The only way to begin this letter is
to say Wow!! And, of course, Thank You!! My husband and I were tremendously
grateful two years ago when the ILC sent our older son, Matt, to Yale. We were
so impressed with how smoothly the program ran, its attention to detail, its
demand for excellence, and its utter generosity! When Joe was accepted into the ILC program this year,
heading for Cornell, we were absolutely thrilled.
We knew we could expect the same
quality program and were excited to see how it would affect Joe’s development
as a student and as a person. We were off to a very good start when the ILC
bought all the books and arranged a dinner with past Cornellians to discuss
strategy…what worked well and what to avoid. Knowledge is power and this ILC
dinner was invaluable in teaching Joe what to expect and providing him with the
tools and the charge to be well prepared academically. Of course, the elegant
dinner in San Francisco was a beautiful and informative evening which set the
tone for the whole program…this is an Ivy
League program and expectations are higher in every way possible.
What we didn’t expect was three days
in Chicago, on the way to New York. Matt’s group was able to tour
Wesleyan and another school close to Yale the day before his program began,
which was a wonderful bonus. In two years’ time, we are happy to see how the
ILC program has grown to sending out thirty-five
students in all and including such a fantastic trip to Chicago to tour
Northwestern and the University of Chicago. These tours and the
opportunity to enjoy fine dining with students and Admissions personnel from
each school taught Joe very much about what he likes and does not like in a
college.
The truth is Joe wasn’t sure he wanted
to spend four weeks of his summer attending lectures, staying up late reading
and writing papers, never mind the weeks of reading in preparation for the
program. He’d worked incredibly hard every single day of his junior year
with school and activities and was warming to the idea of a more carefree
summer. Matt is the one who impressed upon him that (1) hard work always pays off and (2) this program
will change your life!
Indeed, Joe’s life was changed!
He has experienced new places and climates and students from 20+ countries.
He’s become even better at expressing his thoughts and feelings via the daily
blog. He’s developed his conversational and interviewing skills. He’s
experienced what it’s like to “go to college,”… living and making friends with
an unknown roommate, doing his own laundry J, balancing and prioritizing
schedules, accepting criticism from a TA as a positive thing, and yes, making
time for relaxation and fun at places like Buttermilk Falls and Cooperstown or
playing soccer or basketball. Yesterday, Joe received his first college course
grade, an A-. This taught him he really could compete with all of the prep
school students at one of the best universities in the world…hard work always pays off.
We will forever be thankful for all
the hard work each of you puts into this program and for the way it has truly
changed so many lives. You may rest assured that these students will go
on to do great things and the world will be a better place because of you and
the ILC.
Most Sincerely,
Melissa Arciniega
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