Columbia summer program for high school students?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
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Can anybody share impressions about Columbia University summer program for high school students?

My son (HS junior) has been accepted into Columbia summer high school program. We are debating whether this will be worthwhile experience for him. From my POV, here is the cost/benefit analysis

ADVANTAGES: My son is an excellent student, but attends an urban high school in the midwest that sends few kids to top colleges. His school counselors are not savvy about how to help students apply to selective schools. I am hoping experience at college summer program (assuming he does well academically) will make him a more competitive applicant in the fall (yes, I understand there are some caveats here, see below).

That’s the academic part. I also see some personal advantages. My son has only a vague notion of college or what it takes to get into a selective college. Most of his local peer group will probably go to schools in our region of the midwest. Few will attend highly-selective schools outside the area. I am hoping the experience of being around ambitious kids from other parts of USA or world will broaden his horizons. I expect summer program “preview” will help him envision what he wants in college and get him excited about a place like Columbia (knowing him, I am pretty sure he will love it).

DISADVANTAGES: Expensive. Displaces other summer activities (work, camping trips, possibly SAT prep if needs to retake). Some info I have read suggests summer HS programs (eg, Columbia, Harvard, etc) are not necessarily viewed positively by admissions officers. That said, I do wonder if that applies more to affluent kids who already attend elite schools and enjoy advantages like expensive test prep programs. In our case, I suspect it might be an advantage because our public high school is mediocre and good performance at Columbia might be viewed in more positive light.

I would welcome any specific comments about Columbia summer program (especially from kids who attended or their parents) or advice on situation described above.

Thanks!

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None of the elite college summer programs help with admissions to elite colleges - they’re just money makers for empty dorm rooms and jobs for adjuncts and grad students. Doing well in Columbia’s summer program does nothing for anyone in 212 Hamilton (admissions). So just take the admissions considerations out of the equation.

That being said, there is nothing wrong with them. Students tend to love them because it is a taste of life without parents! Think of them as an academic version of summer camp in the woods. An earnest student will get some solid educational opportunities and the independence may foster greater maturity. A less earnest student will just have a ton of fun and make new friends. They pretty much all offer test prep, so your son won’t miss out on that.

If you’re considering alternatives, it is much cheaper to send your child on a foreign language home-stay. Most are cheaper than the college summer programs. Your son would improve his foreign language skills immensely and really test his ability to be on their own in a new and different place.

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We decided to pass on Columbia. Son and parents would have been delighted to go, but cost was prohibitive. We will do program closer to home in midwest. This program will be better fit in some ways and not so good a fit in others, but that’s life. Thanks for reply!