After colleges release early decision results and high school seniors rush to submit their regular applications, younger students face their own wave of submissions and decisions: those for pre-college and summer programs.
One reason that many underclassmen attend summer programs is to contribute to their demonstrated interest, or the interest that a student shows in a specific school. It’s one method used to gain an edge in the application process.
“Demonstrated interest, for me, is any time that you’re engaging with a university or college,” said Mr. Diego Contreras, a school counselor. “[It’s] signing up and [having] your name listed somewhere.”
But attending programs solely to show demonstrated interest doesn’t sit right with Contreras either.
“Some schools think it’s important, but it’s never going to make or break an application,” he said. “Where it gets hazy for me [is] if you’re doing it because this is the school you want to go to and not so much because you care about the subject.”
Along with helping them show demonstrated interest, attending summer programs can help students discover their passions and find out what they wish to pursue in college.
“It’s a good experience to know what I’m interested in for my major,” said Elyse Albertson ’26, who plans to attend a business-oriented pre-college program this year. “It’s definitely good for a college application too, but I’m not too worried about that part. I’m more excited about meeting people and having a fun experience.”
Summer programs also allow students to get hands-on experience with specific topics.
“It’s good to get as much lab experience early in your education if you’re going to go into science,” said Ms. Lousia Morrison, a chemistry teacher at the high school.
Another benefit to participating in summer programs is the opportunity for students to highlight their proficiency in certain fields. Asia Foland ’25, who participated in two summer programs during high school, attended a one-week intensive cello camp at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, a non-profit corporation that specializes in arts education.
“I enjoy the cello, and it’s important to me to continue playing in the summer. It’s also really valuable for me to be exposed to other musicians that I might not always get the chance to play with,” Foland said. “But a big part of it was also demonstrating a certain musical aptitude to colleges, which is a big thing with a lot of these musical programs.”
Nonetheless, even though these programs have benefits, they also accentuate some inequalities in the college admissions process. Many schools require applicants to pay a costly fee just to submit their application. Similarly, the high cost of some summer programs can act as a barrier for under-resourced students.
“[Programs] are pretty exclusionary,” said Foland. “I feel like summer programs in general are only really something that more privileged people can do because they’re so expensive.”
Indeed, some pre-college programs have very high costs. For example, the University of Chicago’s four-week summer residential program costs $14,490, a price that many families may not be able to afford.
Similarly, Harvard entices high school sophomores and juniors to apply to its two-week-long, $5,800 Pre-College Program by advertising it as an opportunity to “experience what it’s like to be a real college student”.
Although paying for summer programs can often come at a high cost to families, their redeeming qualities—helping students explore their passions and aiding in their college applications—seem to create a bargain many are willing to make.
Ultimately, the value of these programs comes down to how much students gain from attending them.
“If you’re doing [a program] because it’s something you’re passionate about, it’s worth it,” said Contreras. “I think that when people pursue their passions, these things fall in place for them.”
