If you are an ambitious high school student looking to gain in-depth knowledge in STEM-related fields, consider applying to pre-college programs!
Almost all universities offer pre-college programs in some capacity, including Ivy League colleges. What’s more, some prestigious universities have begun offering their pre-college programs completely online, so you can engage in college-level academics virtually!
These programs are at par with undergraduate courses offered by the institute and conducted by their faculty, so you will get to experience college academics, explore potential majors, and plan for your research trajectory in a subject. If you are interested in a particular subject and know a university with the best program in that field, their pre-college program will likely help you gain a head start academically.
Whether you are looking for research-oriented, enrichment, or credit courses, pre-college programs offer many options that can help you work on an advanced skillset and gain in-depth experience in your field of interest. So, keep reading, as we cover 14 online pre-college programs suitable for high school students.
1. Horizon’s Academic Research Program (HARP)
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, chemistry, neuroscience, psychology, and more! It is one of the very few research programs for high school students that offers a choice between quantitative and qualitative research!
Once you select a particular subject track and type of research you’ll be paired with a professor or Ph.D. scholar (from a top university) who will mentor you throughout your research journey. You’ll work to create a 20-page, university-level research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student.
This program is a solid opportunity for you to pursue a research program in highly specialized fields, under the guidance of a top scholar. The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student, as well as detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects and college applications. Apply here!
Location: Virtual
Subject Areas: Data science, Machine learning, Political theory, Biology, Chemistry, Neuroscience, Psychology
Application Date: September 25, 2024 for the fall cohort
Program Dates:
Fall seminar - October 23, 2024 - February 19, 2025
Lab dates are flexible, but you must apply 4 weeks in advance.
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! Only a couple of tracks require formal prerequisites, more details of which can be found here.
Rice University offers comprehensive online pre-college programs covering subject areas such as medicine, entrepreneurship, economics, engineering, law, and more. The courses are designed by and in most cases, taught by acclaimed Rice University professors, offering you university-level lectures which you can attend at your own pace!
These programs are conducted on the Canvas platform and you will access the lectures through pre-recorded videos.
The online pre-college programs at Rice are essentially academic enrichment courses ranging from 2 to 4 weeks in length, totaling up to 30 hours of instruction and activities per course. You are graded on assignments after every lecture and the course culminates with a capstone project that will help you demonstrate your knowledge!
We have discussed the pros and cons of the program in detail, which you can check out here.
Location: Virtual
Subject Areas: Genomics, Medicine, Engineering, Psychology, Aerospace, Physiology
Cost: $1,495. Limited scholarships are available and you will be able to access the scholarship form on the portal alongside the application
Application Date: Application deadlines are one week before the commencement of every course
Program Dates: Multi-length courses available throughout the year
Eligibility: All students between the ages of 13 to 19 years are eligible to apply.
Stanford University is renowned for its academic rigor and has an extensive online pre-college program offering academic enrichment, credit, and even transcripts. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies has multiple online offerings covering subject areas, including business, bioscience, engineering, computer science, data science, natural sciences, creative writing, engineering, math, philosophy, and more.
These are university-level courses, which, you can take at your own pace, though midterm and final exams must be taken as per schedule. These courses provide single-subject intensive study and you will benefit from small class sizes and academically motivated peers. Students attending Stanford Pre-Collegiate University-Level Online Immersive will also receive 5 units of Stanford credits!
P.S. - If you are interested in math and have a solid academic record in the subject, the Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC) is a good fit for you. Here you will be a part of a select group of rising high school juniors and seniors from around the world for intensive study in advanced mathematics.
Location: Virtual
Subject Areas: Math, Physics, Business, Bioscience, Computer Science, Creative Writing, Engineering, Philosophy
Cost: Varies depending on the course and starts from $3,095. Very few financial assistance spots are available
Application Date: Depends on the program
Program Dates: Some courses are only available in the summer while others have multiple courses running throughout the year
Eligibility: All students currently in 8-11th grades can apply. There are some specific eligibility requirements for select courses
University of California, Berkeley is the top public university in the U.S. and offers an immersive online pre-college program spanning 3,6,8, and 10 weeks across multiple sessions. Participants will have the opportunity to earn college credit through this program which offers academically challenging lessons across multiple fields including Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences, STEM, and much more!
You will typically take 1-2 courses selected from a large catalog of Berkeley Summer Sessions courses. High school students can only opt for lower-division courses (numbered 1-99) on the course catalog portal.
If you opt for a 3-unit course, you should be studying at least nine hours per week for the course outside of class. This is a good metric to keep in mind while planning your schedule around high school academics.
Location: Virtual
Subject Areas: Physical Science, Arts & Literature, Historical Studies, Biological Science, Philosophy & Values, International Studies, Engineering, Technology
Cost: Per Unit Charge - $595, Registration Fee - $550 and $68 Document Management Fee
Application Date: Between February to June 2025 for the 2025 program
Program Dates:
- Session A - Six Weeks: May 20–June 28
- Session B - Ten Weeks: June 3–August 9
- Session C - Eight Weeks: June 17–August 9
- Session D - Six Weeks: July 1–August 9
- Session E - Three Weeks: July 22–August 9
- Session F - Three Weeks: July 1–July 19
Eligibility: All rising high school juniors and seniors, including international students, who are at least 16 years old can apply. Students need an overall B average (3.0, weighted or unweighted) in high school
If you are looking to enhance your academic prowess in your area of interest with a shot yet immersive course from an Ivy League college, you should apply to the Columbia University Pre-College online programs. You can enroll in a 2-week program, 1-week program, or both and will get to choose from over 40 courses in subject areas such as Business, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Engineering, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Physical Sciences, Technology, and more.
The courses are designed to be academically challenging and provide you with an introduction to topics at a university level by highly accomplished instructors, most of whom are experts from their industry with advanced degrees. For example, if you enroll in a business course, the instructors are MBAs from esteemed universities and have served as CEOs. For STEM courses, the instructors hold master’s and PhDs from reputed institutes. You can find the full list of instructors here.
You will explore the subject of your interest through class discussions, debates, simulations, case studies, meetings with guest speakers, assigned readings, and individual and group projects. Upon successful completion, you will earn a Columbia University Certification of Participation and evaluations written by the instructors. As a bonus, you can also participate in workshops, which can help you apply your skills to real-world situations.
Location: Virtual
Subject Areas: Business, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Engineering, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Physical Sciences, Technology, Journalism, Marketing
Cost: 1-Week Online Program Cost: $2,810 per session | 2-Week Online Program Cost: $3,960 per session
Application Date: Rolling basis
Program Dates: Some courses are only available in the summer while others have multiple courses running throughout the year
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible to apply and some courses might have specific requirements
As part of this program, you can choose from more than 100 regular undergraduate Cornell courses in Architecture and the Arts, Business and Hotel Management, Health and Humanities, International Relations, Science and Technology, Social Change, Veterinary Medicine, and more.
These online courses are delivered via the web-based learning system Canvas. Generally, you'll interact with the instructor and other students via email, discussion boards, interactive chat rooms, video conferences, and/or phone. Apart from interacting with Ivy League faculty and having access to high-level coursework, you will also earn 3 to 12 credits and a Cornell transcript.
You will also get help in your college applications with one-on-one admissions counseling. During the course, you'll develop the critical thinking and writing skills essential for success in college.
Location: Virtual
Subject Areas: Psychology, Philosophy, Economics, Computer Science, Biology, Art, Management
Cost: $1,840 per credit
Application Date: The application deadline is one month before each session’s starting date
Program Dates: Multiple sessions throughout the year
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors, who are at least 15 years old can apply
Summer@Brown Online is part of the prestigious Brown University's pre-college program, which allows you to choosetoin which you can choose from over 100 courses in including subjectsareas subject areas such as biological and the natural sciences, engineering and technology, and medical and health sciences. You will face the challenges of college-level academics through these courses. While there is no pressure on assignments and grades, they are great for you to enrich your learning through an Ivy League college.
These courses are designed for active learning. You get to spend a couple of hours each day (about 15 hours per week) engaging in different aspects of coursework. While attending classes through recorded videos will be the main activity during the course, you will also get to participate in written discussions or peer review sessions with classmates. Making the most of this course will require some independent reading. The course will also require working on a project or experiment - this can be a solid addition to your portfolio, especially if you’re gunning for a spot in a prestigious research program.
Location: Virtual
Subject Areas: Psychology, Social Sciences, Physical Science, Math, Medical Science, Engineering, Technology, Economics, Literature
Cost: 2 weeks - $3,095; 3 weeks - $4,282; 4 weeks - $5,108; 6 weeks - $5,998.
Application Date: Rolling basis
Program Dates: Multiple sessions in June and July 2025
Eligibility: All high school students between grades 9 to 12, who will be between the ages 14 to 18 by June 2025 can apply
Georgetown University offers comprehensive online pre-college programs covering subject areas such as medicine, entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, economics, engineering, law, and more. The courses are designed by acclaimed Georgetown University professors, and taught by mentors, who are master’s and PhD students at Georgetown offering you university-level lectureslectures that you can attend at your own pace!
These programs are conducted on the Canvas platform and you will access the lectures through pre-recorded videos. Whichever course you opt for, you will be challenged academically as the courses are designed to cover everything from the basics to real-life applications.
The online pre-college programs at Georgetown are academic enrichment courses ranging from 1 to 4 weeks in length, totaling up to 30 hours of instruction and activities per course. The College Credit coursescourses are 6 to 12 weeks in length and add up to 128 hours of total activities. You are graded on assignments after every lecture and the course culminates with a capstone project that will help you show all you learned in the program!
Location: Virtual
Subject Areas: Medicine, Entrepreneurship, Cybersecurity, Economics, Engineering, Law, Biology, Journalism
Cost: Enrichment courses: $1,795; College Credit courses: $3,995. Limited scholarships are available and you will be able to access the scholarship form on the portal alongside the application
Application Date: Application deadlines are one week before the commencement of every course
Program Dates: Multi-length courses available throughout the year
Eligibility: All students between the ages of 13 to 19 years are eligible to apply.
Babson Summer Study is a 3-week experiential online program for rising high school juniors and seniors interested in developing an entrepreneurial mindset and becoming future innovators and changemakers. This is a great pre-college program for students interested in business and key concepts you’ll learn are entrepreneurship, leadership, marketing, finance, business communication, and other disciplines that support venture creation.
Introduction to the Entrepreneurial Experience is a four-credit college course at Babson University designed to strengthen your understanding of the United Nations Global Goals, you will develop the competencies and confidence to address real-world problems with an entrepreneurial mindset.
Apart from daily live sessions will last approximately 3 hours and an additional 25 hours a week in completing assignments and group projects. You will interact with leaders and alumni who are a part of Babson’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and they'll share their start-up journeys and expertise.
Location: Virtual
Subject Areas: Business, Law, Entrepreneurship
Cost: $6,295 + $95 additional fee. Limited need-based financial aid for full and partial scholarships is available. The financial aid application is included as a component of the Summer Study application.
Application Date: The application deadline is March for regular admissions and February for ‘Early-bird’ applicants, who receive a discount on the program fee.
Program Dates: Three weeks in July
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors, who are at least 16 years old, including international students can apply.
William & Mary University offers an online pre-college program covering subject areas such as medicine, entrepreneurship, law, and psychology. The courses are designed by and in most cases, taught by acclaimed William & Mary professors, offering you university-level lectures which you can attend at your own pace!
These programs are conducted on the Canvas platform and you will access the lectures through pre-recorded videos. Whichever course you opt for, you will be challenged academically as the courses are designed to provide an in-depth look into the subject matter through rigorous coursework.
The online pre-college programs at William & Mary are academic enrichment courses ranging from 2 to 4 weeks in length, totaling up to 30 hours of instruction and activities per course. You are graded on assignments after every lecture and the course culminates with a capstone project that will help you demonstrate your knowledge!
Location: Virtual
Subject Areas: Medicine, Economics, Law, Psychology
Cost: $1,495. Limited scholarships are available and you will be able to access the scholarship form on the portal alongside the application
Application Date: Application deadlines are one week before the commencement of every course
Program Dates: Multi-length courses available throughout the year
Eligibility: All students between the ages of 13 to 19 years are eligible to apply.
As part of Duke University’s Pre-college program, students currently in the 8-10 grades can participate in one or two-week-long courses, which provide them with advanced academic opportunities and an introduction to the college experience. There are some minimum technology requirements for attending this program, which you can access here.
There were just four options available in 2024: Academic Writing: Composing the College Essay, Applied Econometrics, Ocean Sustainability, and Population Genomics. All courses are designed to help you learn from the basics to the key concepts of your selected course field and there will be assignments and group projects where you'll get to apply the concepts.
The application process consists of two steps. First, you need to apply for the Duke Pre-College program and only if you receive acceptance, then you can go ahead and select the desired course. After this, you will need to complete all formalities like fee payment and apply for financial aid.
Location: Virtual
Subject Areas: Writing, Oceanography, Economics, Genomics
Cost: $795
Application Date: April 1, 2025
Program Dates: July 7-19 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: Open to rising 9-11 grade students
As part of the University of Pennsylvania’s Pre-College Online Program, you will enroll in online courses and participate alongside other Penn undergraduate students. You will participate in either one college-credit course (1 c.u.) or two college-credit courses (2 c.u.) across subject areas like law, history, anthropology, economics, math, and more.
Any applicant to the Penn Summer High School Programs must have excellent writing skills and a minimum 3.3 GPA on a 4.0 scale. To apply, you must complete the online application, which includes one or more essays and a letter of recommendation.
You will benefit from the small class size and classes meet two to five times weekly. These classes are taught by Penn faculty, staff, and visiting scholars. Courses longer than two weeks will have homework assignments and research aspects.
Location: Virtual
Subject Areas: Law, History, Economics, Literature, Math
Cost: $8,248 for one credit course and $13,448 for two credit courses
Application Date: January 2025
Program Dates: Between July 5 and August 9, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: Current 10th and 11th grade students are eligible to apply and need a minimum 3.3 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
Johns Hopkins University offers an online version of its pre-college program, where high school students can engage in a wide range of courses in medicine, neuroscience, and psychology. These courses are quite fast-paced and rigorous, making them a great choice for motivated students who are looking to engage in advanced coursework.
You will attend these online courses asynchronously; however, your instructor may also schedule live interactions focused on a specific topic. Expect to spend approximately 15 to 20 hours per week toward the completion of your program.
Despite their virtual nature, they are designed in a way to help you gain practical experience alongside academic enrichment. For instance, in the Neuroscience courses, emphasis will be placed on familiarizing you with the laboratory and research methods useful in a lab setting.
Location: Virtual
Subject Areas: Medicine, Neuroscience, Psychology, Data Analysis
Cost: $1,950 for one credit course.
Application Date: TBD for the 2025 program
Program Dates: Three sessions between June and August
Eligibility: All high school students with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale can apply
Emory University’s Pre-College Program offers multiple two-week courses across fields such as medicine, neuroscience, biology, economics, engineering, math, and more. These are non-credit courses, so they are academic enrichment programs, with 15-20 hours of coursework every week and mandatory daily homework that will vary among courses and may take up to several hours per day.
The online option is only available in the final session of the pre-college program, which takes place in July. These courses provide you the opportunity to take university-level courses within two weeks and are conducted by Emory professors themselves! You will be graded on your homework and assignments but only a ‘Satisfactory’ or ‘Unsatisfactory’ remark will be given to you at the end of the program.
Location: Virtual
Subject Areas: Neuroscience, Biology, Economics, Engineering, Math, Law, History
Cost: $3,135
Application Date: June 2025
Program Dates: July 2025
Eligibility: Current 10th or 11th-grade students, who are at least 15 years old and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale can apply
Bonus programs for those of you who read so far!
1. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you would like to participate in a rigorous research program open to high schoolers, you should also consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, a selective online high school program for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students.
2. Veritas AI Fellowship
Veritas AI (our program!) is an AI program for ambitious high school students, founded and run by Harvard graduate students. In the AI Scholars program, students learn the fundamentals of AI, ML, and Python while working on collaborative, real-world projects under the guidance of AI practitioners and researchers.
In the AI Fellowship, students work 1-1 with PhDs from top universities to create a personalized AI model over 12-15 weeks. You can find more information about the programs here and some past projects here. Veritas AI offers students the opportunity to work on both AI and interdisciplinary projects, a component that can reflect well on your college application.
David Wilkinson is a freelance writer for Horizon and currently resides in the United States.