I agree that for some girls it can be a much needed chizuk to spend time in Eretz Yisroel in an atmosphere of Kedusha.
There is an initiative to make a program that is both a great chizzuk and also cost-friendly. A seminary can be based in a suburb or city not in Jerusalem, yet a religious location, for example Beitar, Kiryat Sefer etc. The year should be from Sukkos to Pesach, saving money by less flying and cheaper season. A shorter year costs less too. I haven’t time to write much now, but the idea is that seminar can be reat but some of the current options are a huge waste of money and entail spiritual risk.
I am curious to know what the girls who are flying right now to Israel would say if asked;
1) what is the main reason that they want to go?
2) What do they hope to accomplish there?
3) Are they aware of potential pitfalls?
That’s it for now.
just one more point regarding what some wrote that seminary helps Shidduchim chances. It is not necessarily true. I have friends who are only maskim to hear about girls who have not gone to seminary. If you do what is right, al pi daas torah, Hashem will arrange the right Shidduch b’shaa tova, amen!
ps. the views written here are not necessarily those of my wife, who went to seminary…