If you are asking whether they are necessary to ensure you will gain admittance into an MT program, the answer is no. Every family’s financial situation is different. Summer programs vary. The one my son attended back in 2016 in San Francisco had representatives from universities across the country. A two-week intensive that focused on all three areas of MT, the audition process, song selection and monologue coaching. It helps, but certainly is not necessary. There are plenty of students auditioning who do not attend a summer program.