What Summer Programs Can and Can’t Do for Prospective College Students
If you are a high school freshman, sophomore, or junior, it’s likely you are receiving marketing materials for summer programs from colleges. Parents ask us, “Are these worth it?” and, “Will this increase our student’s chances of admission?” There are several benefits to summer programs, but certainly no guarantees. Let’s dig deeper into the pros and cons.
What Can Summer Programs Do for High School Students?
1. Academic Interest & Exploration
Summer programs allow students to delve into subjects they might not get exposure to in their high school, subjects they love and can’t get enough of, or subjects they think they might be interested in but aren’t sure about. Any of these reasons is a great motivation to pursue a summer intensive at one of hundreds of college campuses or even online. Some ideas and examples:
-Georgia Tech is just one of many offering Engineering Intensives
-Wake Forest offers week-long Pre-Medicine Institute
-Sarah Lawrence is one of dozens enticing young writers in their Writers Week for Teens
-Harvard’s Pre-business program touts college credits
2. Campus Exposure
Learning, studying, living, and eating on campus, even for a week, can give a high schooler a taste of college life. Larger schools will have more students on campus–taking summer classes, working, doing research, etc–so an intensive program is more likely to give a flavor of that school and that overall experience.
–Michigan’s Math and Science Scholars
–Purdue’s summer schedule from Agriculture to AI
3. Relationships
Whether the summer program is one week or six weeks, students will spend a significant amount of time together in and outside of class. With their academic interest serving as a common bond, these programs are a great way to meet new people. Even more significantly, sometimes students can build relationships with the professors teaching the courses. Again, if the student is pursuing a true passion, that professor can help nurture that interest, could point the student toward future opportunities, and might even be a valuable recommender for applications.
4. Essay Fodder
One of the most common supplemental essay questions an applicant will encounter is, “Why do you want to pursue this major?” In all honesty, many high schoolers can only confidently respond with “I think I’d like_____.” And this isn’t the student’s fault. They may not have had the exposure or opportunity to study something like architecture or accounting, physical therapy, or phlebotomy. A summer intensive within a specific subject like this can fortify a student’s interest and give them the fodder they need to genuinely answer the “Why Major?” essay.
–Arkansas enables experiences through grants
-Cornell’s Architecture Program helps students build a portfolio
5. Open Doors
If a student plans to pursue an incredibly selective area of study, summer intensives can open doors. Professors and coaches are often the ones teaching or directing the camps and can use them as ways to identify prime prospects.
–Dartmouth’s Debate Institute guides the highly competitive debater
–Oberlin’s Summer Festival brings professors from many top music schools
What Can’t Programs Do for Future Applicants?
1. True Campus Experience
As mentioned above, attending a summer intensive is not the same as college. The college campus might only be a fraction of what it is during the school year. Students might not get a feel for the energy and vitality of a campus truly “in session” and might misjudge its potential. Additionally, the fellow students are not an accurate cross-section of the potential class of admitted students.
2. Golden Ticket
Attending a summer program, sadly, does not offer any guarantees of acceptance into the college as a senior. Can it look good on a resume? Absolutely. However, admissions officers do recognize that most summer programs simply require a student to “sign up” rather than qualify and apply. In fact, it’s worth noting that camps may be run by third-party companies who rent the dorms and facilities. Be sure to do your homework!
Gaining experience is important. As a teenager, it can be difficult to find a job, let alone a relevant one. It can be nearly impossible to get an internship as a high schooler without any experience–academic or pre-professional. And it can be hard to find avenues for significant enrichment over the summer. This is why college programming has ballooned. As long as expectations are managed, summer intensive programs can offer more benefits than deficits for high school students nearing college applications.