The Most Rigorous Summer Programs for Silicon Valley’s Next Generation

Summer is here, and so is the crushing pressure of what camps or programs to sign your kid up for in order to impress on college applications. Looking to help your little one become the next Bezos? There’s a camp for that.

As it turns out: Play your cards right, and this time of year can be just as fruitful a period for college applications fodder as the school year itself. “Summer is a really wonderful time to explore interests,” said Christine Chu, a college admissions counselor with IvyWise and former assistant director of undergraduate admissions at both Yale University and Georgetown University. “Anytime before 11th grade is a great time to explore academic or extracurricular interests through a summer camp.…For older students, that’s when they can explore a particular interest more in-depth.”