanford and Georgetown, explicitly ask you to write supplemental essays about how you spent your summers.

When it comes to summer academic opportunities, not all pre-college programs are created equally. Most programs are not selective but can still be fruitful in helping students discover and pursue academic passions. Some programs, like the ones spotlighted below, are highly selective—requiring high grades and test scores, extensive application essays, and teacher recommendations—and can help students stand out in the competitive college admissions process.

TOP COMPETITIVE SUMMER PROGRAMS

Research Science Institute (RSI)

The highly selective Research Science Institute (RSI) offers a five-week, cost-free summer experience for 100 rising high school seniors on the MIT campus. The program includes a week of intensive STEM classes with professors, followed by a four-week research internship mentored by leading scientists. RSI provides access to MIT’s computing resources and hosts an evening lecture series with science and technology leaders. Participants engage in an immersive research cycle, delving into current literature, devising detailed research plans, and delivering conference-style presentations on their findings.

Summer Science Program (SSP)

The Summer Science Program provides a transformative 39-day experience for aspiring STEM researchers, fostering hands-on experimental science in a supportive community. Rising high school seniors (and exceptional rising juniors who meet the prerequisites) work in small teams with a faculty member engaging in real research projects and collecting and analyzing original data. The program offers six specialized tracks on different host campuses in Astrophysics (New Mexico State Univ., Univ. of Colorado Boulder, Univ. of North Carolina Chapel Hill), Biochemistry (Purdue Univ., Indiana Univ.), and Genomics (Indiana Univ.).

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Telluride Association Summer Seminar (TASS)

TASS is a free, six-week program for rising juniors and seniors offered on different college campuses each summer; 2024 locations include Cornell, University of Michigan, and University of Maryland. Though students from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply, TASS prioritizes applications from Black and indigenous students as well as students who have experienced economic hardship. TASS seminars “study how power and privilege shape social structures through courses in humanities and social sciences.” Students choose to apply to one of two seminars, either Critical Black Studies or Anti-Oppressive Studies.

Governor’s School

The National Conference of Governor’s Schools is a network of summer schools in 24 states for high-achieving students. Participants engage cost-free in advanced coursework and enrichment activities that foster intellectual growth and leadership skills. In California, the program emphasizes STEM disciplines, offering hands-on projects and research opportunities. New York’s Governor’s School focuses on the arts, nurturing creativity through workshops and performances. Meanwhile, Texas emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach, blending academic rigor with cultural and community engagement. Florida’s Governor School focuses on space science in partnership with the Florida Institute of Technology and NASA. Programs range in length from two weeks to six weeks, depending on the state.

Texas Tech Clark Scholars

The Clark Scholars Program is one of the few competitive summer opportunities that offer research mentorships in STEM and humanities areas alike, ranging from biochemistry to history, philosophy, and fine arts. In this seven-week research experience for rising seniors and rising college freshmen, students work 1:1 with faculty members in their field of interest in addition to attending weekly seminars and field trips. One of the most selective summer opportunities, Clark Scholars accepts only 12 students annually. Participants attend free of charge and receive a $750 stipend for their work.  

CURATE A HIGH IMPACT SUMMER

Need help navigating the summer scene? Join our private counseling program at Top Tier Admissions where we help students curate a high impact summer and support their applications to strategic opportunities like these.

Follow us on Instagram @toptieradmissions for more tips and the latest admissions news!

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The Top Tier Team’s Most Memorable College Essay Lines

A well-crafted, memorable college essay can be the difference between a deferral and an acceptance. These essays offer windows into an applicant’s aspirations, experiences, and unique perspectives. We know that crafting the college essay can be a daunting task so, to inspire your writing, we’re sharing some unforgettable lines from successful college essays over the years, written by our impressive Top Tier Admissions students. Compiled by our expert team of Senior Private Counselors and our Director of Application Boot Camp®, these lines showcase the art of storytelling and how to stand out in the fiercely competitive world of college admissions. So, grab your pen, your notepad, or simply your curiosity, as we share the essay lines that left a lasting impression.

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CRAFTING THE COLLEGE ESSAY: MOST MEMORABLE LINES

Michele:

I don’t know a dirt bike from a Ducati, but Danish motorcyclists who traverse the highways of Copenhagen in leather vests stamped with palm-shaped hamsas bring me joy.
Attending: Stanford University

Liz:

When the Waffle Queen of Norway needed help selling her “Slammin’ Salmon on a Stick,” I happily joined the #wafflelution. My Minnesota community values quirkiness and hard work, and my experience hand-crafting and serving savory waffles at the Minnesota State Fair brought together these complementary values. 
Attending: Cornell University

Maria

Pine pitch canker fungus had claimed another victim. My heart ached as I identified the characteristic speckles of brown emerging on yet another tree on my drive back to the plant nursery.
Attending: Brown University

Anita:

Dressed in an old tweed jacket with elbow patches, my best approximation of early 20th-century garb, I recounted to the crowd surrounding my gravesite how I met my fate head-on with a steam-powered locomotive. When I finished sharing my tale, the mayor shook my hand, commending me for reviving the story of someone who’d been lost to the history books. 
Attending: University of Notre Dame

Kristen:

A hypnotic collection of black polka dots shrinks into the swollen folds of a giant, dandelion yellow pumpkin. Yayoi Kusama’s original Kabochas mesmerize art enthusiasts; the 1,000-piece image scattered across my coffee table is just as captivating.   
Attending: Harvard University

Heidi:

I investigated the fallout of the Atlanta spa shooting upon Asian-Americans by spending the summer working alongside women whom many consider to be sex workers.
Attending: University of Chicago

Mimi:

My first love was a man from New Orleans with a heavy Cajun accent who could throw flaming playing cards and defeat evil villains.
Attending: Brown University

Eliza

I worked to capture the halting cough of a sob in an abrupt line break and to show the lethargy of a last visit in a slowly cascading final stanza. I explained how holding on to the memory of a voice is like trying to cup water with spread palms.
Attending: Yale University

Nellie

I used to think my biggest fear was sharks or snakes, but that day I learned it was actually middle schoolers.
Attending: Brown University

Tina

You probably would have heard about it if I had created a rocket by now, maybe from the CIA in the form of a cease and desist.
Attending: Duke University

Deanna

Middle school was the first time I learned that I was different. I had gone through elementary school feeling the same as my friends, united by our love of Taylor Swift, lacrosse, and mac and cheese.
Attending: Northwestern

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Why Our 4-Day Application Boot Camp® Sells Out Annually

In August, we wrapped our 15th year of Application Boot Camp®, and this month has been an exciting one as our students were prepared and have submitted their strong early applications.

We’ve been busily chatting with parents of juniors (ABC 2020, Aug. 5-8, 2020) and sophomores (ABC 2021, Aug. 4-7, 2021) this fall as well, since we open registration for Application Boot Camp two years in advance! We are honored to sell out Boot Camp every year and given that it’s application submission season, it’s a great time to tell you…

WHY (WE THINK!) OUR APPLICATION BOOT CAMP SELLS OUT ANNUALLY

Students and parents receive key advance guidance well before Boot Camp starts

We perform a strategic analysis of students’ academic and extracurricular portfolios AND write a personalized admissions report that offers a roadmap for the rest of their time in high school and their admissions process. We then have a detailed call with each student and his/her parents after they receive the report for an overview of the plan and to address ALL questions.

We work with students from all over the world, yet we personalize the ABC experience for every single registrant

Our students this year came from around the world including: Germany, Wyoming, Japan, California, and even our own backyard, Concord, Massachusetts (and that’s just the first five kids). We had students with interests in anthropology, digital humanities, mechanical engineering, Spanish literature, music theory and Greek and Roman mythology to name a few.

Our Senior Counselors are the absolute best at what they do

Application Boot Camp students have one-on-one access to some of the best and brightest in the fields of higher education and college admissions. Our staff includes (to name a few): a former Dean of Dartmouth admissions, former Dartmouth admissions officer, former Harvard admissions officer, a Fulbright winner, and grad school students at Harvard, UChicago, UVA, UPenn, UNC, UVA and Stanford.

We guide ABC students on multiple applications and a suite of essays, unlike most other competing programs (we were the first and we even have the term trademarked!)

We work with students on college essays, the Common App, the UCalifornia app, Canadian and UK college apps, the UT app, and supplements from well over 100 different colleges and universities.

You’ll wrap it up in just 4 days

We send our students off on the night of day four with their college applications and essays set, ready to dive into the ever-important senior year fall and focus on courses and extracurriculars, NOT applications or essays. Early and regular applications are DONE before September even starts.

We replicate the admissions read table/committee meetings

Each essay written at Application Boot Camp is read ‘admissions committee-style,’ which means our senior staff and inexhaustible senior counselors read ~1,000 drafts in 4 days and 3 nights.

It’s much more than just essays and applications

Collectively, we put in LONG hours plus our students put in an additional 2+ hours of homework per night. We advise on campus visits, interview coaching, recommendation letters, application strategy tips, the various rounds of admission, summer and fall testing, what to focus on in senior year fall term, and more.

We stay in contact with ABC students through senior year

We host an ABC virtual workshop every September and we maintain communication with ABC students and parents to ensure all questions are addressed and applications are buttoned up. Then, we get to spend December fielding happy admissions results calls and emails from you! All ABC students have access to our exclusive Application Boot Camp Membership Site through to their high school graduation –it houses key resources, TTA insider advice, college input, and more.

Families are so thrilled with the results of our Boot Camp that almost half of our students are siblings and referrals from former Application Boot Camp attendees – what an endorsement!

APPLICATION BOOT CAMP 2020 & 2021

If you are a sophomore or junior and would like additional information on Application Boot Camp, please let us know. We are the home of the ORIGINAL Application Boot Camp® and we can’t wait to work with you! Become part of our tribe and join us this August or next.

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Application Boot Camp® — Another Success

We recently wrapped our 14th year of Application Boot Camp®, and we miss our students already! We’ve been a touch busy in recent days as our Boot Camp was featured on the front page of The Boston Globe this week, so we are thrilled to be taking calls and registering new students into our August 7-10th, 2019 Boot Camp program, as we’re now about halfway full.

We sent our Application Boot Camp students off on the night of day four of our workshop with their college applications and essays set, ready to dive in to their senior year fall.

Application Boot Camp - College Admissions Success

Our students at Boot Camp this year really got to know our amazing team well.

Application Boot Camp Team

This year’s Boot Camp students engaged in personalized consulting with former Ivy League admissions officers, published authors, PhDs, MDs, and former university faculty, and the coaching they received set them up to close out a scholarly summer and position them for admissions success.

THEY COME FROM NEAR AND (USUALLY) FAR

Application Boot Camp - Map of International Students

Our 40 students this year came from around the world including: Kuwait, Missouri, California, and even our own backyard, Newton, Massachusetts (and that’s just the first four kids). We had students with interests in studying cryptocurrencies, digital humanities, mechanical engineering, Russian literature, music theory and Greek and Roman mythology, etc.

Our amazing Top Tier Admissions team worked with students on college essays, the Common App, the UCalifornia app, Canadian and UK college apps, the UT app, and supplements from over 100 different colleges and universities. Each essay written at Application Boot Camp is read ‘admissions committee-style,’ which means our senior staff and inexhaustible senior counselors read ~1,000 drafts in 4 days and 3 nights.

Collectively, we put in LONG hours plus our students put in an additional 2-3 hours of homework per night. We gave advice on campus visits and interview coaching, recommendation letter guidance, application strategy tips, input on the various rounds of admission, Common App tricks, and helped students pinpoint topic selections for essays.

Our students wrote and finalized essays for the many colleges they are applying to. We helped create their application strategy and applications and essays were completed not just for the rolling and early decision rounds, but early action, early decision II and regular rounds. That’s called maximizing your application strategy, and of course, as the Boston Globe article advocated, “Study, Study, Study.”

Application Boot Camp students

Here’s a note that one of our Boot Camp students emailed us this week now that she’s home and has her Common App done and flash drive with her applications/essays in hand:

I was able to do so much work and gain so much knowledge about the procedure of applying to college and I am so blessed to have had you as my best resources. I will definitely keep you posted when I start hearing from schools and thank you very much for all your help and feedback!”

APPLICATION BOOT CAMP 2019

Some of our students signed up for Application Boot Camp a year and a half in advance, which jives well with the fact that we are about halfway booked in our Application Boot Camp 2019 program next August. If you are a rising junior and would like additional information on Application Boot Camp for next summer, let us know. We are home of the ORIGINAL Application Boot Camp® and we can’t wait to work with you!

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Application Boot Camp® 2017 Highlights

boston college tour fenwayWe just finished our 14th year of Application Boot Camp®, and we miss our students already. Students joined us in Boston from as far away as Japan, Nigeria and Kenya and as nearby as Central Massachusetts. Many are still traveling home and others are taking our advice and touring the many wonderful New England college campuses.

APPLICATION BOOT CAMP 2017

Our amazing Top Tier Admissions team worked with students on college essays, the Common App, UCalifornia app, Canadian and UK college apps, the UT app, and supplements from over 100 different colleges and universities. Each essay written at Application Boot Camp is read ‘admissions committee style,’ which means our senior staff and inexhaustible senior counselors read over 1,000 drafts in 4 days.

application boot camp student 2017
One of our ABC 2017 students hard at work!

Collectively, we put in LONG hours plus our students put in an additional 1-3 hours of homework per night. Worth it? If you could have heard the happy voices when we wrapped up on Saturday afternoon you would know it was definitely worth the intensity. AND, their applications and essays are fully maximized and complete! Students devoted themselves to 4 days of hard work and left on day 4 with their final essays on a flashdrive and their online applications filled in and saved.

We gave advice on campus visits and interview coaching, recommendation letter guidance, application strategy tips, input on early, regular and rolling rounds of admission, Common App tricks, and helped students pinpoint topic selections for essays.

Some of our students signed up for Application Boot Camp over a year and a half in advance, which jives well with the fact that we are about halfway booked in our Application Boot Camp 2018 program next August. If you are a rising junior and would like additional information on Application Boot Camp for next summer, let us know ASAP to grab a seat. We had a wait list this year.

Our students wrote spectacular essays on: Russian history, robotic arms, positive psychology, linguistics, Latin American studies, feminist theory, the intersection between music composition and computer science, sustainability, and much more.

In the midst of Boot Camp, one of our students texted a photo of her essays to her friends back home and they were shocked that not only had she started her essays but she was well on her way to ensuring her applications and essays were complete well before senior year even began. Our students arrive to Application Boot Camp with puzzled and concerned faces. Our staff of PhDs, writers, teachers and former Ivy League admissions officers coax ideas out of them based on their unique backgrounds, experiences, summer plans and academic passions.

application boot camp team

Each Application Boot Camp session is demanding but we sell out annually for good reason –our attendees are transformed and become part of our community of “Boot Campers” as they call themselves. They are amazed at what they can accomplish in 4 days, especially when they leverage our proactive and streamlined approach to essay writing for maximum impact.

MOMENT OF TRUTH

Application Boot Camp is quick but each year when we examine first drafts from Day 1 alongside final copies from Day 4, it’s pretty astounding. Students can’t believe the transformation. Parents (and students) breathe a sigh of relief, flash-drives are full of stellar essays, and our students are ready to dive into senior year focused, driven and able to fully excel in their coursework –the last (yet extremely important) year of their high school careers.

We miss them all year but it’s such a treat as we hear back via iPhone videos, emails and calls letting us know where they got in and where they will be headed next year. The following August they are happily decorating their dorm rooms and we are working with the next crop of rising seniors.

Top Tier Futures: Early college prep, educational guidance & resources for grades 4-8

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