Are Summer Programs Worth it?

When conversations involve summer programs, especially the discussions that occur on College Confidential or Quora, there are generally two opinions that people adopt. To many, these programs are engaging places to spend a few weeks of your summer learning valuable knowledge. To others, they are quick money-making schemes developed by their respective institutions. The line between the two is blurry.

College applications arguably play the most important role in whether or not a student decides to attend a summer program. If a student goes to a competitive program, especially one that is free-of-charge for all applicants, it boosts their extracurricular profile. These programs provide students with outside-school learning experiences and­—oftentimes­—internship positions through their relationships with program advisors. It’s no wonder why these specific programs are considered worthwhile, but their acceptance rates are on par with those of top-tier colleges and many students fail to make the cut. 

Instead of attending the competitive programs, where should these students decide to spend their summers? Should they focus on another program with a higher acceptance rate, or should they stay in their hometowns and work at the local supermarket? The cost and overall accessibility are major factors to consider. 

Summer programs can be expensive - that’s not a mystery. The tuition prices can range from free to upwards of thousands of dollars. Some programs might even lack an application—students simply pay a fee to attend. The more expensive pay-to-attend programs are practically schemes that target wealthier families. 

In the growing applicant pool for colleges internationally, criticisms about the accessibility of these programs have become rampant. If lower-income students do not apply before their program’s financial aid deadline (many of which are before the end of December) they must look for cheaper alternatives. Ultimately, this can be seen as another disparity in the college admissions process between lower-income and full-paying students.

Other than finances, is there any other reason for not attending them? 

What makes a summer program better than a simple part-time job at home? There isn’t a direct correlation between attending more summer programs and a college acceptance, and the learning tools they provide can be replicated through cheaper alternatives. For example, if there is a summer program in New York  dedicated to writing and you see no mentions of the program besides those on its own websites—especially first-hand experiences by previous attendees—then you would be better off practicing creative writing at home or at a local university. Although it may be dramatic to deem all programs less intense than MIT’s Research Science Institute (which is cost-free to all students) as untrustworthy, careful review should be done before paying any fees to a lesser known program that is directly targeting a student’s banking account. 

Ultimately, the question isn’t whether or not these programs are ‘worth it’—it’s whether or not you, the student, will enjoy it. A distinct aspect of summer programs, no matter their degrees of competitiveness, lies in the other participants and instructors. It lies in the relationships you form with others. The programs are usually meeting places for those who are passionate about something, college admissions aside, and they are places to form bonds with complete strangers because you are all passionate about the same field of study or activity. Particularly in specialized programs, such as a journalism camp, you are given the option to spend a week or more dedicated to one subject. 

No matter how competitive or financially accessible the program may be, the most important question is if you want to participate in it. Giving up time out of your summer, where you could be enjoying another hobby, is not worth a halfhearted extracurricular on your college application.