Summer programs for high school kids...

[Jason Svoboda]

Just curious as to what other parents may have sent kids to do for summer programs for children in high school. Tanner, that posts here, will be heading into 9th grade after next summer and I'd like to get him into a week long residential camp somewhere.

I don't believe he can do State's Summer Honors program until AFTER his 9th grade year so does anyone have any other suggestions or ideas? Trying to do my due dilligence so I get something planned for next summer. Been trying to get him on as many college campuses as humanly possible so he can make an informed decision on where he wants to attend.

 

[Jason Svoboda]

Bumping this back up. Any of our students on here been to the Indiana State Summer Honors program? What seminar did you take and would you recommend it?

Tanner went to IU last Summer and had a great time. Most of the seminars are $350+ and it looks like they did away with the $100 child of an alum scholarship so I want to make sure the program is worthwhile for the cost. He ended up getting a full scholarship to the IU program last Summer.

 

[Sackalot]

I suggest you send him to Summer Honors at ISU. I would have to check but I think he can go as a sophomore?? It is a great program, I went and LOVED IT!!

 

[Jason Svoboda]

I suggest you send him to Summer Honors at ISU. I would have to check but I think he can go as a sophomore?? It is a great program, I went and LOVED IT!!

Yeah, he'll likely go. Just a little annoyed he can get a full scholarship at Indiana but can't even get the child of an alum scholarship at State. It's only $100, but I always thought it was a good gesture.

 

[Sackalot]

they don't have that anymore?

 

[Jason Svoboda]

they don't have that anymore?

It's not on the 2011 Summer Honors webpage as it has been in the past. I've emailed the contact on this year's page to inquire if it is still available. We'll see what they come back with.

I don't know if I mentioned it to you, but he just took his PSATs and was in the 99th percentile... just blew them out of the water. He is really only looking at Indiana and Indiana State because I've been preaching to him for a couple years now about getting the cheapest undergrad experience possible so he can use debt for his graduate degree. I'd imagine between scholarships he will likely receive, both places will end up paying him to go there, so to speak.

 

[4Q_iu]

It's not on the 2011 Summer Honors webpage as it has been in the past. I've emailed the contact on this year's page to inquire if it is still available. We'll see what they come back with.

I don't know if I mentioned it to you, but he just took his PSATs and was in the 99th percentile... just blew them out of the water. He is really only looking at Indiana and Indiana State because I've been preaching to him for a couple years now about getting the cheapest undergrad experience possible so he can use debt for his graduate degree. I'd imagine between scholarships he will likely receive, both places will end up paying him to go there, so to speak.

If you TRULY loved your child -- you wouldn't subject them to gloomington! :bigsmile:

State needs to do more, FAR MORE, to recruit, retain, 2nd, 3rd, etc MULTI-generational Sycamores!

 

[Eleven]

My daughter did the Summer Honors at ISU last year and loved it.
There are MANY benefits to the program, including college credit and a one-time scholarship that MORE than pays for the cost of the program.

 

[Sackalot]

I would check with Chris too. I thought there was a few scholies for summer honors outside the "traditional" scholarship. I went to Summer Honors on an American Legion Scholarship and didn't pay a dime. There are scholarships out there.

Either way, Summer Honors is an amazing experience. And from a recruitment standpoint, I was in a session with 22 students...every single one of them went on to go to ISU. ALL of them.

 

[Eleven]

Contact: [email protected] for any information that you need..

 

[Jason Svoboda]

If you TRULY loved your child -- you wouldn't subject them to gloomington! :bigsmile:

State needs to do more, FAR MORE, to recruit, retain, 2nd, 3rd, etc MULTI-generational Sycamores!

It's HIS choice. As much as I want him to be a Sycamore and Kappa Alpha legacy, I won't fault him for going where he is comfortable.

 

[Jason Svoboda]

Contact: [email protected] for any information that you need..

Yep, that's who I emailed this morning. Will post what I find out in case any others are in the same boat.

 

[Sycamore Proud]

I have had students who participated in the Honors program. The all came back with good things to say about the program and ISU. I don't remember hearing one negative remark.

 

[Sackalot]

it is just a great program...unfortunately it has "shrunk" in comparison to what it once was, but it is still great! And "improving" I am told. Great recruitment tool

 

[Eleven]

it is just a great program...unfortunately it has "shrunk" in comparison to what it once was, but it is still great! And "improving" I am told. Great recruitment tool

It IS improving. Nate is doing good things with it. He needs continued support, but he's doing a good job.

 

[Sackalot]

Problem that I have is the fact that it was moved from Continuing Education to Admissions. Not the proper place for it when it was moved...not sure exactly where it is now...but it is probably somewhere under the enrollment managment umbrella I would assume.

 

[Eleven]

It is under enrollment management.. Just from an outside observer with my daughter, there seemed to be quite a bit of cooperation between the academic units and the Summer Honors administration portion. I thought it was well done. Would have liked a little more time for the final demonstrations that were required for the grade... but overall, it was worth it for them to be a little more prepared as to what dorm life is about.

 

[4Q_iu]

It's HIS choice...

THAT'S the kind of thinking that hurts State!!

JK

While I know some parents let the kid make the decisions (right way) -- I know SO many who shove kids to where the parent wants them to attend...

I'd say there an easy way -- just requires subtlety and patience on the part of the parent!

 

[Sackalot]

It is under enrollment management.. Just from an outside observer with my daughter, there seemed to be quite a bit of cooperation between the academic units and the Summer Honors administration portion. I thought it was well done. Would have liked a little more time for the final demonstrations that were required for the grade... but overall, it was worth it for them to be a little more prepared as to what dorm life is about.

This is just my perspective, but when continuing ed handled it. it was purely an academic process with academic minded administrators organizing, planning, implementing, etc. Faculty were on board wholeheartedly and they actually came to continuing education with ideas, suggestions and a desire to make it better. I have heard from former faculty that used to teach in the Summer Honors program about the "lack of support" for it. When it was in its hayday, they would have Hines and Jones completely full for 2 full 2 week sessions. Now there is only one session and last I looked (last year) it was only about 1/2 of what was offered just 10 years ago in terms of the program options. It makes sense for enrollment managment to handle the "enrollment" of it, and even the promotion of it, but not to organize it, not to get faculty on board, not to make the effort to create and update programs within summer honors. I just think that when you look at what it was and you look at what it has become it is just disappointing in terms of what it used to bring to ISU and to high school students within the state and those 3 counties in Illinois that get in-state tuition costs.

That is not to say that isn't improving, that it will continue to get better and that currently the director is not attempting to create those relationships and get the support, but for about 7-8 years there it wasn't getting even the focus of an administrator at all but an admissions counselor that had no desire or interest in actually doing it, nor was that counselor paid any extra to do it..there for awhile.

Ok I will sum that all up...As an "alumnus" of Summer Honors I think it is a great program. I think that in the past decade especially when Benjarmin was president it was cast aside and little if any effort was put into it. I think that now it is starting to get the focus and support it deserves and I look to see good things come out of it. I do however, feel that enrollment managment is not the place for it. I should in either continuing education, college challenge possibly (dual enrolllment for high school students).

 

[Jason Svoboda]

THAT'S the kind of thinking that hurts State!!

JK

While I know some parents let the kid make the decisions (right way) -- I know SO many who shove kids to where the parent wants them to attend...

I'd say there an easy way -- just requires subtlety and patience on the part of the parent!

Trust me, between my Sycamore fandom and Kappa Alpha alumni events plus his mother's Indiana State alumni connections, he get tons of "subtle" advertising for Indiana State. If he decides to come to State, he's going to be a pro before he sets foot on campus. Hell, I'd imagine he's been to more Sycamore sporting events then most students on campus in the last 12 months.

That said, it will be the dorms and campus features that will sway him. When he went to IU this last Summer, he stayed at Forest Quad and that place was an absolute shithole. I hope they put the Summer Honors kids up some place nice because as a parent, I was shocked IU put kids in there. The rooms had a musty smell, looked like they hadn't been touched since the 70s and just gave IU a bad image and he felt the same way.