National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC): Legit or Not? A Comprehensive Review
The National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) is a program that hosts career-focused leadership conferences for select high school students (as well as some programs for middle school students) over the summer. With nearly 40 different program concentrations-from aerospace to theater, from marine biology to international diplomacy-students can choose their area of interest and essentially practice what it might be like to study in that field on a real college campus. Maybe you've heard that participating in NSLC is a great way to impress colleges, and you're wondering if that's true. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the NSLC, exploring its benefits, drawbacks, and overall value to help prospective students make informed decisions.
What is the National Student Leadership Conference?
During the program, students live in college dorms and attend NSLC-hosted lectures and activities on campus. NSLC markets their programs as a way to help participants gain leadership skills and learn about future careers while experiencing life on a college campus. It could be a fun way to practice being in college before you even go. They say that you’re one of the top high schoolers in the country, and that you deserve to expand your horizons at their summer programs.
The Application Process and Perceived Exclusivity
The National Student Leadership Conference markets itself as a program exclusively for top students and future leaders. In their marketing materials, NSLC emphasizes the fact that students must be nominated as a way to show its "competitiveness." However, these nominations are sent to thousands of students each year, most of whom NSLC knows very little about. Additionally, being nominated is not required to attend NSLC. Anyone can apply to attend the NSLC. “We encourage all 6th-12th grade students who demonstrate academic excellence and leadership ability to apply to our summer programs. For high school programs, students must be between the ages of 14-18 and have completed at least one year of high school. Students may attend NSLC through the summer following high school graduation. NSLC applications are completed online and require a deposit with a credit or debit card. While we have suggested seasonal deadlines, NSLC will continue to accept applications if space is available in a program or on a program’s waitlist. Students are selected for NSLC in a variety of ways. Teachers, counselors, and NSLC alumni nominate students from across the United States and around the world each year. Possibly as it's becoming widely known that they have open admissions, they've removed a lot of that language. The application itself is very brief and will only take you about ten minutes to complete.
The application process for students without an invitation used to be much more rigorous, and students needed a B average and a letter of recommendation to apply. NSLC is run by a for-profit company, so the more students who enroll in their programs, the more money they make.
Benefits of Attending NSLC
So does that mean the NSLC is all bad? Not at all. There are several potential benefits to participating in an NSLC program:
Read also: Learn about FSU's National Merit Program
Career Exploration and Hands-on Experience
One major benefit of NSLC is that you can choose a program in the field you want to work in, such as medicine, law, or business. The programs are designed to provide hands-on experience in that field. These experiences can help you gain skills you can use later on for college and future jobs.
My daughter is a freshman in high school who did very well on her PSAT. When she took the PSAT, she told them she was interested in medicine. She has been contacted by an organization called the National Student Leadership Conference. They have a two and a half week program at Northwestern Medical center in Chicago called Medicine Intensive, which rotates through different medical specialties.
Leadership Skill Development
Every NSLC program includes workshops and lectures designed to help develop the leadership potential of participants. By learning how to be effective leaders and using those skills throughout the conference, students can return from the program more confident in their leadership abilities and more willing to take charge in future situations.
Networking Opportunities
Each NSLC program includes lectures by industry professionals. These guest lecturers, who are often leaders in their field, speak with students and answer their questions. Students also often form personal relationships at NSLC programs. After spending several days with other high-achieving students, many participants return home with new friends who are often interested in the same careers that they are.
College Experience
Participating in an NSLC program can also introduce you to college and collegiate life. NSLC conferences take place on college campuses, and students are housed in college dorms. NSLC believes that all students have the right to an education, and that a diverse learning environment is an education in itself. The National Student Leadership Conference provides an immersive pre-college experience that prepares students for life beyond middle and high school, allowing them to study in university classrooms, learn to navigate a campus, and experience living with roommates. Students are able to explore a career concentration they are interested in before going into college and declaring a major. It is a fun way to practice being in college before you even go. You go and live at a university for a couple of weeks.
Read also: Eligibility for National Awards
College Credit (with caveats)
There is also the option of receiving up to three college credits for your work at NSLC. There is a way that you can get one college credit that may or may not transfer to where you eventually go to college. The college credit is earned through a relationship that the NSLC has with American University. However, students interested in earning college credit should be aware that this comes with a significant extra fee (about $1,000 per credit hour), and not all colleges will accept credits earned at an NSLC program. Through NSLC, students can earn up to three college credits, which is the equivalent of one regular college class. Having one college class out of the way will not help you graduate college any sooner or give you much of a head start.
Drawbacks of Attending NSLC
While NSLC can have benefits, there are also drawbacks to participating in one of its programs.
Cost
Even though they are short, NSLC programs often have a high price tag. The cost is going to vary. The least expensive program is Leadership and Service, which costs $2,995 and lasts for five days. While most of the programs are in that $3,000-4,000 range, there is one outlier in terms of cost. By far the most expensive program on the list, the Medicine Intensive program is held at Northwestern University in Chicago. Programs range in cost from $3,095 to $7,350, which includes meals, housing, transportation, and materials. Spending several thousand dollars on a short program can be difficult for many high school students and their families. If you’re navigating around the NSLC page searching for a “Tuition and Fees” page-you’re not going to find it. “Tuition covers housing and on-campus meals, plus course materials, academic expenses, trips, tours, activities, and off-campus event transportation. This is important to keep in mind.
Program Length and Depth
Most NSLC programs last nine days, with the longest lasting 18 days. Students looking for thorough and detailed knowledge of a particular job or career field will likely not be able to gain the amount of information they are looking for from an NSLC program.
Perceived Prestige vs. Reality
To many people, the most egregious aspect of NSLC is that it markets itself as a highly competitive program that only invites and accepts top-notch students. While NSLC emphasizes the fact that students are "invited" to attend as an indicator of its prestige, any student can attend their programs.
Read also: Explore accessible education at National University
Impact on College Applications
While NSLC may be an enjoyable and informative summer program, it's essential to note that selective colleges tend to look for applicants with extracurriculars that demonstrate a high level of dedication and achievement. NSLC, being relatively expensive and not highly selective, may not significantly boost your college applications. That doesn't mean it won't be a valuable experience for personal growth or exploring your interests, but you shouldn't primarily attend in hopes of enhancing your college application. Selective colleges don't consider such conferences as a positive for admissions. In fact, many AO's actively dislike them because it signified "Privilege." The same goes for most paid summer camps held on campus. The exception would be selective free camps sponsored by universities to recruit students of interest.
Alternatives to NSLC
It's possible to have the same or similar experiences to those of an NSLC program for a fraction of the cost. If you are unable to attend an NSLC program, there are multiple other ways to have similar experiences.
Career Exploration
Students who want to learn more about a specific career can do an internship or job shadow. If you have a career in mind, contact local businesses or organizations and ask to shadow professionals in that field. This is a free experience. Do an internship or a job shadow. Internships generally last from several weeks to several months and will give you much more time to learn the details and responsibilities of a particular job. If you are interested in getting to know professionals in a certain career field personally, both of these options give you more opportunities to talk one-on-one.
Networking
Those who want to meet students with similar interests can join a club, either in school or outside of school.
College Experience
Students 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 interested in attending that school.
Earning College Credit
If you are interested in earning college credits, you can often earn more and 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. Alternative Idea: Take classes at your local community college or university or concentrate on AP or IB classes.
Developing Leadership Skills and Resume Building
Instead, you could focus on awards, internships, or activities that showcase leadership and dedication in your specific area of interest. Look for opportunities at the local, state, or national level that can help you develop your skills and demonstrate your commitment. Alternative Idea: Gain expertise and leadership experience through your extracurriculars. If you are looking to strengthen your college applications 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 NSLC program because it gives schools a better idea of your interests and abilities.
Volunteer with a group that does something like what you’d like to do. If you want to go into dentistry, for example, you could check out a program like So Others Might Eat (SOME), which does free dental cleanings in the Washington, D.C. area, and accepts volunteers. You don’t have to live in Washington, D.C.
Get hired! Work a full or part-time job during the summer and get paid to learn skills that will apply to your future major and career. Create your own business or organization! If you’ve got an entrepreneurial spirit and a cause that you believe in, why not try organizing it yourself? That hands-on experience will teach you multitudes about what it means to apply yourself and teach yourself new things. The point is, the possibilities are endless! You can absolutely go to NSLC and have a meaningful and rewarding experience. However, you can also engage the resources that are nearby to make your summers vibrant and full of learning.
Is NSLC Worth It?
So, how useful is NSLC? It depends on why you're interested in participating. There are good reasons for attending an NSLC program and reasons that are not as strong.
- Good Reasons: Gaining an introduction to a specific career, obtaining hands-on experience, meeting other students with similar interests.
- Reasons to Reconsider: Thinking it's a prestigious activity that will significantly boost your college application. The truth is that having an NSLC program on your resume or college application is not any more prestigious or impressive than other extracurricular activities, such as being on the school soccer team or being a member of the baking club.
There are a few things you and your family should consider when thinking about applying for and attending the NSLC. Following is a list of those considerations. They’re certainly not everything you’ll need or want to think about. What are your goals after high school? Do you want to jump into college knowing exactly what you want to major in? Are you nervous about living on a college campus? How much disposable income do you and your family have available for this kind of experience? There are a host of enriching, valuable summer programs that could help you figure out what you want to study in college.
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