Does an offer for tutorials amount to rejection from a summer program?

Question

I recently received the results of the selection process of an application for summer courses and jobs (in the context of courses for undergraduates, mathematics and the United States). On the part of one institution, they could not offer me a place as a paid student (the stipend), but instead they have invited me to participate in some classes and have offered to pay the costs of some necessary licenses and software (with funding from third parties).

The institution is very prestigious and I can participate remotely from home, but I don't know if this intermediate offer, which coincides in time at my university with possible exams to raise my grade, is worth it.

I also wonder if this intermediate offer simply amounts to a rejection and if this offer is made to all applicants.

I imagine that not participating in these classes will not be inconvenient to request this course again another year. I currently also have other open offers, and committing myself here, in addition to the possible exams (extra, to raise grades) is perhaps not the wisest thing. I also wanted to know if I could be closing any doors or opinions before expressing my wishes to the organizers.

Answer 1

It's hard to tell from your description just what "participation in some classes" means.

I suggest you think about whether you would enjoy those classes and what you might learn from them. I think that's a better way to decide how to invest your time than trying to calculate how it might affect your grades.

It does not really matter whether this invitation has been extended as a consolation prize to all the applicants.

I doubt that any decision you make now will affect a later application to the program.