A few weeks ago, I got my acceptance letter for a summer business program at Purdue University. Although I know I’m excited to go for the experience and learning opportunities I’ll hopefully have, I can’t help but take a second and look at the costs. While good for my career development, summer programs can mean giving up a lot.

As most high school students will tell you, much of what they do in high school is done in order to prepare for college, whether that’s getting good grades inside the classroom or building a resume outside of it. A big part of that is summer programs, especially ones that are hard to get into. Gaining these experiences and being part of a select few to do so can set you apart from the hundreds of other college applicants.

But, actually attending these summer programs can take away from the summer experience for a high school student. What is supposed to be two months of rest and relaxation can quickly lead to staying in an unknown environment for two weeks, all in the name of gaining an experience.

Although most summer programs are only a week long, some can be two weeks or even a month. Besides this, attending more than one program in a single summer soon transitions a restful two months off of school to only a few peaceful days spent at home. When students are already spread thin 10 months out of the year, there is no reason to continue to push ourselves more in the summer when we should be enjoying this time off while we still have it.

Along with time, the biggest price to pay for a summer is literally the price you’ll pay. A week-long program at Purdue University will cost over $700, while at a more prestigious institution it could be more than $6,000, according to Harvard. When no scholarships can be offered to families to reduce this cost, it can create a financial burden for families whose students just want to have an experience.

The cost of the program itself doesn’t typically cover everything either. The majority of the time, there are still application fees, room fees if you’re staying in a dorm and the price of food if it’s not provided to you. All of this can add up to a surprisingly costly week or two if you don’t check what’s included in the price and what’s not.

All in all, when you’re applying for a summer program for this summer, take a second to reflect first. If you’re like me, and you’re insanely excited and can’t wait for the experience, then go fill out that application. But if the only goal is just to put one more thing on your college resume, hold off and think about the costs first.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Camryn Lazard at [email protected].