Warning: Your College Counselor Will HATE That I’m Exposing This… 👀

Look… I’m about to make a LOT of enemies in the college consulting world by exposing the truth about elite summer programs and why they’re a waste of money.

Like, “might-need-to-hire-security” levels of enemies.

But somebody’s gotta tell you the truth about these overpriced scams. And clearly, it ain’t gonna be the “experts” charging you $500/hour to recommend them.

The Hype Around Elite Summer Programs

Your teenager just bounced home, absolutely GLOWING about some fancy summer program at [Insert Prestigious University].

You know the ones…

The brochures look like a freaking Apple commercial crossed with a J.Crew catalog:

  • Perfect lighting.
  • Perfect smiles.
  • Perfect everything.

Students having profound conversations on pristine lawns.

(Because apparently, that’s what teenagers do now… have deep philosophical discussions while casually tossing frisbees.)

And the promises? “Transformative leadership experiences.”

(Translation: trust falls and making friendship bracelets… but make it ✨Ivy League✨.)

Let’s Talk About the Price

Twelve. Thousand. Dollars.
(Spits out $7 oat milk latte.)

And that’s not counting flights, spending money, or those “optional” weekend activities they guilt you into.

That’s more than HALF what my entire year of college cost in 2003.

What Elite Summer Programs Don’t Want You to Know

These camps are the education equivalent of those $50 “luxury” water bottles everyone’s flexing on Instagram.

You’re not paying for the water. You’re paying for the status symbol.

Just like these overpriced programs.

Why Admissions Officers Aren’t Impressed

Here’s the tea, straight from actual admissions officers…

You know, the people ACTUALLY reading your kid’s application?

They can spot these elite summer programs faster than we could spot fake Away Messages on AIM.

And they’re NOT impressed.

Why They Don’t Like Them

Because these programs don’t show initiative.

They show privilege.

It’s giving, “My parents bought me a BMW for my sweet 16 AND we summer in the Hamptons” energy.

I know that hurts. Especially if you already wrote that check. But somebody had to tell you.

What Colleges ACTUALLY Want in 2025

You wanna know what actually impresses admissions officers these days?

Real initiative.

The kind that shows:

  • Creativity.
  • Drive.
  • A desire to make an impact.

For example:

  • Starting a podcast interviewing local veterans about their stories.
  • Creating a solution to help small businesses compete with Amazon.
  • Running free weekly workshops teaching seniors how to avoid online scams.

Notice something about these activities?

They show real passion. Not just access to credit.

They create actual impact. Not just pretty Instagram posts.

And here’s the kicker—they cost almost nothing. Just time, creativity, and effort.

You know… the stuff colleges ACTUALLY care about when building their freshman class.

The Disconnect Between Admissions Offices and Summer Programs

Let’s be real…

The admissions office and summer program office are like Myspace and Facebook.

They exist in different universes but pretend the other doesn’t exist.

Admissions officers want authentic initiative, not shiny brochures.

The No-BS College Consulting You Need

I’ve been in this game for over 15 years.

And I limit myself to 5 families per month. Why?

Because I refuse to be one of those $500/hour consultants who just tells parents what they want to hear.

Want the REAL truth about what works in college admissions?

👉 Book a 20-Minute “No BS Strategy Session” with me.

I’ll tell you exactly what’s working in 2025.

  • No sugar coating.
  • No kickbacks.
  • No fluff.

Just straight talk from someone who’s seen behind the curtain and isn’t afraid to tell you the truth.

Already Paid for an Elite Summer Program?

Already dropped the cash? Don’t panic.

Book a call. I’ll show you how to squeeze some actual value out of it.

Think of it as turning lemons into… something admissions officers won’t roll their eyes at.

To Summer Program Directors

To all the summer program directors about to slide into my DMs with angry messages…

I said what I said.

Your prices are higher than my first student loan payment.

Fight me. 😎

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