137 Pre-College Summer Programs for High School Students

137 Pre-College Summer Programs for High School Students SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Summer programs provide high school students with opportunities to explore their academic interests and spark new passions. They also allow high school students to get a taste of college life and meet otherstudents from all over the world. In this article, I'll provide a list of 137 collegesthroughout the United States that host summer programs for high school students. Furthermore, I'll give you information about what pre-college summer programs are like and how you can select the right program for you. What Is a Pre-College Summer Program? A pre-college summer program offers high school students the opportunity to take classes at a college and experience college life during the summer. Most programs range from one to seven weeks long. You can take programs that focus on a number of diverse subjects, such aswriting, leadership, entrepreneurship, and engineering. Many summer programs offer both residential and commuter options. Students can stay in dorms with their peers or commute from home if they live close to campus. In addition, not only are students able to take classes from college professors or visiting scholars, but they’re also able to listen to lectures from alumni and participate in social activities. Many selective private colleges, includingStanford,Harvard, andColumbia, offer pre-college summer programs for high school students. Some pre-college summer programs are open enrollment (anyone can attend), while others require admission through an application process. The selective programs typically require teacher recommendations, application essays, and standardized test scores. Check a specific program's website for its admission requirements. While these programs can be fun and educational, most of them are expensive. There are some free programs and many programs that offer financial aid for qualified students, but summer programs often cost thousands of dollars. Pictures of Money/Flickr How Did I Create This List of College Summer Programs for High School Students? To make the following list of summer programs for high school students, I relied on information from Summer Program Finder, which helps locate various summer programs. I looked up the programs in each region of the country and listed the colleges that host programs. In addition to the listed programs, there are summer programs for high school students that are not housed at colleges. Because programs are always evolving, note that there might be programs at colleges that aren't listed below. That said, you can alwayslook at a specific college's website to see whether it offers summer programs for high school students. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. List of Summer Programs Below is an extensive list of summer programs at 137 US colleges,organized alphabetically by state. Alabama School Location University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL Arizona School Location Arizona State University Tempe, AZ California School Location California College of the Arts Oakland, CA Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA Middlebury Institute of International Studies Monterey Monterey, CA Stanford University Stanford, CA UC Berkeley Berkeley, CA UC Davis Davis, CA UCLA Los Angeles, CA UCSB Santa Barbara, CA UCSD La Jolla, CA UCSF San Francisco, CA USC Los Angeles, CA Colorado School Location Johnson Wales University Denver, CO US Air Force Academy Colorado Springs, CO Connecticut School Location US Coast Guard Academy New London, CT Yale University New Haven, CT Delaware School Location Delaware State University Dover, DE District of Columbia School Location American University Washington, DC The Catholic University of America Washington, DC The George Washington University Washington, DC Georgetown University Washington, DC Florida School Location Johnson Wales University North Miami, FL University of Miami Coral Gables, FL Georgia School Location Emory University Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, GA Illinois School Location Northwestern University Evanston, IL University of Chicago Chicago, IL University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL Indiana School Location Indiana University Bloomington Bloomington, IN Purdue University West Lafayette, IN Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Terre Haute, IN University of Notre Dame South Bend, IN Kentucky School Location Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY Maine School Location Colby College Waterville, ME University of New England Biddeford, ME Maryland School Location Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD Maryland Institute College of Art Baltimore, MD University of Maryland College Park, MD US Naval Academy Annapolis, MD Massachusetts School Location Babson College Babson Park, MA Bentley University Waltham, MA Berklee College of Music Boston, MA Boston University Boston, MA Brandeis University Waltham, MA Emerson College Boston, MA Hampshire College Amherst, MA Harvard University Cambridge, MA MIT Cambridge, MA Smith College Northampton, MA Springfield College Springfield, MA Tufts University Medford, MA Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA Michigan School Location Michigan State University East Lansing, MI University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI Minnesota School Location Carleton College Northfield, MN Missouri School Location Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, MO New Hampshire School Location Dartmouth College Hanover, NH New Jersey School Location Caldwell University Caldwell, NJ Centenary University Parsippany, NJ The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ Drew University Madison, NJ Fairleigh Dickinson University Teaneck, NJ Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ Princeton University Princeton, NJ Ramapo College Mahwah, NJ Rider University Lawrence Township, NJ Rowan University Glassboro, NJ Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJ Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, NJ New York School Location Adelphi University Garden City, NY Alfred University Alfred, NY Barnard College New York, NY City College of New York New York, NY Columbia University New York, NY Cornell University Ithaca, NY Ithaca College Ithaca, NY Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY Mercy College Dobbs Ferry, NY New York Institute of Technology New York, NY NYU New York, NY Parsons The New School of Design New York, NY Pratt Institute Brooklyn, NY Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY The Rockefeller University New York, NY Sarah Lawrence College Bronxville, NY School of Visual Arts New York, NY Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology New York, NY SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY Syracuse University Syracuse, NY Union College Schenectady, NY University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY University of Rochester Rochester, NY US Military Academy (West Point) West Point, NY Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY North Carolina School Location Duke University Durham, NC Johnson Wales University Charlotte, NC UNC Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC UNC Greensboro Greensboro, NC Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC Ohio School Location Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH Columbus College of Art and Design Columbus, OH The Ohio State University Columbus, OH Oregon School Location Lewis Clark College Portland, OR Pennsylvania School Location Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA Drexel University Philadelphia, PA Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA Penn State Berks Reading, PA Penn State New Kensington New Kensington, PA Penn State University Park State College, PA Penn State York York, PA Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA Rhode Island School Location Brown University Providence, RI Bryant University Smithfield, RI Johnson Wales University Providence, RI South Carolina School Location Clemson University Clemson, SC South Dakota School Location South Dakota School of Mines Technology Rapid City, SD Tennessee School Location Sewanee: The University of the South Sewanee, TN Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN Texas School Location Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX University of Houston Houston, TX UT Austin Austin, TX Vermont School Location Middlebury College Middlebury, VT Virginia School Location College of William Mary Williamsburg, VA Hollins University Roanoke, VA University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA Washington School Location University of Washington Seattle, WA Wisconsin School Location University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Should You Attenda College Summer Program? Really, it’s up to you whether or not you decide to attenda summer program. You can check out our post onwhether you should do a pre-college summer program for a detailed explanation of the pros and cons. On the plus side, summer programs can provide you with a good opportunity to explore your academic interests or take a class in a subject that’s not offered at your high school. Also, you can make friends, experience a taste of college life, and get a better idea of whether or not you want to attend a specific school. On the negative side, most college summer programs for high school students are expensive, and they might not provide much help with getting into college (unless it’s a highly selective program that’s offered at no or minimal cost). Do your research, and if a program is something you can afford and would likely enjoy, go for it! It might stimulate your academic and personal growth, and can help you clarify your future goals. If you know for sure that you want to do a pre-college summer program, there are a number of factors to consider to help you selectthe right program for you. The location of the program is an extremely important consideration for many students. If you have a dream school or a college you're strongly considering, you might want to do a program on that school's campus to get a better feel for the college and to demonstrate your interest in it. You might also want to save money by going to a program close to home, or perhaps you'd like to be able to spend a few weeks living in a big city, such as New York or Boston. Additionally, be sure toselect a program that's in line with your interests. If you have a passion for creative writing, then you can cultivate that passion in a writing program. If you're fascinated by business, you can hone your business skills in an entrepreneurship program. Finally, you might need to consider the cost and length of the program. If you have a limited budget, you'll likely have to focus your search on cheaper programs that you can actually afford. If you have other obligations or activities you're hoping to do during the summer, you might want to choose a shorter program. You can use this list and the Summer Program Finder to identify programs that match what you're looking for. Good luck! What's Next? Thinking of becoming a doctor? Maybe you'll be interested in doing a medical summer program. If you want to explore your interests during the summer without leaving home or paying to attend a summer program, perhaps you can get an internship. Are you interested in other ideas for summer activities? Learn more about what you can do during the summer. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: