Are Summer Programs for High School Students Worth It in 2026?

December 10, 2025

An increasing number of selective colleges now scrutinize how applicants spend their summers during high school. Some parents, in response to this trend, have blown thousands of dollars on summer programs for teens that may provide an enriching experience, but do little to distinguish their child from the rest of the applicant pool. Today, as a result, the majority of competitive colleges—including those in the Ivy League—offer at least one pre-college summer program, inviting high school students to explore campus, visit with faculty, and even take courses during the summer months. In today’s blog, we cover whether summer programs are worth it for high school students as well as the best types of summer programs to target.

Want to access our full searchable database of the best 2026 summer programs? Click below to sort summer programs by discipline and location, and view important data points such as tuition costs, deadlines, course listings, and more!

Best 2026 Summer Programs

Are summer programs for high school students worth pursuing?

They certainly can be, depending on the program. Summer programs for high school students typically fall into one of two camps: academic enrichment summer programs or selective, merit-based summer programs.

Let’s dig into both types:

What is an academic enrichment summer program, and how will I benefit from attending?

Academic enrichment summer programs are meant to help students explore subjects they are interested in, usually at an introductory or intermediate level. Since these programs often come with a higher price tag and accept most students who apply, they should be scrutinized closely as many do little more than drain your bank account. However, the best of the bunch provide a substantive level of academic challenge, requiring that students spend dozens of hours attending lectures, workshops, or lab sessions, completing homework, and working on research or projects.

The benefits of attending a solid academic enrichment program? You’ll demonstrate your intellectual curiosity and desire to challenge yourself, both of which are highly valued by colleges.

Luckily, in our database of Best Summer Programs for High School Students, we’ve already done the hard work for you of evaluating hundreds of programs, skimming off the cream and tossing aside the rest.

Here is a sampling of excellent options:

Art & Writing

Business & STEM

Multi-Disciplinary

Language Immersion

Best Selective Summer Programs for High School Students

Selective, merit-based summer programs provide intensive, advanced academic experiences for highly motivated students. They’ll often have a GPA minimum and require items like essays/portfolios, recommendations, test scores, transcripts, and even interviews. As a result, your acceptance and participation will provide compelling evidence of your academic strength and preparation, and thus carry admissions-related value. Better yet, they are typically low-cost or free to attend.

Below, you’ll find a sampling of our top picks:

Arts/Writing

Business

Leadership

Mathematics

STEM

For full lists of needle-moving activities and summer programs, head to College Transitions Gateway and check out our free “Extracurriculars That Matter” guides, available for students pursuing majors in the fine arts, business, computer science, engineering, the humanities, pre-law, pre-med, and STEM:

College Transitions Gateway

Create a free account or sign in to access expert planning guides, explore successful essays and applications, download email and resume templates, try the admissions calculator, and unlock exclusive scholarship opportunities.

Do Ivy League colleges offer summer programs?

Every Ivy League college offers summer programs, with the majority falling into the “academic enrichment” bucket. However, it’s important to note that your participation in an Ivy League summer program—however selective it may be—will not typically increase your odds of acceptance at that particular institution. Therefore, if you enroll in such a program, it should be because it’s a genuine fit for your interests (and wallet) and not because you have an ulterior motive.

Best Ivy League Summer Programs for High School Students

Brown University:

Columbia University:

Cornell University:

Dartmouth College:

Dartmouth Precollege Online Program

Harvard University:

Princeton University:

University of Pennsylvania:

Yale University:

Should I do a summer program, or try to land a summer internship?

It depends on how competitive the program is as well as the nature of your potential internship. With rare exceptions, internship opportunities at major corporations, nonprofit entities, media outlets, law firms, and government agencies are reserved for current college (undergraduate and graduate) students. It is very difficult for a high school student to beat out his or her older peers for an official internship position. Even those who beat the odds would rarely find themselves doing high-level, meaningful work at a particular institution.

However, it’s certainly worth checking out formal internship programs in your area of interest. You can also contact local businesses or nonprofit organizations directly and ask about potential internship opportunities. (Keep in mind that inquiries are more likely to be taken seriously if you’ve taken the time to create a relationship with the business or organization through past volunteering or shadowing.)

Check out our lists of excellent summer and full-year internship options for high school students here:

A final note: Parents are sometimes able to use their personal and family networks to help carve out an intriguing and worthwhile internship position for their teen. If you have a close friend or relative who is able to facilitate such an opportunity, that’s absolutely fine to pursue. However, this type of high school internship is unlikely to move the needle in the college admissions process as officers will understand it may be more about familial social capital than merit.

What about summer research opportunities?

Legitimate research opportunities can be just as scarce and hard to obtain as internships. Like internships, these opportunities tend to be location-specific & may only accept applications from local students. However, there are a solid number of highly selective, residential summer programs to check out. These include:

Looking for more options? Check out our blog: 54 Best Research Opportunities for High School Students.

I can’t travel to a summer program. Where can I find the best summer programs for high school students near me?

You’re in good company! Many teens opt to stay local, either out of preference or necessity. Search our Best Summer Programs database by region, or check out our Best Summer Program blog series for the following locations:

What if I can’t participate in a summer program at all?

It is important to note that participation in a summer program is not an essential step in one’s quest to earn admission into a selective college. In fact, the following activities can prove just as beneficial, both experientially and in an admissions sense:

Getting a paid job
Volunteering
Taking a course or two online
Taking a course or two at a local community college

What truly matters is that the activities your teen pursues during the summer align with their present/likely future academic plans. This alignment showcases your student’s passion, commitment, and dedication to their area(s) of interest—something that admissions officers at highly selective schools will take note of.

Best Summer Programs for High School Students —Final Thoughts

It is critical to understand that certain summer programs are viewed more favorably than others in the admissions process but, most importantly, the program should align with your future academic and professional aims. Even if an aspiring physician doesn’t gain acceptance into a highly competitive pre-med summer program, volunteering at a local hospital, shadowing a doctor at a medical office, or enrolling in a less selective pre-med/pre-health offering can still provide a near-equal boost to that future applicant’s profile.

If you have unlimited resources and your son or daughter feels they would benefit from the experience, attending a costly summer program can absolutely be beneficial from an enrichment standpoint. However, it is important to be realistic about what you’re paying for. And, if all else fails, don’t underestimate the value of a normal teenage summer experience like working a job, volunteering locally, or pursuing one’s artistic, athletic, or other recreational passions.

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Summer Programs

Andrew Belasco

A licensed counselor and published researcher, Andrew's experience in the field of college admissions and transition spans two decades. He has previously served as a high school counselor, consultant and author for Kaplan Test Prep, and advisor to U.S. Congress, reporting on issues related to college admissions and financial aid.