Are Summer School Programs Worth the Cost?

Before attending any summer school programs, I always envisioned them as prestigious and “beneficial for applying to colleges in the future.” But things changed after I spent two of my summers at Columbia (3-week immersion program) and Yale (Yale Young Global Scholars). Not only were there thousands of students participating in various academic programs, but the cost for attending these summer schools didn’t seem commensurate with the learning. Here, I want to narrow down a couple of observations I have in mind about these two specific programs:

•  I was expecting to learn in greater depth about academic fields I was interested in, but the lessons felt more like an “introduction,” rarely with any deep intellectual thinking.

• Both programs hired “third parties,” or faculty who didn’t belong to their universities, to teach. At Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS), seminars could even be taught by undergraduate students from different universities. However, I have to admit that the lectures taught by Yale professors were, to some extent, valuable.

• The costs at both summer programs are significantly high: ranging from $7,000 to more than $10,000 when you include all the different fees (traveling, food, etc.).

Therefore, broader questions began to develop: Are the summer programs worth the price? If so, what are we really paying for?

Stevenson Students’ Perspectives:

To gather Stevenson students’ opinions and experiences about summer school programs, I interviewed two seniors, Anthony Qian and Max Tierney, to hear their perspectives. Qian mentions that he only applied to the “super-prestigious summer school programs like Research Science Institute (RSI),” a renowned STEM summer program for high school students hosted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with an acceptance rate of 2-3% according to Pioneer Academics. Hoping to pursue a path in neuroscience in college, Qian states that selective programs like RSI allow him to “explore academic interests while working alongside students who are equally passionate about scientific research and neuroscience.” For Qian, the value of a summer program comes not simply from its association with a prestigious university, but from the selectivity and academic opportunities the program itself provides.

In another example, Tierney was deeply attracted by the University of Chicago (UChicago)'s summer school programs in applied mathematics and economics. Furthermore, he learned about the UChicago Summer Student Early Notification in the past, and this opportunity motivated him to apply to UChicago’s summer program. After attending the program this summer, Tierney states that “UChicago’s summer program not only enriches my understanding and opinion of this university, but also helps me to affirm my decision to ED0 to UChicago.” (Let’s wish him the best!) His three weeks at UChicago planted a seed of hope to study at this university in the future. Through Tierney’s example, we can see that summer programs can serve purposes beyond academic opportunities: introducing students to a university, and potentially, strengthening their interest in applying. By spending several weeks immersing themselves in the environment, students can develop a clearer sense of whether they see themselves studying at this institution. 

Universities’ Perspectives:

To decide whether summer programs are worth the price, we have to understand the purpose of summer programs at universities. For clarification, summer programs at universities are not limited to high school students only: undergraduate students and even adults are eligible to enroll. Students who intend to participate in summer programs are able to “explore new things, catch up on credit hours, earn college credits, and more,” according to Harvard Summer School. For high school students specifically, summer programs can offer opportunities to explore subjects beyond their regular school curriculum, experience college-level academics, and gain exposure to different campus lives. Through the universities’ perspectives, we can see that summer programs are designed to provide educational opportunities outside of the traditional academic school year.

Additionally, I believe there is another factor motivating universities to promote summer programs: money. I made a rough estimate: at $7,000 per student and roughly 2,000 students, YYGS's 2026 sticker-price tuition is about $13.3 million before financial aid and operating expenses. However, YYGS announced that they “provide over $3 million USD in need-based financial aid equally to both domestic and international students.”

Specifically, UChicago has recently made a controversial decision: adding UChicago Summer Student Early Notification (also referred to as ED0) to the ED1 plan. UChicago’s ED0 plan is offered to students “who have completed either a UChicago residential or online UChicago Pre-College Summer Session program, and who are in their final year of high school,” according to Summer at UChicago. UChicago admissions stated that this change was made because they are also in charge of summer school admissions, unlike most universities. Because the summer school programs go through a similar process as the undergraduate admissions, and the same admissions group is in charge, they believe that giving the students who attended UChicago’s summer school programs an extra-early opportunity to apply will not only benefit the students by admitting them earlier, but also save some time for the admissions process since they’ve known the students’ basic grades and activities for college.

Stevenson College Counselors’ Perspectives:

I also interviewed Stevenson School’s College Center Coordinator Alicia Parker to gain more insight into her views on summer school programs specifically for high school students. She believes these programs are “excellent opportunities,” and some are pre-professional programs that allow students to attend research universities and participate in activities like this. Additionally, regarding some of the most prestigious programs that are offered to high school students, she agrees that these opportunities can enhance a student’s application and provide additional evidence of their abilities and strengths; however, nothing in the admissions process is guaranteed. She explains that these highly selective programs demonstrate students’ ability to transition to college in their first year. However, everything is two-sided: Parker mentions that students should be mindful before applying to summer school programs in general. For instance, students should ask themselves what they’re hoping to gain from this program, what opportunities they're giving up, and even the cost of the program before applying. Parker states that these opportunities usually come along with the “high price tags and a time commitment.” Most commonly, these programs last two to six weeks and cost roughly $6,000 to $12,000 for a residential program. As a result, from a business perspective, students should consider the costs and opportunity costs over those two to six weeks, such as internships and research opportunities. She says, “It is important to invest in your precious time.” Parker also advises students who might not want to invest their time and effort in these programs to pursue jobs and internships. She states how having jobs and internships, even overlooked by a cousin, is “really looked upon.” She believes that jobs and internships provide a sense of  “independence, dependability, and your maturity.” They can offer real-world experiences and the opportunity to explore a career or industry that would be a good fit. Sometimes, what a student learns and gains from an experience can be far more meaningful than the title or prestige associated with the opportunity.

In a nutshell, summer school programs are neither a “guaranteed boost” for admissions nor necessarily a waste of money. Their value depends largely on what students hope to gain from these various programs. However, students should not attend a program simply because of a famous university’s name. Before determining whether to apply, students should seriously consider their own interests, affordability, and perhaps most importantly, what else they could accomplish with the same time and money.