Summer 2027 · High school

Selective vs. pay-to-play summer programs

Judge a program by its work, selection process and full cost. A fee does not establish low quality, and a university logo does not establish selective admission.

Planning for 2027. Every date and price keeps its year. Confirm the current application window on the official site before you apply.

FreePaid or stipendOnlineIn personHybrid
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Catalog facts retain their cycle. Check the official sources before applying or paying.

  1. Purdue University College of Engineering Honors Program

    Seminar for Top Engineering Prospects (STEP)Remove
    Application deadline
    Not published
    Cost
    $2,5002026 cycle
    Financial aid
    2026: Need-based scholarship (after acceptance)
    Expenses and aid conditions
    2026: Need-based scholarship (after acceptance)
    Stipend or pay
    Not published
    Eligibility
    Grade 12 (provider uses rising grades)
    Additional eligibility
    Requirement: Open to rising grade 12; Requirement: Recommended (not required): three years of high-school math and one year of chemistry or physics completed before the program
    Session dates or duration
    Starts July 5, 2026; Ends August 1, 2026; 1 week2026 cycle
    Format
    In person
    Housing and supervision
    Residential
    Location
    West Lafayette, IN
    Selection and application
    Selection: Rolling review until limited sessions fill; waitlist afterward. No acceptance rate is published.
    Official sources
    Source 1 · checked Oct 24, 2026Source 2 · checked Aug 20, 2026Source 3 · checked Aug 20, 2026
The checklist

Five signals to check before applying or paying

  1. Acceptance rate
    Use a rate only if the organizer gives the cycle, number of applicants and number admitted. A low rate does not tell you what you will learn. If a program does not publish both numbers, treat its acceptance rate as unknown.
  2. Full cost
    Ask for tuition, application fees, deposits, housing, meals, travel and refund terms. A fee-based class can offer useful teaching; a fee alone does not establish either selectivity or quality.
  3. Stipend or pay
    Look for an amount, eligibility conditions and payment schedule. Distinguish student compensation from financial aid, prize money and tuition discounts.
  4. Essays and selection
    Read the actual application. Essays, recommendations, prerequisites or interviews can describe a selection process, but their presence does not prove an acceptance rate. Ask who reads the application.
  5. Who runs the program
    Check the organizer on its official site, the instructors and the day-to-day supervisor. Distinguish a university department's program from an outside provider renting campus space. Ask what feedback and work you will receive.

The catalog examples below show supported costs, stipends, organizers and application details. They are comparisons, not selectivity rankings. We do not assign an acceptance rate or label a named program pay-to-play without evidence.

Matching programs

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Showing 1–2 of 2 programs

Editor picks and selective programs first, then the soonest 2027 deadlines. No paid placements. Listings are ranked by fit, never by payment. Methodology.

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  • Youth About Business

    Youth About Business Summer Business Camp

    One-week residential New York M&A simulation for students who have completed ninth grade, preceded by a required virtual seminar and followed by optional conference and year-round programming.

    Cost
    $750–$3,000
    Who can apply
    Grades 10–12 and first-year college
    Program dates
    Jul 6–17, 2026 · 1 week(2026)
    Where
    In person or online · New York, NY
    BusinessResidentialCompetition
    Financial aid, requirements and sources

    Financial aid: Income-based scholarship rates. Families with household income below $150,000 pay less than 25% of the program cost.

    Costs beyond tuition: Conference Experience (Wall Street Conference & Healthcare Conference): $750–$1,500; Income-based scholarship rates. Families with household income below $150,000 pay less than 25% of the program cost.

    Requirements: Requirement: Open to grades 10–13; Requirement: Completed freshman year of high school before the Summer Business Camp; Requirement: Eligible through the summer following high school graduation; Requirement: No GPA requirement

    Selection and application: Selection: Applicants submit an essay and teacher recommendation; the FAQ says motivation matters and there is no GPA cutoff. Camp capacity is limited and admission is rolling. Championship Camp is by team performance and invitation. Application materials: One teacher recommendation; One-page essay

    Checked Official site

    Youth About Business logo
    CompareView program

  • IDEA MATH

    IDEA MATH Summer Online Programs

    Live 50-hour online math intensives: Math Challenges for rising grades 4-12 and Advanced Studies for grades 7-12, with placement-based small classes.

    Cost
    $1,695–$2,195(2026)
    Who can apply
    Grades 4–12 (rising)
    Program dates
    Jun 28 – Aug 11, 2026(2026)
    Where
    Online
    STEMDay programCompetition
    Requirements and sources

    Costs beyond tuition: 2026: Placement test: $50–$100. Non-refundable and non-transferable; special sessions cost $150 or more; Late fee after the tuition payment deadline: $200

    Requirements: Requirement: Open to rising grades 4–12; Requirement: Advanced Studies is for students in grades 7-12

    Selection and application: Selection: Placement is academic and capacity-limited rather than governed by a published acceptance rate. Likely class sizes were 6-12 in early prealgebra levels and 6-16 in others, with stated caps of 16 or 20.

    Checked Official site

    CompareView program
Before you apply

How to check costs, eligibility and dates

Use the concrete checks below alongside the catalog examples. Where a program publishes no acceptance rate, treat selectivity as unknown; price alone cannot establish it.

Each card shows what the program has published; open the official site for anything it leaves out. A date or price from an earlier year says so beside it, and format and location can change between cycles.

Selective vs. pay-to-play guideApplication guideHow we list programs

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Questions

Frequently asked questions

Are these programs confirmed for summer 2027?

These are existing catalog programs to research for 2027. Inclusion does not confirm a 2027 session or open applications. The cycle label matters: a 2027-cycle application deadline can fall in 2026. Dates explicitly labeled as the 2026 cycle are historical, and a detail the program has not published for 2027 is left off its card.

How should I compare program costs and formats?

Compare tuition, application fees, housing, meals and travel, then check whether attendance is online, on campus or hybrid. A free tuition offer may leave other expenses. A card shows only what the program has published; for anything it leaves out, open the official site.

Can a program pay to appear first?

No paid placements. Listings are ranked by fit, never by payment. By default, editor picks and programs whose official rules describe selective admission come first, and within each group the soonest 2027 deadline. You can sort by name, deadline or latest source check instead. Use the methodology page to understand catalog standards.

How do I save a program?

Open its catalog listing and sign in to save it to your plan. You can browse these pages and official program links without signing in.

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