Summer programs can be a good opportunity to give kids a chance to explore careers or fields of study in more depth and decide if it is for them. D15 went to THINK last summer, and the Biology/Physiology class she took there seems to have ignited a fire on that subject within her. I thought it would be the Philosophy class she took, but as uaual she surprised me
We are looking toward other biology oriented summer programs (particularly something with lab work) for an upcoming summer to see if she likes that aspect of it.
D21 knew from early high school that political science was for her, and has never looked back.
Ellipses, just as an aside (we could start a separate thread to discuss colleges!), I don't think of Colorado College as a great choice for all gifted kids. The main difference from other schools is the one class at a time approach, which can be good for some "gifties". But we have sent kids there from our D's high school who were smart enough, but not in the range of a lot of kids we are talking about on this forum. Not saying it isn't a good fit for many kids, but I would not refer to it as a "gifted college".
