Summer Programs for High School Students: What’s Actually Worth Your Time?

If you’ve ever gone down the Reddit or College Confidential rabbit hole, you’ve probably seen endless debates over summer programs. Some folks swear they’re glorified babysitting. Others treat them like a one-way ticket to the Ivy League.

Here’s the truth: summer programs are tools, not trophies. Used well, they can sharpen your skills, expand your worldview, and open doors. Used poorly, they’re just expensive ways to kill time. Whether a program “helps” your application depends less on the name brand and more on the story and skills you walk away with.

How Do You Know If a Summer Program Is Actually Valuable?

Not all summer programs are created equal. Some will help you grow; others are thinly disguised cash grabs. Ask yourself the following:

1. Does the program require real effort to get in?

Programs with a barrier to entry—essays, recommendations, GPA minimums, interviews—tend to offer more rigorous and enriching experiences. “Apply here” is different from “Pay here.”

💡 Red flag: If the main requirement is a credit card, admissions officers won’t be impressed.

2. Who’s leading it—and what will you do?

Is the content taught by university faculty or professionals in the field? Will you sit through lectures all day, or will you get your hands dirty with projects, experiments, case studies, or presentations?

💡 Pro tip: Programs that let you create a final product (research paper, startup pitch, data project) are more impressive than those that don't leave you with anything tangible.

3. Will you meet smart, driven peers?

High-level peer engagement is one of the most underrated parts of summer programs. If the program pulls together curious, collaborative students, it can be a launchpad for lifelong connections and future opportunities—like research with a mentor, a nonprofit startup, or a strong LOR.

4. Is it aligned with what you want to explore?

Don’t apply to a neuroscience camp because you think “admissions officers like science.” Apply because you’re curious about the brain. Use programs to explore real interests, not to play admissions bingo.

A Few Summer Programs That Punch Above Their Weight

Here are several programs that offer substance, not just status:

UC Santa Barbara Summer Research Academies

✔ Real research methodology

✔ Interdisciplinary (STEM + humanities tracks)

✔ Faculty mentorship

Great for: Students still figuring out their academic niche but eager to build foundational research skills.

MIT’s Research Science Institute (RSI)

✔ Fully funded

✔ Mentorship by leading STEM researchers

✔ College-level research output

Great for: Top-tier STEM students who want the gold standard of high school research.

Wharton Global Youth: Moneyball Academy

✔ Uses actual sports data sets

✔ Final capstone project in sports analytics

✔ Taught by Wharton faculty

Great for: Stat nerds, baseball fans, and anyone curious about applying math in the real world.

Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS)

✔ Seminar-style learning with Yale instructors

✔ Focus on international affairs, ethics, law, and innovation

✔ Hands-on, discussion-based curriculum

Great for: Debaters, activists, and students interested in interdisciplinary global issues.

Harvard Ventures Tech Summer Program (HUVTSP)

✔ Internship placement with real startups

✔ Selective admissions process with interviews

✔ Combines tech, business, and innovation

Great for: Aspiring entrepreneurs, future founders, or product-focused techies.

Can’t Afford a Fancy Program? Some of the Best Ones Are Free

If the price tag gives you sticker shock, here are fully funded programs that still pack a punch:

• Princeton Summer Journalism Program – For students from underrepresented backgrounds interested in journalism. Offers professional mentorship and publication experience.

• Telluride Association Summer Seminar (TASS) – Intensive humanities and social justice curriculum; free and highly selective.

• Clark Scholars Program – Research across disciplines (STEM + humanities) with Texas Tech faculty. Paid stipend included.

• Stanford SIMR – Biomedical research experience with Stanford mentors. Free and ideal for future MDs or bio majors.

What If You Skip a Program Altogether?

Totally fine. Some of the most impressive students I’ve worked with never attended formal summer programs in high school. Instead, they:

• Built a personal website or app

• Interned at a local nonprofit or startup

• Launched a community initiative

• Conducted independent research or pursued a creative project

• Took online college-level courses and published blog-style reflections on them

The common denominator? They created something. Whether it’s a project, a portfolio, or a deeper understanding of their passions, they walked away with something to show and talk about.

So… Are Summer Programs in High School Worth It?

Here’s when they are:

✅ You’re genuinely interested in the subject

✅ The experience pushes you to grow, think, or create

✅ You make connections with mentors or peers

✅ You can build on the program afterward (with independent work, deeper study, etc.)

And here’s when they’re not:

❌ You’re only doing it for name recognition

❌ You feel pressured because your friends are all doing something

❌ You’re not actually excited about the program content

Final Word: Growth > Prestige

Summer should be a time to grow—not just pad your résumé. Whether you’re learning to code, diving into quantum physics, writing op-eds, or interviewing your grandparents for an oral history project, choose substance over sparkle.

Admissions officers aren’t impressed by the name of a program; they’re impressed by what you got out of it—and how you carried that forward.

So whatever you choose this summer, make it real. Make it yours.