Extremely Disappointed
The program at the University of Michigan was an extreme disappointment. The build-up and communication leading up to the program were excellent, but once the students actually arrived, the experience was very mismanaged, disorganized, and completely different from what was promised. These students are 16–17 years old and capable of handling far more independence, but they were treated like elementary school children. Their so-called “free time” was not free time at all—they were confined to an auditorium and were not allowed to leave or do anything on their own. They weren’t permitted to return to their rooms independently, go for a run, or spend time exploring the campus. The staff seemed either afraid of the students or did not like them. In fact, one college staff member actually told the students that the professors were afraid of them. That is an incredibly concerning message to send to students who are there to learn and have a positive college experience. I did respond to an email later that week in which the program claimed that my daughter was having a great experience. I replied to let them know that was absolutely not the case, and I did appreciate receiving a response from them telling me they would be looking into it. The actual academic content was minimal. At one point, a teacher who was unfamiliar with the subject ended up having my daughter demonstrate how to suture to the class. This was particularly disappointing given the expectations that had been set for the program. Overall, the experience fell far short of what was promised especially for the money that we paid to send her. We will be informing our school district that, based on our daughter's experience, we would not recommend sending additional students to this program.