If you’re a high school student looking to experience college-level academics and build advanced skills, consider a pre-college program in the summer!
These programs, offered by universities across the country, allow you to take college-level courses in a subject of your choice, and gain a comprehensive understanding in a short time. You will also develop knowledge and skills in your area of interest, interact with peers and professional faculty, and develop hands-on projects and presentations. Many pre-college programs also give you a taste of living on a college campus, with some also providing you credit.
Pre-college programs are particularly handy if you’re looking for a beginner-friendly (in most cases) to a subject that you wish to do research/gain work experience in - once you’ve engaged fully with a pre-college summer program, you can confidently apply to internships and research programs!
If you are interested in attending such a program, take a look at the following list of the 15 best pre-college summer programs for high school students.
Subject Areas: STEM
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA
Eligibility: U.S. high school juniors with strong academic record
Application Deadline: Applications usually close in February.
Dates: June-August (6 weeks)
Cost: Free, including room and board
MITES Summer offers math, life science, physics, humanities, and project-based elective courses, with electives available in architecture, machine learning, genomics, engineering design, and electronics. The program includes classes, workshops, tours, recitations, social events, trips, office hours, and homework.
You will receive a written evaluation from your instructor at the end of the program - this can come in handy while evaluating your profile’s suitability for research programs or internships.
Subject Areas: STEM
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, seniors, and recent high school graduates
Application Deadline: Priority deadline: December | Final deadline: March
Dates: July 8, 2024 - July 26, 2024 | July 29, 2024 - Aug 16, 2024
Cost: $5,500 (does not include housing and transportation). Need-based scholarships are available.
SHAPE offers college-level STEM courses taught by Columbia’s expert faculty. These courses are project-based and offer a combination of theoretical and practical knowledge. Course offerings include robotics, biomedical engineering, programming, sustainable engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, math, probability, data science, and more.
Electives, college preparation, and support sessions from Columbia students are also offered.
Subject Areas: Art and design
Location: Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
Eligibility: High school students who have completed 10th or 11th grades and are 16-18 years old
Application Deadline: Applications usually close in February.
Dates: June 29, 2024 - August 3, 2024
Cost: Residential program: $11,350 | Commuter program: $8,715. Scholarships are available.
The RISD Pre-College Program immerses you in the foundational courses of drawing, design, and critical studies in art while allowing you to choose a major from areas like fashion design, graphic novels, textiles, animation, architecture, printmaking, illustration, drawing, ceramics, furniture design, film/video, interior design, and more.
You will spend time in lectures, studio sessions, projects, trips and tours, workshops, and building your portfolio.
Subject Areas: STEM, arts and media, business, humanities and social sciences, and college 101
Location: New York University, New York, NY
Eligibility: Rising/current 11th and 12th grade students
Application Deadline: January (spring) | March/June (summer) | August (fall)
Dates: July 2, 2024 - August 15, 2024 (summer) | September 2, 2024 - December 20, 2024 (fall). Spring sessions are also offered every year.
Cost: Varies according to credits
NYU Precollege offers courses taught by NYU’s accomplished faculty. Course offerings include psychology, archaeology, sociology, politics, calculus, modern art, computer programming, systems science, engineering and design, film, cultural capital, acting, music tech, medical ethics, macro and microeconomics, space and urban design, and others.
College preparation sessions and social activities are also included.
Subject Areas: Computer science, acting, nanoscience, art, critical thinking, scriptwriting, economics, design innovation, design media arts, film and TV, engineering, and more
Location: UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
Eligibility: High school students (9th-12th grades)
Application Deadline: Applications usually close in June.
Dates: June-August (exact dates vary according to program)
Cost: Varies according to program. Scholarships are available.
UCLA offers Precollege Summer Institutes that allow high school students to earn credit. Areas of study include acting and performance, art, computer science, content creation, economics, engineering, hip-hop, investments, mock trials, and more. You will attend lectures, guest talks, field visits, trips, performances, and social events. Most institutes also include a hands-on final project and presentation.
Subject Areas: STEM, race, gender, ethics, law, politics, history, psychology, medicine, writing, and literature
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors ages 16-19
Application Deadline: Applications close in January-February.
Dates: June 23, 2024 - July 5, 2024 (session 1) | July 7, 2024 - July 19, 2024 (session 2) | July 21, 2024 - August 2, 2024 (session 3)
Cost: $5,550 (including housing). Limited need-based aid is available.
This program offers over 30 courses, each class hosting around 15 students. You can choose from courses like English, journalism, legal studies, government, politics, history, economics, digital media, management, sociology, computer science, math, physics, statistics, social science, and others.
Social events, college preparation, panels, talks, seminars, and trips are included in this program.
Subject Areas: STEM, history, creative writing, philosophy, social justice, and more
Location: Online / Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Eligibility: Students in grades 8-11
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in March.
Dates: June 17, 2024 - June 28, 2024 (session 1) | July 8, 2024 - July 19, 2024 (session 2)
Cost: $3,050. Financial aid is available.
Stanford offers online pre-collegiate courses, with some also requiring on-campus work. You can choose from 60 courses, such as entrepreneurship, game design, philosophy, discrete mathematics, environmental solutions, artificial intelligence, social justice, psychology, health equity, product design, data science, engineering, marketing, and others.
Projects and presentations are part of courses. Each course accepts around 15-16 students.
Subject Areas: Natural sciences, biology, literature, tech, psychology, business, writing, engineering, medicine, political science, visual and performing arts, and more
Location: Brown University, Providence, RI / Virtual
Eligibility: Students completing grades 9 to 12 aged 14 to 18
Application Deadline: Applications generally close in May.
Dates: June 23, 2024 - July 16, 2024
Cost: Varies according to length, housing, and format. Scholarships are available.
Summer@Brown lets you choose from one of 300 non-credit courses like biological and natural sciences, business, economics, legal studies, literature and writing, engineering and technology, math, physical sciences, medical and health sciences, political science, psychology, social sciences, and many more.
You will engage in research and independent/group projects, workshops, and tours, and receive a Certificate of Completion!
Subject Areas: Architecture, history, STEM, literature, drama, psychology, gender, and more
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old and will have completed their junior or senior years of high school at the start of the program
Application Deadline: Applications close in May-June.
Dates: May 27, 2024 - June 28, 2024 | July 1, 2024 - August 2, 2024
Cost: Fees vary according to credits, housing, and other expenses.
Yale offers high school students a chance to take two for-credit courses like liberation movements, global health, law and legal history, landscape, drama, digital platforms and cultural production, cultural anthropology, race and inequality, climate change, energy, engineering, math, calculus, and lots more.
Separate programs on Summer Drama and University Preparation for International High School Students are also offered.
Subject Areas: Math and science
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Eligibility: High school juniors who are at least 16 years old and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
Application Deadline: Applications usually close in March.
Dates: June 22, 2024 - August 3, 2024
Cost: Free; this is a fully-funded program.
SAMS is taught by accomplished STEM faculty through lectures, workshops, mentorship, and hands-on projects. You will first attend a virtual skill-building session, followed by an in-person residential program. The latter will immerse you in math and science seminars and require you to complete a STEM-related project that you will present at a final symposium.
Subject Area: Biotechnology, AI, computer science, complex networks, computer graphics, robotics, and nanotechnology
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors who are at least 15 years old
Application Deadline: Applications usually close in April.
Dates: 3 weeks in July
Cost: $8,500 (includes tuition, room/board, course materials, and trips). Financial aid is not available.
ESAP combines theoretical education and practical experience using UPenn’s cutting-edge technology. You will choose from one of the aforementioned subject areas and immerse yourself in its study and project work. You will also get a chance to learn from the expert faculty of the university while earning college credit.
Trips, tours, and social activities are also conducted.
Subject Area: Psychology, medicine, neuroscience, STEM, writing, and more
Location: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD / Virtual
Eligibility: High school students who have completed grade 9 and have a minimum 3.0 GPA
Application Deadline: Not specified
Dates: June-August
Cost: $6,065 (residential) | $4,660 (commuter) | $1,950 (online)
Johns Hopkins University offers courses in anatomy, physiology, diseases, epidemics, psychology, data analytics, mathematics, artificial intelligence, introduction to surgery, laboratory research, social inequality and public health, space telescopes, and many others. In addition to course and faculty access, you will also receive access to the university’s library, facilities, technologies, and events.
Subject Area: Computer science, race, class, gender, music and popular culture, astronomy, digital media, and more
Location: UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors or seniors who are at least 16 years old and have a minimum 3.0 GPA
Application Deadline: Applications usually close in March.
Dates: June-August
Cost: Varies according to the number of units and housing
UC Berkeley offers pre-college programs in virtual, residential, commuter, and non-credit tracks. You will learn from the university’s professional faculty and enjoy its resources and event offerings. Some courses you can choose from include digital media, American studies, race, and Asian American communities, astronomy, reading and composition, African American music and popular culture, and others.
Subject Area: Art and design
Location: SCAD Savannah/Atlanta, GA
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors (Rising Star) or high school freshmen, sophomores, or juniors (Summer Seminars)
Application Deadline: Applications usually close in April-May.
Dates: June-July
Cost: Rising Star - $6,334 (application fees, program fees, tuition, and housing and meals) | Summer Seminars - $1,508 (commuter) / $1,820 (residential). Scholarships are only available for Summer Seminars.
SCAD offers two pre-college programs:
- Rising Star: You will take foundation, general education, and major-specific courses while accessing studios, labs, and production suites to complete projects. You can enroll in two college-level classes.
- Summer Seminars: You will attend workshops, lectures, studio sessions, local field trips, and social and cultural activities while working on assignments and projects. Each class is limited to 20 students.
Subject Area: Biology, psychology, and art
Location: Online + University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Eligibility: Current high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who are at least 14 years old
Application Deadline: Not specified
Dates: July 15, 2024 - August 1, 2024
Cost: $6,350. Financial aid is available.
You can explore various courses in the areas of biology, psychology, and art through the University of Chicago’s Pre-College Connect. You will spend the first two weeks taking live courses with an instructor, followed by the final week in an on-campus capstone experience. You will also attend laboratory sessions, museum trips, social events, and more.
Bonus:
1. Horizon’s Academic Research Program (HARP)
Location: Virtual
Application Date: Applications close in May for summer.
Program Dates: June 24, 2024 - September 2, 2024. Other cohorts are also available.
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA)
Horizon offers quantitative and qualitative research programs across subject areas like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, chemistry, neuroscience, psychology, and more.
Once you select a track, you’ll be paired with a professor or Ph.D. scholar who will mentor you throughout your research journey. You’ll create a 20-page, university-level research paper that you can send for publication. The program provides a letter of recommendation and detailed project feedback.
Subject Areas: STEM, social sciences, and humanities
Location: Remote
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum 3.3 GPA
Application Deadline: Summer deadlines are in March, April, and May.
Program Dates: June-August (summer). Fall, winter, and spring cohorts are also available.
Cost: $2,800 (12 weeks) | $5,400 (16-20 weeks). Financial aid is available.
This program, started by Harvard and Oxford researchers, matches you with Ph.D. mentors who provide guidance about the field and assist in developing an independent research project that you will present at the final symposium. Research areas to choose from include medicine, mathematics, engineering, data science, physics, economics, psychology, philosophy, sociology, law, and others.
3. Veritas AI
Subject Areas: Artificial intelligence and machine learning
Location: Remote
Eligibility: High school students. Students applying to the AI Fellowship program must complete the AI Scholars program or provide evidence of previous experience in AI and Python.
Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Cost: $1,790 (AI Scholars) | $4,900 (AI Fellowship) | $5,900 (both)
Veritas AI, founded by Harvard graduates, offers an AI Scholars program that immerses students in key AI concepts. You will complete a hands-on project in groups of 3-5 by the end of this program. A more advanced option is the AI Fellowship, providing individual mentorship and independent AI model development.
David Wilkinson is a freelance writer for Horizon and currently resides in the United States.