For many high school students, summer break represents something rare: free time. With fewer academic obligations, students often look for ways to strengthen their college applications, and summer programs have become a popular option.
These programs, typically hosted by universities or organizations, are designed to expose students to niche academic interests not always available during the school year. However, while they can provide meaningful experiences, they are often expensive and viewed as “pay-to-play,” raising questions about their true value — especially in the college admissions landscape.
Al G. Hill, Jr. ’63 Director of College Counseling Veronica Pulido said students should begin by thinking more broadly about how they want to use their time rather than focusing immediately on specific programs.
“What I like to tell students is, ‘thinking about your two or three months off, how do you want to spend the time?’” Pulido said.
Pulido recommends that students first account for existing commitments, such as travel or personal obligations, and then consider what interests they want to explore. Summer programs, she said, are just one of many options.
“Whether you’ve done a program or you did it yourself, it really is the takeaway,” Pulido said. “What was important about the project, the program, the activity — colleges really just (want) to see how have you taken advantage of your time and what has been important to you as an individual to help you grow.”
That exposure can be particularly useful for younger students who may not yet have access to internships or research opportunities. Spending time on a college campus can also help students develop independence and gain a better sense of the academic life they will experience in college. However, Pulido emphasized that summer programs are not a direct pathway to college admission, even at the institutions that host them.
“There’s no real benefit to getting a student to say, ‘Oh, I did your program,’” Pulido said.
Instead, colleges focus more on how students use their extracurricular time and what they gain from their experiences. This gives the decision to attend a summer enrichment program a lot more nuance for students interested in using their summer wisely. Pulido identified three key factors students should consider before committing to a program.
“I think the family needs to look at time, location and money to see if (a summer program) is something that is going to be worth it,” Pulido said.
For some families, the value lies in academic exploration. For others, it may be the opportunity for a student to live independently or try something new. In either case, Pulido stresses that students should approach summer with intentionality. Alternatives to formal programs can be just as valuable. Students can take community college classes, pursue independent research, read extensively or even reach out to professionals in fields of interest. As summer approaches, students face a choice: pursue structured programs or create their own path. In either case, the most important factor may not be where they go, but how deliberately they choose to spend their time.
