Summer Programs and whether they are worth it?

I’m currently a freshman in highschool, and I was looking into some programs to do over the summer. I’m interested in math, business, and law. So far I have looked at the Summer institute for the gifted (SIG), and Browns Pre - college program. Are these programs really worth the money, and are they good learning opportunities? Along with that, are there any other summer programs that you would recommend? Thanks.

If you are interested and your parents can afford it there is nothing wrong with it just like any other summer camp. BUT it will not help you for college. The best summer programs are the ones you don’t pay for that are competitive to be selected for or internships/research in an area of interest. Volunteering and working are also good options that colleges respect.

Can you give any examples of competitive internships/ research opportunities that you mentioned above, and where to apply for these

For high school students, the internships/research opportunities would typically be location specific. Have you asked your school counselor or teachers what good experiences previous students have had in your area?

You can look on mysummeradvisor.com for academic summer programs. There is also an article about research programs for high school students, If your state has a Govenor’s School, that is a worthwhile experience. There is a thread about competitive summer programs on this site.

Summer programs can be worthwhile if you know what you want to get out of it. If you are thinking about a career in engineering, for example, a summer program can be very helpful in understanding what the profession is like, the academic experience, etc. It can help you craft a good admission essay, as well.

my daughter, then a freshman, did the Brown program. She was bored to death and it seemed totally unsupervised. I would not recommend it for any high school child (from a parent’s perspective). Seemed a little like leaving your child at home unsupervised with you and your spouse going away for a week. Sounds great if you are a 17 year old boy. As a parent, not so much.