Can I have advice on which summer programs I should apply to?

Hello, I am currently a junior and I am planning to apply to precolleges for the summer. I only want to apply to three because of money and because of the hassle of applying and getting recommendations. The precollege programs I am considering are below. Please let me know which ones are the most rewarding and also which ones have a good acceptance rate.

Carnegie Mellon Summer Academy for Math and Science
Yale Young Global Scholars
Duke University Summer Academy
NYU Precollege for Science courses
Summer@Brown

If there are other good precollges, please recommend them to me. Thank you!

Hi,
I participated in the NYU Precollege program last summer and it was a great program if you want a quick and easy application. There is no fee nor is there any letters of rec required. YYGS is the most selective of the bunch and looks the best on a resume but has the most labourous application

Hi Rahul,

Are the NYU precollege courses taught by NYU professors or someone outside? Does NYU precollege program help for NYU college admissions? Thank you!

They are taught by NYU profs and the classes are with NYU students. It does not help for NYU admissions

Carnegie Mellon Summer Academy for Math and Science is definitely the best. The Duke University Summer Academy, NYU Precollege Summer Program, and Summer@Brown are widely considered cash-grabs by most people, and I would not recommend applying to these programs (unless you can afford it). The Yale Young Global Scholars has an acceptance rate of around 30-40%, and may or may not look prestigious. CMU SAMS is definitely the way to go, as the most prestigious and least cost (free) out of these options. (Edit: I just realized this post is from 3 years ago oops)