<p>It seems to me that a well read student would be a better candidate for admission at most colleges, and a well read student would be more likely to have heard of nationally known summer programs in time to apply for them. Every highly desirable college admits some students who did no summer programs of this kind at all, and every nationally known summer program has some alumni who don’t get into their first-choice college, but neither of those facts is a reason to decry the summer programs discussed on this forum.</p>