Spring is when parents search for summer programs for their students with an eye toward improving their admissions chances at selective colleges. Alas, there is now a toxic “arms race” in extracurricular activities, particularly for STEM students. One colleague has even proclaimed that a “STEM resume” is critical to winning admission to STEM programs at very selective colleges. While I will not go that far, too many students fail to focus on extracurricular activities at the beginning of their high school careers.

The good old days

When I started college counseling in 2015, the bar was reasonably low. Students needed to show sustained commitment to one or two after-school activities, be they clubs, student government, or athletics (we called them “sports”). A separate academic interest or interesting hobby was a bonus. The competition among elite students winning science fairs and math competitions, researching in university labs, playing in local symphony orchestras, and starting non-profit companies was mainly reserved for those competing for admission to “Ivy Plus” colleges (the Ivy League plus MIT, Princeton, and Stanford).

Part of the reason for this period of relative sanity was the paucity of such activities. Apart from a few competitive summer programs (e.g., HSHSP, RSI, SAMS, SUMaC, Telluride), there were few spaces in reputable programs for elite students. Most university labs were not particularly interested in high school students (and still are not). The phenomenon of parents spending thousands of dollars to help their children start (and then quietly wind down) non-profit companies was just getting underway.

Do you have money?  We have programs!

The landscape is very different now. Public and private providers offer dozens of summer and semester-length programs. Although most of these are STEM-related, there are others oriented toward serving those planning to study the liberal arts. For a lengthy list of private and public programs, courses, internships, and research opportunities, some elite and others less so, see 62 Best Research Opportunities for High School Students – College Transitions.

Over the last decade, dozens of colleges started their own summer programs. Now, it’s hard to find a “name brand” college without one. Just search for “summer college programs.”

You will probably enjoy yourself and learn a lot by attending one of these programs. Alas, they are quite expensive. Some parents justify the cost by hoping that their students will gain insight into what they want to study in college. More may hope that attending will confer an edge in admissions.

There are two issues here when evaluating whether these programs will give you an admissions advantage. First, if you later apply to the college sponsoring the program, are you more likely to get in? The colleges state that you will receive no advantage, and my experience confirms their claim.

Second, do these programs help your college admissions chances generally?  A good rule of thumb is that if a program is open to all and costs thousands of dollars, it will not give you much of an advantage in college admissions. Counselors call these “pay-to-play programs.” Although attending might be a useful way to show that you are doing something productive with your time, there are far cheaper ways to accomplish this goal.

Note: This does not include substantive classes offered by colleges and community colleges in the summer. You can use these courses to fill gaps in your transcript or to extend your resume. Students who have finished Calculus BC can certainly add value by taking a course in Differential Equations or Multivariant Calculus. But those can be taken online without spending thousands of dollars to go live at a college campus.

Among the sea of offerings, there are a handful of competitive and prestigious programs. They are usually free or inexpensive, and can provide a significant – and sometimes even decisive – admissions advantage. Many of the programs on this list qualify: 30 Most Prestigious Summer Programs for High Schoolers in 2024 | CollegeVine Blog. These programs often require students to write essays and complete problem sets.

A fair number of the programs on this list are designed for members of underserved communities. Some of these are prestigious, and some less so.

Note:  if you plan to build a resume of summer programs to lay the foundation for applying to the most selective colleges, start your planning when you enter high school. Although most programs are for sophomores, juniors, and seniors, the most prestigious programs assume experience garnered from similar endeavors in previous years. For example, one of my recent students got into PROMYS (a prestigious math camp) on the second try, after not having been selected as a junior. Many college summer semester courses are in series, with a foundational course in the first year setting the stage for more advanced work upon your return.

Do you have more money?  We have STEM research projects!  We can even get your student’s “scientific work” published!

With university labs still relatively uninterested in high school students, private firms are racing to offer one-on-one research opportunities. For a large fee, these outfits will pair your student with a mentor, often a graduate student but sometimes a real live professor, who will supervise them in doing scientific research. Some of these companies have started “journals” to publish the students’ work. This new trend is so “hot” that you can find articles comparing various providers. See e.g., Top 20 Online Research Opportunities for High School Students (this link does list a few free providers outside of this mold, but the majority fit my description).

Do I recommend this approach?  No.

Allow me to speak plainly: most of these private research outfits are a pox on the landscape of academia and college admissions. They have turned what should be a free-form activity that enriches a student’s academic experience into just another hurdle to admission – a very expensive one, at that. Most undergraduates do not even do this sort of research in college. Very few high school students would do this on their own or will benefit from doing so. Don’t take my word for it – read The Newest Way to Buy an Advantage in College Admissions — ProPublica.

Colleges did not ask for such mentorships; aside from a few misguided Ivy League admissions departments quoted in the article, I doubt that completing this “research” will make a difference to most colleges. It seems likely that a few scandals and more media exposure will make such “research experiences” a red flag in college admissions. But I could be wrong. Caveat emptor.

These experiences are light-years apart from internships in an industry or university laboratory. If you can get one of those, grab it. But without family connections or a specific program offered by your school in conjunction with a local university, these will probably be difficult to come by. 

You do not need a “program” to pursue extracurricular activities that will impress colleges  

Let’s start with the basics. Students must carve out time for extracurricular activities. This can be particularly difficult for some of my clients whose families are laser-focused on academic achievement, but it is very important for admission to selective colleges.

Without some variety in your life that is reflected in your application, your chances of admission at many selective universities will suffer.

What extracurricular activities are useful?  Any activity that makes you interesting. But do not be a dilettante – focus on one or two interests and commit sustained time and attention to them.

Fortunately for families who rely on their children to bring in income, most colleges value the dignity of work, and most after-school jobs provide fertile ground for essays. One of my students turned weeks of waitressing at a sports bar into a compelling essay about dealing with unpleasant customers. Others will have more uplifting experiences to share.

Still, while a job is worthy, if you can afford to do so, consider spending that time seeking knowledge in ways that colleges will appreciate. Select one of your hobbies and really dig into it. Take and complete free(!) online courses in interesting topics from dozens of universities, including MIT and Stanford, and some for a modest expense from companies such as Coursera, EdX, and Udemy. Or take and complete courses from your community college. Collect certificates in fields from computer science to EMT services.

Do you love to write? Participate in writer’s workshops and enter creative writing competitions. Are you interested in public affairs? Intern for a newspaper, public interest organization, or even a political campaign. Are you in Boy or Girl Scouts? Work toward an Eagle or Gold award. Does your school encourage students to enter science fairs? Take advantage of that opportunity.

If you are an athlete, you may wish to work on your sport even if you are not competitive for a college athletic scholarship. If you have artistic and musical talents, take your practice up a notch. Join an ensemble, band, orchestra, or art or dance studio. Enter a competition or two – even a minor award gives you something to list as an honor or to discuss in an essay. These can be public competitions or competitions organized by your studio.

Family connections can be very useful. If your family has a connection with a university, apply for a volunteer position at a lab. Is a relative a healthcare provider?  See if you can land a position in their clinic. Does your family own a business?  Look for opportunities to participate. One of my students who plans to become an industrial engineer wrote about how what he saw while working the summer at his father’s business informed his career plans and his outlook on how people and organizations function.

Finally, what activities should you avoid? Do not assume that organized travel tours with a service component count – they have been disfavored for years. See Mission Accomplished?  Maybe Not Anymore. Travel can be enriching, but consider only listing domestic trips that do not appear to denote privilege.

Get out of your bedroom and make something happen

Even if your activities do not count for admissions purposes, they may make you a more interesting person. You may even find an activity you will enjoy for the rest of your life.

Pay for a guided experience or create your own. Just do something other than enjoying a nice, lazy summer. In today’s hypercompetitive college admissions environment, rest is simply not an option.