<p>Momzie, because some people in a community like to support each other in the hope/expectation that if their child had a similar opportunity you would do the same or return the favor? </p>
<p>Anyway, more on topic- I think with any program, NYLC to Girls/Boys State, you’re not necessarily going to “get what you paid for” but you’ll get as much as an experience as you make it. A line in your application saying NYLC Summer 2009 might not mean much, but if you get a question in an interview along the lines of “what did you do last summer?” and can genuinely talk about the things you learned or the way it changed you, then that does say something to the officer about you. However, you might have something just as substantive and interesting to say after volunteering for a summer, which is usually cheaper and just as (or more) rewarding.</p>