This kind of Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt is just one more reason for parents to stop fretting over whether an activity “looks good” to colleges and just do what they believe is best for their child as a person (as opposed to their child as a future Harvard student). If you have the money lying around and you don’t want your kid lying around for the summer, then sending them to an expensive camp that they will love is perfectly fine. Other parents, whether for financial or philosophical reasons will insist that their kid gets a job for the summer.