One of the perks of attending an academic summer program is for students to step out of the typical school world and have a special experience. These experiences can be almost a foreshadowing of what college life will be like, including getting to stay at university dorms, or meeting actual college students and getting to see university life firsthand. These experiences can be a huge part of a student’s decision for which university to go to and motivate them to push themselves in their junior and senior year.
Here are 4 Ways The Cultural Experience At Summer Programs Can Prepare Students For College:
1. Being at university campuses and staying in the dorms.
The most obvious way summer programs can be a big indicator of the future is the fact that students often get to go to programs at top college campuses, like Harvard, Georgetown, and UCLA. From attending class in real college classrooms and lecture halls to getting to eat in university dining halls, students get the full picture. And on top of that, students that choose to stay at the actual dorms that university students stay in get a truly valuable experience. One of our MUNI alumni, Elaine Miao, actually chose to go to UCLA after attending our Model UN Institute at UCLA and having that experience.
2. Meeting international students.
Programs that have a large participation of international students can mimic the feeling of going to university and meeting students from around the world. Those international friendships can open up a student’s eyes to the potential of meeting students that are different from them and show them a different side of the world. For some of our students, the international friendships they made can spark in them a love of travel and encourages them to seek out the places their international friends are from for study-abroad opportunities. On a typical year, the MUN Institute has students coming from China, the United Arab Emirates, and 20 other countries.
3. Interacting with college students
Our programs are staffed by actual university students. Those students can offer valuable real-life experience and thoughts on university life. Some of the questions our students ask are around which university to attend, or tips for applying to university and applying for scholarships. They also offer tips on college life like what to expect living in dorms for a full semester, or how to balance school and extracurricular activities like Model UN. One of our Program Directors, Erik Leiden, always shares how he applied for tens of thousands of scholarships to help fund his college tuition.
4. Learning to create lasting relationships from small interaction.
Finally, just like university, summer programs can be great opportunities to gain lifelong friends. The experience can be a short but fun-filled activity, and that leads to students connecting with their peers overshared experiences. Here’s what one of the parents from our Model UN Institute had to say about it. A parent of one of the MUN Institute students, Maria L., stated that, “the MUN Institute has a very diverse staff and participants as well, giving the opportunity for every kid to socialize with very special people and make friendships that’ll last a lifetime.”
Want to learn more about the MUN Institute and all the aspects of our programs that make our students and experiences stand out? Learn more!
