Nylf programs

We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. The National Youth Leadership Forum markets itself as a competitive program that only invites and accepts top-notch students. Their goal is to maximize profits, so they want as many students to enroll in their programs as possible.

In , Envision hosted Presidential Youth Inaugural Conferences that claimed to offer students the opportunity to attend exclusive events in Washington D. Over 15, students paid to attend this event, and many were surprised at the number of participants and felt that Envision wasn't prepared to handle such a large number of students.

Many also felt that Envision didn't provide access to all the events they promised students would be able to attend. In fact, there is no longer any GPA, leadership or academic achievement requirement needed to attend. Any current high school student who can afford the program fee can attend an NYLF program, making it not competitive or prestigious at all. Participating in NYLF is not as prestigious as they want you to think it is. So how useful is NYLF? The short answer is that it depends on why you're interested in attending.

Some people find NYLF programs fun and useful while others see them as expensive resume padding. There are good reasons for participating in the NYLF and reasons that are not as strong. Think carefully about why you are interested in attending and read on to help make your decision. An NYLF program can be a good way to learn about a specific career and gain hands-on experience in it.

Attending an NYLF program also gives you an opportunity to meet other students who are interested in the same career field. Sometimes these connections can become lasting friendships. Also, if you are curious or a bit apprehensive about college and want to experience things like living in a dorm and eating in a dining hall, you can do this at an NYLF program.

If you are able to afford an NYLF program and one or more of the above reasons interest you, then you may want to consider looking more seriously into enrolling. However, be aware that NYLF programs are not the only way to achieve any of the above goals. If you are unable to attend an NYLF program, there are numerous other ways to have similar experiences. Students who want to learn more about a specific career can do an internship or job shadow, those who want to meet students with similar interests can join a club or volunteer, and those who want to experience college can visit a school they are interested in.

Many colleges offer overnight stays in the dorms to students who are thinking about attending that school. While there are certainly strong reasons to participate in an NYLF program, there are also reasons that you should not use to justify attending. I've discussed several of these weak reasons below, and, for each reason, I've given an alternative solution that you may want to consider instead of an NYLF program. The truth is that having an NYLF program on your resume or college application is not any more impressive than other extracurricular activities, such as participating in the school tennis team or math club.

In fact, it may even appear less impressive because you had to pay to participate and weren't accepted based on any skills or knowledge you had. Colleges don't need to see that you participated in the NYLF in order to decide whether you are smart or a potential leader; they can discern those things just by looking at your grades and extracurricular activities. This is especially true since there are no requirements to participate in NYLF other than being a high school student and being able to afford the program fee.

Alternative Idea: Gain expertise and leadership experience through your extracurriculars. If you are looking to increase your chances of getting into college by having strong extracurriculars, choose activities that relate to your interests and allow you to obtain leadership positions. Sticking with an extracurricular, no matter what it is, and acquiring more responsibility is more impressive than a short-term NYLF program because it gives schools a better idea of your interests and abilities.

If you need help deciding on what activities to do, we have a list of hundreds of extracurriculars for you to browse! While NYLF programs can teach you more about a particular career and give you the opportunity to hear lectures and participate in hands-on activities that relate to it, the programs are simply too short to provide thorough knowledge of a certain career. Alternative Idea: If you are really looking for a way get comprehensive knowledge on a career, consider doing an internship.

Internships are generally several weeks to several months long, and doing one will give you much more time to learn what a particular job is really like day-to-day. The web page for each NYLF program contains a list of prestigious guest speakers who have given lectures to previous program participants. While these guest lecturers are often leaders in their field and very knowledgeable, you shouldn't sign up for an NYLF program thinking it will give you the opportunity to network with them and potentially get an internship or job.

Most of the guest lecturers simply give their presentation and answer questions afterward, with pretty much no opportunity for students to speak with them one-on-one.

Alternative Idea: If you are interested in getting to know professionals in a certain career field personally, consider an internship or job shadow. Both of these options offer more opportunities for getting to know current workers, and by working directly with them or observing them, you will be more memorable than if you were simply sitting in the audience.

This will make those professionals more likely to remember you in the future and possibly recommend you for future jobs. While it is possible to earn college credit during an NYLF program, this should not be a primary reason for you to enroll. Most college classes are three credits, so receiving credit for the equivalent of less than one class will not help you graduate college any sooner or give you much of a head start. Additionally, many colleges do not accept these credits because they didn't take place in a classroom environment and were earned over a short period of time.

Alternative Idea: Take classes at your local community college or a nearby university. If you are interested in earning college credit, you can often earn more credits for much less money by passing AP or IB exams which many colleges accept as college credit or by taking classes at a community college.

In short, the National Student Leadership Forum can provide useful and interesting opportunities for high school students, but it is not better or more impressive than other extracurriculars. While NYLF programs can give participants the opportunity to learn more about certain careers, meet new and interesting people, and experience collegiate life, there are multiple other ways for students to achieve each of these experiences, such as by joining a school club or doing an internship.

NYLF programs cost several thousand dollars and this high price tag, along with the fact that the programs last only a few days, should deter people who are interested in gaining in-depth knowledge or developing close relationships. Although NYLF claims to be prestigious and competitive, any high school student can enroll in one of its programs , and colleges do not find participating in it to be any more impressive than a normal summer camp or extracurricular.

First, I agree. You can find other excellent opportunities that cost less. See if any of the colleges or universities in your area are offering summer programs for kids. Look into opportunities through community groups or area religious groups.

So we have found great alternatives at a fraction of the price. The program is overpriced and why go into the medical field when Obamacare is destroying the medical field. You can start listening at to hear me and my co-host, Gretchen Wegner, discuss the NYLF programs and the benefits and drawbacks. I think you would be ready, but I agree about the cost. Look around and see what other medical or science programs are offered this summer. You might find something close to you that costs a fraction of the price.

We discussed a question very similar to this on The College Prep Podcast this week. You should listen starts at minutes in. From how it looks, my mother was and possibly is still concerned that this is a scam. But there are other options for you as well. You might want to listen to episode 27 of The College Prep Podcast.

Just this week we answered a listener questions about these camps. I got one for medicine, but I want to be an ICU nurse, not a doctor. Go ahead and listen to our discussion of this on The College Prep Podcast. No single activity will impact admissions; colleges are looking at the big picture. Any summer program should be part of an overall pattern of activity.

Can you start to volunteer at a local hospital? Can you get a job or intern in a medical position this summer? You might also find more camp programs that are directed towards nursing and fit your budget. Give it a try. Do some additional research into options then you may feel more confident making a decision. NYLF programs are good, but they are not your only opportunity. What is the difference between the medicine program and the advanced medicine and health care program? One of my friends received a letter for medicine and I received one for advanced medicine and health care… So I was just wondering is the advanced based on accademic performance and more competitive than the medicine program offered?

I have been very interested in pursuing a career in medicine for the last couple years. The experience as a whole looks very appealing and I would love the opportunity to go learn and meet new people who share a common interest.

Still not sure though if this would be a good trip for me. Is it worth the price and what kind of benefits may I get? You probably knew that from my article and the responses to comments here.

Worth the price? My 5th Grade son received the invitation in the mail a couple of weeks ago. One of the pages urged us to call within 48 hours to confirm receipt of the invite so we would not lose our spot should we decide to enroll…. They talk about programs like Crime Scene Investigation, programming a robot and something medical related. My wife and I are unsure if we should try to come up with the money to send him.

Will he really benefit by going to this program? I agree; that does sound strange. There will be plenty of opportunities down the road. Try searching for summer programs for students at some of the state universities in your area. Thanks Megan! At 11 years old he is not defining his career path, I could see this more beneficial for H.

My package actually says to call within 24 hours. My son is 12 and in the seventh grade. Really hesitant about the whole thing. The packet just seems over the top! I agree. We received one for my 9th grade daughter. You can tell they are spending a lot of money on marketing. We just got one today and were quite elated that he was chosen by his teacher to represent his school. My son unfortunately has been receiving their brochures every year.

I hope that stops before he is Right now he is So what everyone here agreed on is that if the program cost less, it would be an awesome experience for students.

But since it is too expensive, it is not. My most important question is …which program would have the most impact, the most impression on my student if they want to continue to pursue or not their career path? You identified the key question — which program will have the greatest impact? It depends. It depends on each student and his or her own experience. Sometimes it depends on outside factors such as the personality of the people leading the program or the opinions of peers.

All of these programs are equally credible. All have the potential to provide amazing experiences or terrible ones depending on the student and the circumstances. NYLF spends more on marketing and promotion than most of the university-based programs which is why you hear more about it. I want families to know they have options. Look closely at the scheduled activities at each camp.

Often kids get greater value out of hands on activities than out of lectures with big-name experts. Think about how your own child prefers to experience things. Is he or she the one to jump into new experiences and ask questions even in a large group? Try to find the program that offers the best balance of activities for your child. And do it within your budget! Hi Megan! I am assuming at least half of my grade got one but just want to be sure.

I also do not understand how people are nominated.. I would love to go into Engineering and participate in an Engineering Program at my school and do advertising for it so was I possibly nominated for that reason?

You are probably right— a lot of your peers got letters. My guess is that some nomination may be made by school officials, but a majority of letters are sent from mailings lists NYLF acquires. They never release your exact score. Colleges and summer programs can get a list of all students with above average math scores or top scores overall.

I think a lot of letters are sent from these lists. So, yes, the letters are more marketing than exclusive honor. But the programs are legitimate and good. You decide if it is the right program for you after comparing it to other opportunities. If this program is legit, how did my step-grandson, a 4th grader, get nominated to a program this summer and does not attend the school nor has the teacher listed in the correspondence informing him of the nomination???????

How much can it cost and how did they get my name? Im not sure if these are being read or not, but i believe the most tempting part of NYLF is the fact of the leadership aspect.

Im going to be a sophmore in high school and my parents really want me to do this program. Im already doing many medical related volunteer work and im not so sure if its completely worth it now.

Im not sure how there policy for refunding or compensation workw either. I think if you are looking to expand your leadership skills, you would be better off doing something at your school or in your community. Doing and leading though the volunteer work you have already begun will be more impactful. This program was definitely NOT worth the price and in fact we found the materials describing the forum bordering on false advertising.

It took place at a small annex and the students never even visited the Berkeley campus, something my son was looking forward to. The students were promised hands on experience with the technology…not so. A session on electrical engineering had one circuit board for the entire class, most students never even touched it.

The entire experience was a huge disappointment for us, and my son tells me that was the prevailing sentiment among most of the kids he spoke with. Thanks for the warning! I recently went to the prpgram in San Francisco. It was the best week of my life. I met many new friends who I plan on keeping contact with for many years to come. We stayed on a campus at Berkeley. We visited the Berkeley main campus. We went to Stanford. We went to Pier 39 in San Francisco.

There were 5 guest speakers ranging from professors at Berkeley to executives at big companies, such as google. There was a lecture on applying to college which I found incredibly helpful. All activities were hands on: We built a robot, programed a helicopter and flew it with a computer, worked with 3-D modeling and 3-D printers. We also built a replica zipline.

Besides the fact that there were so many activities the friends I made was what truly made the experience, as all the kids I met there came from diverse backgrounds and were all very talented.

All in all it was one of the greatest weeks of my life. Btw I am a tenth grade student at an academy. This is why I have a difficult time advising families on the NYLF programs— some students have an amazing experience while others find it a waste of time. I got nominated and my mom thinks it too much just for one child. I mean I really wanna go but my mother thinks otherwise.

Maybe you participated in something else that indicated you might be interested in their pre-law program. My 11 year old got his letter this week. Do you think it is worth the investment for an 11 yr old to go to a program like this? Do they do a background check on the people who will be taking care of them while they are at the residence halls?

I cannot speak for the background checks from NYLF or any other organization. Check with any program to find out who will be working, their background, and how much unsupervised freedom the kids will have.

I know every student is different, but 11 is still young. You and your son can wait a few years and still have plenty of opportunities. Last summer my daughter had finished 8th grade and was getting ready to enter high school. She spent one week in Wyoming for Girl Scout camp and two weeks away at debate camp. She had a great time, but not every 14 year old is ready to be away in that type of environment. You are the best judge of what is appropriate for your daughter.

My son received the letter as well and on the letter it says my sons teacher with her name on it was the one who referred him. When I thanked him for the recommendation, he said she deserved it, but he apologized about the cost. He did not realize how much it was. How nice of them to solicit nominations, but not mention the cost. We will be looking for less expensive, more local opportunities. I am a special education teacher at a high school. My son got one of these packets in the mail and I was super proud of him.

I had already started planning in my head how to pay for it, but I did some research and determined it was a lot of false advertising. Then a couple of days later one of my students pulled out a packet and showed it to me.

This student is in self-contained special education classes. We later determined that she might have accidentally bubbled in science as an interest on the required PSATs. She is a wonderful student who can do wonderful things, but this proved without a doubt in my head the nominations are pure bunk. Which in my mind makes it a scam. There are so many other wonderful summer programs out there.

My son also got invitation for this program. As I understood it does not worth that money. Do you know any other programs? Can you advise something? Thank you so much. To enrich their lives with what is important to them. A parent wants to help their child with their future career. Not necessarily about feeling or being special. More so feeding on people who want the best for their child.

Even my child said it is too expensive. Yes, these programs are costly. You can find many other enriching programs at a fraction of the cost. The NYLF programs are not bad, but they are financially out of reach for many.

Very true, Diana. I just talk to too many families each year who were dazzled by the important sounding name. My 9 year old received the packet for the Chicago based one also.

It did come with a local list of children who attended last summer. Maybe a good start for most people would be to get in contact with families on this list and ask them personally about their experience.

I also had to confirm receipt of getting the letter within 24 hours but did not have to make any decisions at that time.

My 3rd grader got this in the mail today. I was so excited and proud of her but the cost seems outrageous. Not to mention we live near Springfield Missouri and this is in Chicago, il. As much as she want to go and I think it would be a great experience for her. Any one have thoughts?

I have a third grader. There will be many more opportunities in the future. The other ones have already been decided against, and now my family is trying to determine if we should put any value in this one.

Is there any worth of going? Will it provide me with any type of competitive edge for college or a career in medicine in the future? I hope to hear back.. Is there worth? Yes, but there are so many worthwhile programs out there— many that cost much less. You would be more cooperative if you took challenging science classes at school and earned good grades.

You might seek out opportunities in your area to become more involved in the field— volunteering, speaking with people in your future career path and seeking their advice. Thank you for the great information on this topic.

I can see that the questions asked by some of the other parents to comment here are exactly the same ones my husband and I asked ourselves when our son, a high school sophomore, got an invitation for the NYLF Security seminar. Perhaps it will help some of your other readers. A lot of intelligence and security work is grind work, plowing through reams of information in order to establish patterns. Not only that, but the Security and Intelligence field is a mighty big umbrella, covering everything from cyber security to data analyzing to being the guy that ensures all the old classified documents get appropriately disposed of.

How can we provide that information to a young person that might be interested in entering the field someday? I showed it to my father: he personally knew two of the three keynote speakers listed. I should add that we live within driving distance of Washington, D. Your advice about researching cheaper options is spot on. In the end, I would never have spent this kind of money if my son were younger. I know that my son has been interested in the security and intelligence field for pretty much his whole life, and I know that he now has the mental maturity to ask pertinent questions, and to network not only with his peers, but with the adults at the seminar.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree that the national security program is unique and not something as easily replicated by students in their home towns. I hope he has a great time. Thank you for sharing! My 4th grade son received one of these for Chicago. I can say I was extremely excited for him and his recognition…. Why so young and why a week in a big city by himself…. I think after reading all of these comments and the original article I will shop around for something closer to home he can participate in.

Can you please let us know what your son thought of this? My situation is very similar. It sounds like a great experience. Let us know if in the end it was worth it.

Thank you! I also have a son who is a high school sophomore who is very interested in attending this forum. Hello Melissa Sullivan, My son has also received this opportunity. I was just wondering what your son and family felt about the program after your son attended? Sincerely, Amy Minzola. What are some other programs besides this that cost less? I would like some other less costly options for my son!

I am really interested in attending the summer program, however, it is too expensive! I know for a fact that my parents cannot afford it. I want to if that program offers grants or scholarship of some kind to maybe students who do not have the benefit like others. Thank you for the help. Is that only for the medical program? Says in the future. We were also thrilled that she had gotten acknowledged for Engineering and Technology.

Her Fields But I did some investigating and found both sources to not be worth the paper they are printed on. You are completely right. There is no need to invest money in these expensive programs as these when there are so many programs closer to home with excellent educational, leadership, and technology skills.

It is best to do your homework to make sure the student will get the credit and education out of any program you invest.

There future depends on it. Shame on NYLF for taking advantage of parents of students who only wish to have the best education for their children. I recently received an invite to this and the NSLC conference. They are both for advanced medicine, as opposed to regular medicine. There are obvious differences in the programs, and I would not even consider the regular. I know that the organizations obtained my name from college board, and my teachers.

I understand the cost, and my family is prepared to shell out the cash. The two programs cost roughly the same, and after reading some of these comments, it seems to me that the NYLF program is what you make of it. I have several friends applying, and we are all trying to get in the same week. I know they both offer scholarship opportunities for academic proficiency.

However, regionally, I am in an area with no good places to have a hands on experience like this. I am not interested in gaining prestige, just experience and a fun week filled with learning. For advanced medicine, there is college credit from george mason university — can that credit be transferred to another college? I would be participating in this program as a junior in high school.

I am curious though, do you know anything about the NSLC one? I received a letter for medicine in the mail today. My parents seemed really thrilled about it, but my concern is how expensive it is. Is there any other programs that will have a better price than the NYLF? I would try looking for a hospital where you can volunteer or get an internship. I am a junior and i received the same thing for advanced medicine. I told my mother i did not want to do it because of the price.

She told me no you will do it. My friend told me about NSLC, national student leadership conference, you should check it out. NYLF Medicine is your springboard to achieving tremendous success in college and in a future medical career.

Most of our students are either nominated by educators or selected through our academic partnerships; however, we do accept a limited number of students through our competitive application process. If you have not been nominated or selected but are interested in taking advantage of the life-changing opportunities that the program provides, we encourage you to submit an application today. Your tuition for NYLF Medicine includes housing, on-site meals, supervisory personnel, program materials, all program activities, site visits, a Certificate of Completion, and local transportation during the program.

However, your transportation to and from home and the program location is NOT included in tuition. While attending the program, you will only need money for one to two off-site meals, souvenirs, snacks, and other incidentals. Your safety and well-being during the program is our highest priority.

The program is structured so that you will reside in a safe, controlled environment. You will be closely supervised by professionally trained staff, including faculty advisors who serve as educational facilitators and chaperones, security personnel, operations personnel, and a program coordinator.

For over 30 years, Envision has achieved a stellar record of safely and successfully enriching the lives of students, providing them with superb educational experiences and professional supervision. Other Envision safety measures include:.

Click here to view all program dates and locations. Room configurations vary by university location. Scholars may be housed in single, double, triple, or quad rooms or suites. You will have your own bed. Your parents or guardians are not allowed to accompany you during the program.

Gaining independence, including experiencing new things on your own, is an essential part of your growth during the program. However, it is perfectly fine for your family to travel with you to the program location and stay in the area while you are attending the program. Yes, we encourage you to enroll. Envision by WorldStrides believes in working with families to accommodate student needs and encourages the participation of students who feel prepared to meet the academic, social, physical, and emotional demands of the program environment.

We may be able to provide appropriate auxiliary staff and services to assist students as needed if notified in advance. We encourage families, guardians, legal representatives, or educators to contact the Office of Admissions for more information and to discuss particular accommodations before applying for enrollment in the program.

Your tuition does not include transportation to and from your home and the program location.