This article is adapted from The 500 Best Ways for Teens to Spend the Summer  by Neill Seltzer

Summer programs come in so many shapes and sizes that comparing them can get complicated. First, let's start with the basics:

Cost
This includes not only the price of the program, but also travel, equipment, insurance, medical check-ups, visas, and spending money. Remember that many programs provide scholarships.

Time
A two-week program will not have the same impact as a two-month program. "How long is the program?" and "When does it start?" are key questions to ask.

Program Requirements
Some programs will require essays and references; for other programs, you may need to schedule a physical or get some shots.

Curriculum
What are the main activities? Are students sailing, hiking, researching, playing an instrument, doing community service, or some combination of the above? How intensive is it?

Drug/Alcohol/Smoking Policy
Most programs have a zero-tolerance policy but will pass to parents the extra cost of sending a kid home early. Also, a zero-tolerance policy may exist on paper, but how aggressively that is enforced can vary considerably.

Safety
No matter what program you are looking at, at least one program staff person should always be with the participants. Can they evacuate a student if necessary? Are students supervised 24/7? Is the place they are staying secure? How many adults per kid are on duty at night?

Communication Policy
Can parents of participants call their children and vice versa? Will participants receive mail? Can they send mail? Can they check email? How often?

The Intangibles
Once you've covered the basics, how do you separate the truly meaningful programs from those that are just average? Here are some questions you should ask any summer program director prior to signing up with them. Any program worth your money and time should have thorough sensible answers to these questions:

• What is the mission of your company or program? Look for programs with a clear set of values and a concise, well-articulated mission statement.
  
  
• What is your staff return rate? If 70 percent of the leaders are brand-new, do you really know what you're getting?
  
  
• What percentage of the participants complete your program? A good program will help students overcome physical, intellectual, and cultural rigors when they come up.
  
  
• How do you spend your budget? Look for programs that invest in leader training, in-field experience, and a low student-to-staff ratio.
  
  
• Are students allowed to bring friends? Joining with friends can stunt personal growth. Good programs limit the friends a participant can bring to one or two, maximum.
  
  
• Do you use third-party contractors? Quality programs will be reluctant to give up their time to a third party.
  
  
• What hasn't worked for you in the past, and what have you done to fix it? Are they always looking for ways to improve? Are they actively responding to student, parent, and leader feedback?
  
  
• What makes your program special? When comparing programs with similar features, your decision will likely rest on those things that make one program stand out.
  
  
• Can I talk to past students and parents? Good programs should be able to give you at least twenty names from recent programs. Any less and you have to wonder why.