Why do Pre-College summer programs cost so freaken much?

Question

I just got accepted to johns hopkins pre college and they want me to cough up $6,500!!!! That's BULLSHIT.

Answer 1

I don't think anything is cheap anymore. But you know, Johns Hopkins is quite a reputable institution...they can afford to charge those kind of prices. As it is for me...I'm considering transferring from the itty bitty college where I've been going the past two years to the university where I now work, even though I don't really want to - but only because tuition here is waived for employees and tuition at my college is going up in the fall.

Answer 2

That's 'cause JHU is private. Then again, what's an academic advantage worth to you?

I did a summer program ten years ago at UC Santa Barbara. Mine cost about $1000, but I know a few people who had financial aid bring their tuition down to $300.
http://www.summer.ucsb.edu/precollegeprograms/earlystart/description.html

I earned real college credit and took real college classes (Econ 1 and College Writing). My roommate from the program is still one of my best friends. I even met my boyfriend there (priceless!).

Oh, and many of us went on to places like Berkeley (me and the bf), UCLA (roommate) and a bunch of Ivies.

If you want to go cheaper, you can take some classes at the community college instead. The appeal of these pre-college programs, though, is that many offer research gigs (which you can't find at a JC). And many are residential, so you live in the dorms for the duration of the program. That brings in more of the college experience.

Anyway, it's not too late to enroll with a different program if you think $6500 is too much.