Summer Programs Create a Strong Camps-to-College Pipeline
By LISA KNOX
It can be an onerous task for colleges and universities to host camps and programs each summer. The costs to facilitate meaningful programming for hundreds of junior high and high school students can easily run into the hundreds of thousands annually. There is housing and entertainment, care and feeding, dozens of temporary staff to train and monitor, and strict safety rules that require diligence and careful planning. So why do it? Is it worthwhile? According to Saint Mary’s College leadership—and the data—the answer is yes.
This summer, 527 students participated in one or more of the 11 sessions offered at the College. The programs ranged in price from $300 for day camps to $995 for a week-long overnight. Most sessions were full, many filled in record time.
However, revenue is not the most compelling reason summer camps and programs are valuable for the College. National trends show that high school students attending summer camps or pre-college programs on university campuses have a significantly higher likelihood of applying to those specific host colleges. It is in this recruitment pipeline that the numbers really prove the investment to be worthwhile for Saint Mary’s.
"There is something transformative about the week these students spend here. They don't just learn about the College; they find their voice. When they enroll, they aren't strangers to our campus culture—they're already a part of it. They come to us with a built-in confidence, carrying that initial excitement and deep-seated connection from their summer experience right into their first year as students."
- Sarah Gallagher Dvorak, Dean of Enrollment Management and Marketing
For example, the Healthcare Institute—one of the College’s most popular pre-college programs—just completed its fifth year. According to Sarah Gallagher Dvorak, Dean of Enrollment Management and Marketing, 65 campers from the program’s first four years reached their senior year of high school. Of those, 36 applied to Saint Mary’s, 34 were admitted, and 18 deposited.
“These numbers are bearing the fruit of what we planned for when envisioning what pre-college programming could mean for the College”, Gallagher Dvorak said. “They show that we are providing programming that students want — that our camps provide an experience that students want. We are meeting students where they are, and they find the experience so positive they want to continue at Saint Mary's."
Deposits from the Forensic and Business and Marketing institutes are also on the rise and have yielded another 13 deposits for the Class of 2030. Even the Sustainability Institute, which was on a hiatus in 2026, yielded 8 applicants and 3 deposits this year.
"There is something transformative about the week these students spend here. They don't just learn about the College; they find their voice,” Gallagher Dvorak said. “When they enroll, they aren't strangers to our campus culture—they're already a part of it. They come to us with a built-in confidence, carrying that initial excitement and deep-seated connection from their summer experience right into their first year as students."
Jennifer Riggs, MSN, is on the faculty at Saint Mary’s and has helped lead the summer Healthcare Institute for all four years. She sees the impact the program has on students, how it opens their eyes to a possible future in healthcare, as well as a future at Saint Mary’s.
“The Healthcare Institute is a collaboration between multiple departments including nursing, biology, speech-language pathology, social work, Spanish, and more,” Riggs said. “Campers learn from various SMC faculty, and see over and over how the faculty are sincerely invested in them and the future of healthcare. This says a lot about our campus community and culture.”
Riggs sees it as her mission to drive home the impact of a Saint Mary’s education, and to help campers see themselves here. That approach is replicated in camp staff.
“The counselors—current Saint Mary’s nursing students—try to set the tone on day one that healthcare is a team sport and that having an understanding of and respect for every role will benefit all involved and most importantly our patients,” Riggs said. “They go above and beyond to care for the campers and share why they love Saint Mary’s and healthcare. They are great role models, and their positive energy is contagious.”
She added that “because of our camp experience together, those who come to the Healthcare Institute are part of the SMC sisterhood regardless of where they decide to go to college or what future career they choose.”
Allison Perrino ’29 and Phoebe Schultz ’28 first met and became good friends at the Healthcare Institute in 2023. Schultz went to Clemson her freshman year and when that didn’t work out, she transferred to Saint Mary’s for her sophomore year and says that she is much happier now! The two girls stayed in touch and even visited each other multiple times.
“Attending the healthcare institute and making connections like I did with Phoebe not only helped solidify my decision to come to Saint Mary’s, but also it demonstrated the true power of the SMC sisterhood!,” Perrino said.
“I believe that the success of our program stems from the sense of belonging that we try to provide all of our campers,” Riggs said.
August 27, 2026