As this year’s rising seniors begin the college application process, they will no doubt wonder what they could have done to strengthen their resumes this past summer. Some considered launching a business or taking a part-time job. Others opted for volunteer work. Others, however, followed a new trend, attending pre-college camps, enrolling in structured academic programs that would look good on their applications and possibly give them leg up in admissions to a specific school. But as the popularity of these programs grows, so do questions about whether they’re worth their lofty price tags.
So, what exactly are pre-college camps? These programs allow high school students to experience college life by living on campus and studying for several weeks. Many camps have competitive application processes, requiring essays, transcripts and even interviews. Once admitted, students sleep in dorms, attend classes, and eat in dining halls, fully simulating the lives of college students.
Although these college camps can be pricey—for example, Harvard’s two-week pre-college summer program cost $5,800—they still offer benefits. For example, being able to experience a college campus and classes is helpful and can help seniors make that critical decision of what schools to apply to. Also, taking college-level courses can help a rising senior develop an idea of what to major in at college. Attending a summer college camp might also help rising seniors boost their applications to a variety of schools, and they’re certainly better than doing nothing at all.
Even with the advantages pre-college camps offer, they come with significant drawbacks. They’re expensive, making them inaccessible for many students. There’s also the question of whether these programs will help the high school attendee get into the host college. Many students attend these camps expecting a substantial boost to their applications, but that’s rarely the case. There are exceptions. MIT’s summer program–the MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering and Science, or MITES–has a highly selective admissions process, and boasts that some of its campers have matriculated at Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Brown and MIT. These selective programs can boost a senior’s resume. However, most pre-college camps are far less competitive and don’t carry the same weight with admissions officers; in such cases, a student would be better served by doing something else, purely from an admissions standpoint. It is also crucial to understand that many college camps are run by third parties, who have no direct connection to the admissions department at the college.
I recently interviewed Pelham resident Donato Giuseppi, a student at Fordham Preparatory High School who has attended Boston College’s summer programs for the past two years. When asked about his experience, he said, “I formed close friendships that lasted beyond the programs, and experienced an authentic glimpse into campus life. The academic content was engaging, as you can tailor it to your interests, and left me more excited than ever about the college experience.”
The question of attending a pre-college summer program is a personal decision. Being taught by an actual college professor, on a college campus, in the company of other high-level students, is a valuable experience. However, enrolling in the program with the hope that it will get you into a specific college would be a mistake. For those who understand the benefits and limitations of these pre-college summer programs and are comfortable with the cost, enjoy the experience.
