Colleges play host to a lot of summer programs for high school students. Search the name of any university, along with “High school summer program” and you’re likely to get dozens of different hits. This is true for your local state school and for the most famous Ivy League universities. They all know that high school students are eager for any way to spend their summer increasing their chances of college enrollment, and are happy to provide opportunities.
Not all of these opportunities are created equal however, and indeed not all of them are even offered by the universities whose names adorn them. In this article, we’re going to be covering associated summer programs; what they are, how they work, and whether or not they’re worth your money. Let’s get started!
The Two Kinds of High School Programs at Colleges
This is oversimplifying slightly, but in general, there are two kinds of summer programs for high school students which operate on college campuses:
- Programs organized within the college itself, staffing members of the college community, and directly administered by the college.
- Programs run by an outside organization which rents space on a college campus, and which may employ some people from the campus community.
Both of these programs are advertised using the brand of the college in question, though the actual involvement of that college can vary by a lot. This is not to say that all associated summer programs are bad; many are of quite high quality. But they are sometimes advertised or portrayed in a misleading way, trading on the name recognition of the college playing host to them.
A Note on Summer Programs and College Admissions
Attending a college program at a specific university generally does not give you any benefit when it comes to applying to that university. There are a very limited number of exceptions, but on the whole, attending a summer program does not give your application to a school any extra weight.
These summer programs can advantage your application in other ways however. Writing about your experience on campus in an essay about why you want to attend a particular college is a great addition. Many top summer programs also add something substantial to your resume; skills and experiences which are not easily replicated elsewhere. This is not true of all programs, but some will add to your application regardless of which college you apply to (though they still won’t give you a specific boost when applying to that college).
Case Studies
This has all been fairly general so far, so we’re going to look at some actual examples of summer programs, both associated and not, to get a sense of how you can truly evaluate your options, and decide if a particular program is a good fit for your needs.
We will cover programs that are associated and not, and that will greatly help your candidacy, or only provide a minor boost. We will cover one program from each intersection.
MathILy
MathILy is a summer program for students who love math, and who aren’t shy about wanting to explore that love in more depth. The program is hosted at Bryn Mawr, and has been since its inception. Students live in dorms at Bryn Mawr, eat in its dining halls, and take advanced math classes in its classrooms.
That said, the instructors and directors at MathILy are not associated with Bryn Mawr. They are all mathematicians and professors in their own right, but with numerous other colleges. Admissions to the program are also handled internally; Bryn Mawr has no say in and no knowledge of the students who apply, or their strengths or interests.
MathILy is an example of a non-associated program done well. While they do not hide their attachment to Bryn Mawr, neither do they capitalize on it overmuch. In addition, the program is very strong on its own, and by its own merits is impressive to admissions officers, especially for students interested in majoring in math.
Michigan State University High School Honors Science, Math, and Engineering Program (HSHSP)
This is a seven week summer program run by Michigan State University, hosted on its campus, and led by its faculty and graduate students. Students stay in Michigan State dorms, and make use of the school’s extensive scientific laboratories and expertise. The application is not reviewed by Michigan State’s admissions department, but by staff of the program. These are still Michigan State employees however.
This is an example of a program which is strongly associated with a university, and which looks quite good on a resume. Michigan State directly oversees this program, and its faculty are integral to the experience of students in it. Attending this program will not directly increase your chances of attending Michigan State, but will give you a boost on your college application generally, as hands-on research experience is something worth bragging about.
Boston Leadership Institute
This is a number of different programs offered under a single umbrella; there are multiple different topics and lengths of programs, from one to three weeks in length. These are offered in partnership with several colleges in the Boston area, and make use of their campuses and facilities. These cover a range of academic subjects in the STEM fields.
This is not a terrible program, or an absolute waste of your money, but neither is it the best way for students to spend a summer. Shorter programs like this give students a good taste of a subject, but don’t allow them to explore it in any great depth. While the program does not capitalize on the name of the associated schools as much as some others, it still trades on the college connection. The service it offers is good, but make sure you know what exactly you are paying for.
Northeastern Accelerate Pre College Programs
Northeastern offers high school students the chance to take classes on its campus during the summer, taught by Northeastern faculty, to gain a taste of higher level subjects and the college experience. These classes are two weeks long, and focus on any number of academic topics, many of which are not commonly available for high school students to explore otherwise.
Many colleges offer programs of this type, where students get to stay on campus, take college level courses from faculty, and get a taste of the college experience. Some of these programs even give a chance for students to earn college credit, though this is only sometimes accepted by other colleges.
These programs generally are a great way to experience what life at college is like, but are not nearly as impressive as many parents and students are led to believe. This isn’t to say that they’re bad; a chance to explore these high level topics is often valuable. They don’t, however, give as large a boost to your academic profile as many other options you have for summer programs. They aren’t worthless, but they aren’t top tier either.
How do you Evaluate a Summer Program?
This is an important question, and one without an easy answer. At Ivy Scholars, we have researched and evaluated thousands of summer programs to find ones which best serve our students’ needs and interests. We have built up a database of these, but also learned some tricks when evaluating the quality of a program.
Note that when we talk about a program’s quality, we are speaking about how valuable it is for college admissions. There are many strong programs which teach useful skills that are not as valuable for college admissions. This doesn’t make them bad programs, but means they are often ill suited for what our students want.
These are the questions we ask when evaluating how useful a summer program will be for our students, and the information we try to gain by doing so:
- What does it cost, and what are you paying for? Free programs are not necessarily better than paid ones, but it’s good to know what exactly your money is getting you.
- Who runs the program, and who teaches the students? What credentials do they have, and how skilled are they at instructing?
- What will students actually be doing? Active involvement in research or creation of a thing is more valuable than classroom instruction, so summer research internships are almost always of more value than summer coursework.
- How selective is the program? Acceptance rate alone isn’t a sign of quality, just popularity, but a highly selective program looking for academically talented and motivated students is more likely to produce good returns for those students.
- How long is the program? A longer program isn’t automatically better, but more time to explore lets students dive deeper into the material they are presented with, and gives them more opportunities to gain mastery of the material.
Of course, each program is unique, with its own quirks and opportunities for students. These questions don’t apply to every program, but they are good to ask when evaluating what value a specific summer program has for students.
Case Studies
Of course, theory is all well and good, but what does this look like in practice? To determine that, we’re going to look at a suite of summer programs offered by three colleges: Harvard, Yale, and UPenn, and examine how useful each of them would be for you. Note that this isn’t a definitive ranking of potential summer programs, just a comparison of what programs offer, and at what price point.
Harvard
| Program | Notes |
| Secondary School Program | Taking college coursework for credit is nice, but not necessarily worth the $10k+ price tag |
| Pre-College Program | Two-week not for credit classes are a very expensive taste of college living |
| StatStart | A one month intensive course, free, for students; both useful and good for candidacy |
| Harvard VenturesTech | A fully digital entrepreneurship program; a good introduction to the field, maybe worth the price |
Yale
| Program | Notes |
| Yale Summer Sessions | Taking courses for credit is nice; so is the taste of college. The price is very steep however |
| Yale Young Global Scholars | A prestigious and notable summer program, with a very competitive admissions process |
| DTC Internships | An in-person lab placement internship where students have the chance to conduct and publish original research. Entirely impressive |
| Yale Pathways Research Internships | Only open to students from New Haven, but a six week research internship working with an undergraduate student. Well worth your time |
UPenn
| Program | Notes |
| Summer Discovery | Taking courses on Penn’s campus, some for credit, others not, frequently pricey |
| Wharton Global Youth | A two week introduction to entrepreneurship, possibly impressive, but a steep price tag |
| Penn Medicine | An associated program, with some useful hands-on experiences, but a very high price tag |
| Army Educational Outreach Program Internships | Seven week specialized research internships working directly with faculty and staff; very impressive, and helpful for students interested in STEM |
Of course, no single summer program will guarantee a student admission to a top college. But they can form part of a larger pattern, evidence that a student is dedicated to a particular topic, and willing to explore it academically on their own time, outside of the confines of school. This level of commitment and interest is what colleges want to see in students, and what sets them apart from their peers.
Final Thoughts
There are many many summer programs out there, with varying goals and offerings, all seeking to provide something to high school students. Not all of these are created equal however, and some misrepresent what they offer, and the level of benefit you can get from participating in their program.
We hope this article has shown you some of the nuances present in summer programs, and what separates the great ones from those which are just okay. You do not need to spend your summer in one of these programs, but you should pursue your interest in some way, and show colleges how you explore your passions. If you want help finding the right summer program for you, or evaluating your options, schedule a free consultation with us today. We have a long experience helping students explore their passions, and are always happy to help students with their educational journey.
