National Youth Leadership Forum

[AnonyPoni 564]

So I got a letter. A fancy letter about this summer program in D.C.. After some reasearch and such, I wrote this email to my ROTC instructor who apparently nominated me for it.

 

 

 

Sir, I got a fancy envelope in the mail from NYLF/NS. I was thrilled at first, seeing it was really interesting to me and was in a field I liked. I was also happy to see that apparently you were the one who nominated me for that.

 

However, I have done some research and found a lot of criticism for this program and all the NYLF programs. People calling them things like scams and such. My suspicion started mainly from the fact that your first name was wrong on the letter.

 

 

Anyway, the tuition is pretty pricey and we would also have to pay for the airfare from Brussels to Washington. In the end it would be over $2400 or so.

 

While it looks appealing, I am unsure about if it's a good idea to go. I have read people saying great things, people saying not so great things, and people saying absolutely terrible things. Normally the people who said the bad stuff didn't go and seemed angry over all at the program (they also seemed to be overly soccermomish parents...). The people who claimed to have gone said it was great but I'm beginning to feel paranoid that they are PR people who work for the company. 

 

While it says it's non-profit, apparently it's part of a huge for-profit company (Envision EMI). That company has had a F rating from the BBB but got it back up to A+ in 2010. Apparently they mismanaged a trip to see President Obama's Inauguration in 2009 or something. People were really upset and there were complaints given and lawsuits filed. Needless to say, it didn't look pretty.

 

I'm also not sure exactly HOW prestigious or selective the program is according to what I've read. I'm not second guessing your consideration and decision (if you made it) to nominate me, but rather wary about what is actually considered by the program itself.

 

I want to say that if I were to go, it would be because of my interest in international affairs and national security, the ability to meet the policy makers behind that, and to make connections with people who are interested in the same thing. I don't want to go to make my college resume more shiny (I don't know if it will) or have another tour of DC (I've lived there twice and have been on numerous trips there. I could probably give a tour of the Capital at this point).

 

I was originally writing this email simply to thank you for the nomination and just to confirm if you actually nominated me, but now it feels like I wrote most of this to arrange my thoughts on the subject. The last few weeks after school have been busy and it's only going to get more and more complicated for me as my move to Belgium approaches. It's all been a lot to take in.

 

Anyway, thank you, sir, for nominating me (if that was actually you). Whether or not I go, it means a lot to me that you thought I would be qualified for something like this.

 

So lemme explain. The National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security is a program where you go to Washington, D.C. to explore the city, hear presentations, and meet policy makers and people involved with the fields of national security, intelligence, and diplomacy. (There are other forums on Medicine and Law as well)

 

Basically, that sorta stuff really interests me and I was enticed by this fancy letter. I really wanted to go.

 

However, I started to do the research and found some pretty disturbing things about the company behind it (see above email) and heard people say pretty nasty stuff about it. I also heard people say awesome stuff about it too, but the suspicion I saw around the Internet seemed to be more... 

 

(I also felt really bad that all the parents were really overly "This is some scam that my A+honorsAPFiftymillionextracuricularcaptainofeverything kid is too good for." I felt a bit soured in my view of humanity...)

 

So I decided to bring it up with my fellow Bronies on the forum, to see if we can discuss this and hopefully come to a better conclusion about this program. Have any of you guys/gals been to NYLF? Was it worth it to YOU? I am pretty sure I am not going to go, but that doesn't mean it's a scam or it's worthless for someone else. Share your thoughts.

 

Also, I should warn that we should be wary if a Muffin posts that they went and they liked it. I have heard that the company has PR people going through forums and posts nice things about the program to make people like it (I've seen it happen on some other sites).

 

 

[Sir.Flutter Hooves 2,953]

 

So I got a letter. A fancy letter about this summer program in D.C.. After some reasearch and such, I wrote this email to my ROTC instructor who apparently nominated me for it.

 

 

 

Sir, I got a fancy envelope in the mail from NYLF/NS. I was thrilled at first, seeing it was really interesting to me and was in a field I liked. I was also happy to see that apparently you were the one who nominated me for that.

 

However, I have done some research and found a lot of criticism for this program and all the NYLF programs. People calling them things like scams and such. My suspicion started mainly from the fact that your first name was wrong on the letter.

 

 

Anyway, the tuition is pretty pricey and we would also have to pay for the airfare from Brussels to Washington. In the end it would be over $2400 or so.

 

While it looks appealing, I am unsure about if it's a good idea to go. I have read people saying great things, people saying not so great things, and people saying absolutely terrible things. Normally the people who said the bad stuff didn't go and seemed angry over all at the program (they also seemed to be overly soccermomish parents...). The people who claimed to have gone said it was great but I'm beginning to feel paranoid that they are PR people who work for the company. 

 

While it says it's non-profit, apparently it's part of a huge for-profit company (Envision EMI). That company has had a F rating from the BBB but got it back up to A+ in 2010. Apparently they mismanaged a trip to see President Obama's Inauguration in 2009 or something. People were really upset and there were complaints given and lawsuits filed. Needless to say, it didn't look pretty.

 

I'm also not sure exactly HOW prestigious or selective the program is according to what I've read. I'm not second guessing your consideration and decision (if you made it) to nominate me, but rather wary about what is actually considered by the program itself.

 

I want to say that if I were to go, it would be because of my interest in international affairs and national security, the ability to meet the policy makers behind that, and to make connections with people who are interested in the same thing. I don't want to go to make my college resume more shiny (I don't know if it will) or have another tour of DC (I've lived there twice and have been on numerous trips there. I could probably give a tour of the Capital at this point).

 

I was originally writing this email simply to thank you for the nomination and just to confirm if you actually nominated me, but now it feels like I wrote most of this to arrange my thoughts on the subject. The last few weeks after school have been busy and it's only going to get more and more complicated for me as my move to Belgium approaches. It's all been a lot to take in.

 

Anyway, thank you, sir, for nominating me (if that was actually you). Whether or not I go, it means a lot to me that you thought I would be qualified for something like this.

 

So lemme explain. The National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security is a program where you go to Washington, D.C. to explore the city, hear presentations, and meet policy makers and people involved with the fields of national security, intelligence, and diplomacy. (There are other forums on Medicine and Law as well)

 

Basically, that sorta stuff really interests me and I was enticed by this fancy letter. I really wanted to go.

 

However, I started to do the research and found some pretty disturbing things about the company behind it (see above email) and heard people say pretty nasty stuff about it. I also heard people say awesome stuff about it too, but the suspicion I saw around the Internet seemed to be more... 

 

(I also felt really bad that all the parents were really overly "This is some scam that my A+honorsAPFiftymillionextracuricularcaptainofeverything kid is too good for." I felt a bit soured in my view of humanity...)

 

So I decided to bring it up with my fellow Bronies on the forum, to see if we can discuss this and hopefully come to a better conclusion about this program. Have any of you guys/gals been to NYLF? Was it worth it to YOU? I am pretty sure I am not going to go, but that doesn't mean it's a scam or it's worthless for someone else. Share your thoughts.

 

Also, I should warn that we should be wary if a Muffin posts that they went and they liked it. I have heard that the company has PR people going through forums and posts nice things about the program to make people like it (I've seen it happen on some other sites).

 

It sounds like a scam to me. This is my moto: if your gonna spend over $2000 dollars on a organization, make sure it has all A's. Sounds like a scam, sounds like you made the right decision.

 

/)

[AnonyPoni 564]

It sounds like a scam to me. This is my moto: if your gonna spend over $2000 dollars on a organization, make sure it has all A's. Sounds like a scam, sounds like you made the right decision.

 

/)

 

 

Haha well the actual cost is 1600 dollars. but I have to pay 800 dollars for that transatlantic ticket. It's not a scam persay as in that they take the money and run. They do what they promised: going on tours and all the forum stuff. The question is if it's worth it or not. Sadly, I think it's not really worth it for me due to the situation I'm in (moving to Belgium soon). Plus DC is a place I've been to a LOT so tours are meh.

[Sir.Flutter Hooves 2,953]

Haha well the actual cost is 1600 dollars. but I have to pay 800 dollars for that transatlantic ticket. It's not a scam persay as in that they take the money and run. They do what they promised: going on tours and all the forum stuff. The question is if it's worth it or not. Sadly, I think it's not really worth it for me due to the situation I'm in (moving to Belgium soon). Plus DC is a place I've been to a LOT so tours are meh.

 I don't think it's worth it. Save your money for you move, and I've been on DC tours before. They are NOT worth $1600. I vote to save it.

[AnonyPoni 564]

 I don't think it's worth it. Save your money for you move, and I've been on DC tours before. They are NOT worth $1600. I vote to save it.

 

Yeah. Also, as for my faith in humanity being flushed down the toilet, it was mostly from hearing about overly parenting parents and their kids who are overachievers and do thing simply to look good for college resumes. That really annoys me for some reason...

[Sir.Flutter Hooves 2,953]

Yeah. Also, as for my faith in humanity being flushed down the toilet, it was mostly from hearing about overly parenting parents and their kids who are overachievers and do thing simply to look good for college resumes. That really annoys me for some reason...

 Yea, that's always annoyed me to. But, remember there's still good in humanity. Just remember ponies and remember that idea came from humanity.

[AnonyPoni 564]

 Yea, that's always annoyed me to. But, remember there's still good in humanity. Just remember ponies and remember that idea came from humanity.

 

I guess it bugs me mainly because I am considered to be really smart, but because we move so much my transcript doesn't look all that appetising to colleges.

 

Like I left middle school with recommendations for honors in all my classes, but I moved and the new school system didn't accept any of them. Since then i've been in classes pretty below my level and I look pretty average...

 

Also, moving makes me need to play catchup a lot, so I end up falling behind in many things....

 

 

Anyway, the reason those kids (and parents) bug me a bit is because I want to stop and smell the roses. If I do something, it's because I hope to gain something from it, not because I want colleges to look at me more. Which sorta applies to this NYLF thing