March 2026
If you’re a Bend-area parent of a high school student, you’ve probably had this moment:
You hear about a “prestigious” summer research program at a famous university, glance at the price tag, and wonder -- Are we falling behind if we don’t do this?
You are not alone. And the short answer is: probably not.
The Myth of the “Golden Ticket” Summer
There’s a growing industry built around summer programs that promise exposure to research, elite faculty, and -- implicitly -- a leg up in college admissions. Many of these programs are well-run and educational. But here’s the part that’s less advertised:
most of these programs do not meaningfully improve a student’s chances of admission to selective colleges.
Admissions offices understand the difference between a student who pays to attend a program, and a student who creates something meaningful on their own initiative.
This isn’t cynicism -- it’s pattern recognition. Colleges are looking for evidence of curiosity, initiative, and follow-through, not just participation.
Why This Matters for Bend Families (Or Any Small-town Families)
Living outside a major metro area can create a subtle anxiety:
Are we missing access to opportunities that other families just assume?
In reality, Bend students often have a hidden advantage:
A strong sense of independence
Access to real community relationships
Opportunities to engage in meaningful, place-based work
These are exactly the ingredients that lead to the kinds of experiences colleges value most.
What Actually Does Matter
From years of working with students (and from what admissions offices consistently say), the most valuable summer experiences tend to have three characteristics:
Student-driven: the idea originates with the student -- not a brochure.
Mentor-connected: the student reaches out (often awkwardly at first!) to an adult who knows more than they do.
Something tangible comes out of the experience: a research paper, a service project, a website that helps others, a community initiative, a prototype or design.
This is what I encourage in my own work with students.
A Different Model: The “Dress Rehearsal”
Instead of enrolling in a packaged program, I guide students to:
Identify a question or area of interest
Reach out to local professionals, professors, or organizations
Build a relationship with a mentor
Carry a project forward over time
In other words, they practice what they will eventually need to do in college anyway. We could describe this as “dress rehearsal for college.”
And yes -- this process can be uncomfortable at first. Writing that first email to a potential mentor is a small act of courage. But that’s precisely the point.
A Confession (and a Laugh)
Every day, I receive emails that begin, “Dear Joanne…”
They go on to invite me to enroll my students in a “high-powered,” “selective,” “transformational” summer research experience -- often run by someone with a Harvard Ph.D.
As it happens, I also have a Harvard Ph.D. So naturally, I’ve begun to wonder, have I missed my true calling in life? Should I, too, be launching a “high-powered” summer institute, and charge $12,000?
It appears to be a thriving business model.
But humor aside, these emails reinforce something important: there is a market incentive to create programs that sound essential, whether or not they actually are.
What to Do Instead
If you’re deciding how your student should spend the summer, consider this simple test: will this experience require my student to take initiative, build relationships, and create something meaningful?
If the answer is yes, it’s likely worthwhile -- whether it costs money or not.
If the answer is no, even a prestigious name may not add much value.
A Reassuring Bottom Line
You are not behind. Your student does not need to purchase access to opportunity.
In fact, the most compelling students I work with are often those who start small, stay local, reach out, and build something that reflects their own curiosity.
That kind of experience is harder to package -- and harder to sell -- but it’s exactly what colleges recognize as authentic.
If anything, Bend students don’t need more programs.
They need permission to believe that. . .
what they can build
from where they are
is already enough.
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Be in touch if you'd like to explore a "Purpose Project" for your Sophomore/Junior student -- that reflects their interests and demands their initiative.