Summit Achievement

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Great place, with great people!

This is a review coming from a past student. The program itself is a hit or miss. Some students REALLY benefit from it and go home 110% percent better and their life is incredible afterward. For others it isn't the case. I graduated the same day as 3 other students. 1 student went back home and was great, program worked really well. One student went home and was a little better then before, fixed some things didnt fix other things. I went home and fixed my relationship with my parents and wasn't suicidal anymore but the rest of my problems were still there. And the other kid went straight back to old habits and got sent back inside of a month. There are a lot of rules there that make sense but are explained in the wrong way to kids. Such as the no touching other people rule which is a completely understandable and respectable rule, but they explain it as its to keep emotional safety in check but we are required to link arms at meals. Seems kind of counter productive. The hiking is really fun, I had a great time with it. You get to see a lot of cool views and have a lot of really great times. Some students don't enjoy it as much if at all but backpacking up a mountain isn't something everyone enjoys so that's fair. The therapy is pretty average, you have goal work every week for therapy that you must do to move up the level system which is usually pretty simple assignments. The academics are fine, I didn't like them personally but my academic situation differs from most students so thats more of a personal thing but most students seemed fine with them. The guides are all really nice people, some are more relatable then others, I had one on my team who I REALLY liked and we talked every day during his shift and I thought of him as more of a friend then a guide. There are also other guides who are more about keeping everyone following the rules. So in conclusion, I would recommend summit because although it works for some people and not as much for others, its a good program and while expensive, its a really great place, nice people, good food and experiences. This program does not fix depression because that's simply not how it works but it does save lives and that's an undeniable fact.

Summit completely changed my son's future!!! It is really that SIMPLE!! When you think about spending money on your child, his or her future has to be at the top! My son was very defiant and thought he was "all that"! He never thought anything was ever his fault. Summit helped him realize that his posturing attitude was making him look "stupid". And that didn't come from his counselors so much as his peers. It is very peer driven! They have counselors that they meet with on a regular basis and levels of outdoor activities that help the kids realize their capabilities. That they can push themselves and not hide behind a fake person they "think is cool". They realize their mistakes and are able to move forward. They look back on their time at Summit and reuse the lessons that they learned. Nichols Ernst was of great help for me and my family. I read some of the books that my son was reading and learned how I can help him and myself together as a team to support my son. My son went in as a boy and came out as a "MAN". My daughter came with me to his graduation and was completely impressed by his transformation. My son still looks back on his time at Summit as one of the best times of his life even though he went there as a requirement from his school. He learned to be a kind, giving thoughtful leader and set an example the new kids just getting there.

This program SAVED MY SON'S LIFE. He was the perfect son until eighth grade. Good grades and respectful with the family. He began hanging with the wrong people in tenth grade. By eleventh grade he was knee deep in drugs and alcohol. His grades were in the tank and his behavior erratic. A local counselor recommended Summit Achievement. We took him three days before Christmas 2015. The entire family was devastated and we didn't have an enjoyable holiday. The staff at Summit knew exactly what to do. When he emerged from the program in February, he was different human being. He was normal again. Now in 2018, he is a straight A student in college and does not drink, smoke or abuse any substance. He goes to the gym and eats healthy. Summit not only saved my son's life, he saved our family. We cried for the eight weeks he was in the program but we got our son back. I HIGHLY recommend Summit if your teenager is lost or off course.

summit absolutely saved my life. it’s an amazing, challenging, life-changing, supportive program and all the staff are passionate about their jobs & helping students discover their potential.

great place

Summit saved my life and set me on a path for success. The caring and professional staff are absolutely amazing, and I go back yearly to visit the people who changed my life forever. I would recommend Summit Achievement to absolutely anybody.