Cal Poly SLO summer architecture program

I think if your student is interested in studying architecture in college, then the program is likely worth the expense, or if you just have unlimited funds to put toward their interests, great. Our HS kid did a week long summer program at SLO (not architecture) but it ended up being remote due to Covid. They were college students running it, but it seemed to be good (and less $$ due to remote). If your kid is interested in doing it because they are interested in attending SLO however, I wouldn't consider it a 'boost' since the CSU's don't have holistic admissions, but that's a different issue.

My child did the program during the Covid era so it was all online (live instructors and classmates, but virtual), so our experience was a little different than the live-in event. They enjoyed it, although I will say that the main thing they learned was that they wanted to study a different kind of engineering and not architecture. But that was useful to know, too! There were a lot of interesting hands-on projects, like building a maquette and playing with cardboard to understand light and angles. And I imagine if Cal Poly is one of the schools your child is considering, it gives a nice glimpse into campus life and vibe, too.