AI summer programs in California help students build projects, gain mentorship, and strengthen college applications. Explore the top 5.

INTRODUCTION What if the biggest threat to your child’s college application isn’t competition from other students — but the strategy most families are still using? It’s a provocative question, but one I ask parents often. Because while thousands focus on grades, clubs, and test-prep cycles, admissions offices increasingly prioritize evidence of intellectual initiative and proof of real-world capability . Here’s the second question parents rarely ask — but should: If every “