Agree with #ChuoShinkansen that the free programs are more selected and prestigious than the ones that cost a few thousands dollars.
For example, the 4-weeks long Governor’s Schools that are offered by each State are free and highly selective. Students live on college campus during the summer after their high school junior year to take various enrichment classes of their interests, but they need to apply during the Fall term of their junior year and be nominated by their high schools.
There were other summer programs which we contemplated in sending our kids. We even went to a few open houses and realized that these pay-to-play programs really wanted our money more than valuing the talents of our kids. In the end, it didn’t make any difference in the college applications that my kids did not attend any of these enrichment summer camps, but I suspect that it made a huge difference for DD as being selected as a Governor’s School scholar.