PS–My D did a summer program at NYU through Steinhardt and was told she didn’t have to even audition for the undergrad program. She did need to apply and be accepted to NYU academically. (One super talented kid who was also accepted talent wise after the summer, did not have the academics to be accepted.)
But attending a summer program helped D get her acceptance and helped get the merit aid in the end since she had a relationship with the head of the program and he fought for her.
So even though a summer program may be expensive, if it helps with more $ down the road, it may be a worthwhile investment.