Expensive leadership seminars??

HiMyNameisNick

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Jan 27, 2010
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ive been getting invitations to summer leadership seminars such as NSLC and other things that are programs based on leadership and such and they all look VERY useful in 1. acquiring good leadership skills 2. something great to put on the academy application.

BUT heres the catch, these all costs over $2000 and to be honest we just cant come up with that kinda of money. I could use some of my college funds for it....but then that would be a bit of a gamble because then if I decide not to go to a SA or cant get in then it would be a waste.

So has anyone gone to things like this? how useful are they? do they really help your leaderships skills that much?

and how would this look really good for the SA's?
 
I was always warned by my high school's guidance office that programs like the one you mentioned can be a lot of fun but are often a profit-driven scam. As a disclaimer, the rest of this post is just my personal opinion.

If you have a lot of money sitting around and it was something you really wanted to do, I would say go for it, but realize that it is not going to be your golden ticket into the Naval Academy. Most people (especially admissions counselors who read high school resumes all day) see these programs for what they are - short term expensive summer camps that provide cool opportunities for teenagers to see/do things not available to the general public.

Some other opportunities to develop your leadership skills (beyond the obvious run for student government or become a team captain) are pursuing Boy Scout Eagle/Girl Scout Gold, Boys State/Girls State, Governor's School (if offered in your state) or coaching a little-league sports team. Best of all, these opportunities are all free or extremely low cost!

Also, remember that you don't need an official title to be a leader - always help other people out and set a good example for others to follow. It will not go unnoticed when it comes time for recomendations and interviews.

Best of luck!
 
I was always warned by my high school's guidance office that programs like the one you mentioned can be a lot of fun but are often a profit-driven scam. As a disclaimer, the rest of this post is just my personal opinion.

If you have a lot of money sitting around and it was something you really wanted to do, I would say go for it, but realize that it is not going to be your golden ticket into the Naval Academy. Most people (especially admissions counselors who read high school resumes all day) see these programs for what they are - short term expensive summer camps that provide cool opportunities for teenagers to see/do things not available to the general public.

Some other opportunities to develop your leadership skills (beyond the obvious run for student government or become a team captain) are pursuing Boy Scout Eagle/Girl Scout Gold, Boys State/Girls State, Governor's School (if offered in your state) or coaching a little-league sports team. Best of all, these opportunities are all free or extremely low cost!

Also, remember that you don't need an official title to be a leader - always help other people out and set a good example for others to follow. It will not go unnoticed when it comes time for recomendations and interviews.

Best of luck!

kinda of drifting off topic here, but u mentioned governor's school.

I have applied to the gov. school for math science (i'm in south carolina) and was wondering if USNA takes it into consideration that those accepted to this school are practically the most motivated and academically capable students in the entire state?

(they accept about 75 out of 250 applicants year)

in other words, will USNA not take offense if i am not ranked in the top 10 percent? i have currently ranked number 12 out of 308 at my current high school. This public school is ranked top 20 (yes good schools in SC do exist) in the nation.
 
kinda of drifting off topic here, but u mentioned governor's school.

I have applied to the gov. school for math science (i'm in south carolina) and was wondering if USNA takes it into consideration that those accepted to this school are practically the most motivated and academically capable students in the entire state?

(they accept about 75 out of 250 applicants year)

in other words, will USNA not take offense if i am not ranked in the top 10 percent? i have currently ranked number 12 out of 308 at my current high school. This public school is ranked top 20 (yes good schools in SC do exist) in the nation.

1.) I'm not sure if you should but you could mention it.
2.) Don't worry if your not ranked in the top 10% of your school...there's a whole lot more to an app besides class rank....also, for class rank, they consider the size of your class (your 12/308, for ex., and I'm 33/691...now, even though I'm ranked higher statistically, it's only cause there are more people in my class).
 
correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't 12 out of 308 IN the top 10%... like 3.9%?
 
I went to a summer program put on by an organization called LeadAmerica. They have quite a few programs still, but they cut many of them out. Many of them are sort of career-based, like the one I went to the was call Junior War College: Military Defense and Strategy.

Personally, I would recommend it if they still had it. I felt that it helped with my leadership skills and it was a great experience overall. Yes it cost quite a bit of money, but I was able to raise about 1/3 from talking to different people and organizations.
 
My son has done some expensive summer seminars and some cheap summer programs and have taken away different things from each. 10 days in Washington DC to study the government was fun and a neat learning experience (and I spent the time vacationing in DC on my own...major perk). 10 days in Atlanta at a pilot ground school was an experience he wouldn't trade for the world. 6 weeks in China trekking through grasslands, Tibet, and Yunan was VERY expensive but he raised the money himself by selling lemonade on the street corner for 4 months. Sometimes the path you take to get to the program is just as interesting as the program.

Two weeks as a residence camp counselor 2 summers in row was a great leadership experience and only cost a $100 bucks or so. Coaching a 3rd grade baseball team cost nothing and he gained alot. Throw in Eagle Scout, senior Patrol Leader, ROTC and he's had alot of leadership.

But the main thing is he did activities that interested him and he enjoyed. he didn't do it for the resume. He just liked it! Find stuff that you enjoy and look for exciting ways to bring them to life. Pretty soon you'll have a resume that will surprise you and reflect your passions that will set you apart from others.
 
You might want to check some of the SAs' summer offerings if you are looking for programs that will be productive for you and a good bit less expensive. USNA has some leadership programs embedded in the sports camps listing at www.navysports.com. Look also to Boys'/Girls' State and Nation as well as the Hugh O'Brien program and others of their ilk. Check with your local service clubs (Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions, etc) and with your school's guidance office for legitimate programs. If you question a program's legitimacy, you and/or your parents could try an inquiry via Better Business Bureau.
 
My kids did LeadAmerica also. Really liked it, but it has become more expensive.
 
I left out the camps and internships conducted by NASA and other federal and state agencies. Also, the Civil Air Patrol, Navy League's Sea Cadet program are very good programs with summer tours of military facilities, boot/basic training, and a cadet leadership structure that can be beneficial and enlightening.
 
My son has done some expensive summer seminars and some cheap summer programs and have taken away different things from each. 10 days in Washington DC to study the government was fun and a neat learning experience (and I spent the time vacationing in DC on my own...major perk). 10 days in Atlanta at a pilot ground school was an experience he wouldn't trade for the world. 6 weeks in China trekking through grasslands, Tibet, and Yunan was VERY expensive but he raised the money himself by selling lemonade on the street corner for 4 months. Sometimes the path you take to get to the program is just as interesting as the program.

Two weeks as a residence camp counselor 2 summers in row was a great leadership experience and only cost a $100 bucks or so. Coaching a 3rd grade baseball team cost nothing and he gained alot. Throw in Eagle Scout, senior Patrol Leader, ROTC and he's had alot of leadership.

But the main thing is he did activities that interested him and he enjoyed. he didn't do it for the resume. He just liked it! Find stuff that you enjoy and look for exciting ways to bring them to life. Pretty soon you'll have a resume that will surprise you and reflect your passions that will set you apart from others.

What year did your son go to the ground school one? And what college was it at?
 
Lats summer (2009), I can't remember the name but it was a military college in Georgia...the lessons were at the FAA I think. It was a Lead America one... He said that flying a plane was absolutely incredible.
 
correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't 12 out of 308 IN the top 10%... like 3.9%?

Took me awhile to figure out what he was saying too. I think what he meant was that he currently is, but if he gets accepted into this highly selective high school for the next few years, then there's a good chance he wouldn't be while there.
 
Lats summer (2009), I can't remember the name but it was a military college in Georgia...the lessons were at the FAA I think. It was a Lead America one... He said that flying a plane was absolutely incredible.

Haha yeah that was where my program was. The aeronautics program went on at the same time the Junior War College happened. Do you remember what dates your son went? Or at least if he was gone during 4th of July?
 
Nope, he was in China for 4th of July. He went sometime in June. Funny thing, another kid from his high school was in his group. they didn't know each other until they met there. My older son did the Junior War College in Virginia a few years back.
 
I went to one of these and honestly it doesn't really beef up your application according to my academy coordinator for my congressman. I had a lot of fun at it, but if it means spending money that you may not have, definatly don't do it.
 
ok everyone thanks for the feedback. since I really dont have the money im not going to struggle to put forth the cash for those expensive summer camps.

I am applying for Boys state, but sooo many kids from my school are applying and I feel like I wont even have a chance. Its not fair either cuz all of them even told me they hate politics and say Boys State sounds dumb. They just want it for their resumes for college. But theres nothing I can do about that because they all have better resumes already. So what can I do in the interview to show them I REALLY wanna do it and all those other kids are just going to lie their way through the interview?
 
ok everyone thanks for the feedback. since I really dont have the money im not going to struggle to put forth the cash for those expensive summer camps.

I am applying for Boys state, but sooo many kids from my school are applying and I feel like I wont even have a chance. Its not fair either cuz all of them even told me they hate politics and say Boys State sounds dumb. They just want it for their resumes for college. But theres nothing I can do about that because they all have better resumes already. So what can I do in the interview to show them I REALLY wanna do it and all those other kids are just going to lie their way through the interview?

You know what I hate...people who already have amazing resumes but still want to do more and more and not even give other people a chance (i.e. leadership positions)...:unhappy:
 
If your a junior you can participate in Boy's State/Girl's State this summer and there's little or no cost involved with this superb program. Check with your guidance counselor's office and/or the local American Legion.
 
Check with your local YMCA and see if they need counselors for the summer or youth coaches.
 
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