Last spring, I embarked on a quest to find academic summer camps for my high-schooler. If you haven’t yet navigated the overwhelming world of high school achievement and college application enhancements, let me give you a heads-up: it’s a fierce competition out there.
And by competition, I mean who can endure the most jam-packed schedules filled with AP classes, honor societies, clubs, jobs, volunteer work, and emerge as a cheerful, well-adjusted young adult, free from anxiety. And this is all before they even step foot on a college campus.
Just when your teenager finally collapses in exhaustion after a grueling school year, it’s time to further embellish that resume with “academic summer camps.” What? You weren’t aware that’s a thing? Oh, it absolutely is—a significant one. Attending school for 10 months and then flipping burgers in the summer simply doesn’t cut it anymore. Today’s teens are expected to spend their summers engaged in academic studies, charity work abroad, and some form of youth mentorship. And let’s not forget a part-time job, too.
But wait, there’s more. Even if your child can handle the academic demands of a summer program, your wallet might not be able to. I quickly realized this when searching for suitable summer options for my son, and I was in for a financial shock.
A four-day non-residential STEM program at a nearby state university was priced at over $1,700. Meanwhile, a two-week residential program in the same field at another university exceeded $3,500. Usually, I’m not caught off guard by education costs, as I’m already accustomed to hefty private school tuition. But for a four-day health science camp costing $1,700—what are they offering, a lecture by the surgeon general? After exploring various options across disciplines and community colleges, I found that these camp prices are standard for summer intensive academic experiences.
Then there are the summer sports training camps, which I like to dub the “We’re as good as the Olympic training center and you might need to mortgage your home” camps. Don’t worry, I’m sure your 8-year-old aspiring baseball star truly requires 80 hours of individual training from a former major league player at the bargain price of $1,000 per week.
And it doesn’t stop there. Do you have a child who excels in acting or music? Drama camps that host their own summer productions can easily run $500 a week. Who can afford these prices?
Not only are these fees far out of reach for lower-income families, but even middle-class families might struggle to send their high-achieving kids to these summer programs. Without the financial means to enhance their students’ college applications, they may find themselves at a disadvantage.
What happened to the days when you could drop your kids off at the local parks and recreation center for swimming, card games, and arts and crafts for just $10 a day? Can’t we offer affordable summer academic and extracurricular experiences for talented youth that won’t break the bank?
Moreover, what’s happened to colleges focusing on high school transcripts without bias against students who spent their summers working unglamorous part-time jobs instead of attending “prestigious” summer programs? Personally, I’d prefer a student who understands the value of hard work over one who spent weeks in a biomedical lab—no matter how impressive that sounds.
Ironically, if you offered affluent families the opportunity to have their kids learn the value of hard work, they might just pay a fast-food restaurant to hire their child.
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In summary, the pressure on today’s teens to excel academically in both school and during summer break is overwhelming, and the financial barriers associated with academic summer camps can leave many families feeling helpless. There needs to be a shift towards more affordable and accessible opportunities for all students, regardless of their economic background.