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Top Pre-College Programs in the US for High School Students

Updated: 5 days ago

Exploring college life before you even set foot on campus has become a reality for many high school students across the United States. A diverse range of pre-college, research, and internship programs not only boost academic profiles but also offer immersive experiences that pave the way for future success. Here’s an in-depth look at 25 Top Pre-College Programs in the US high school students can benefit from, complete with details on what each has to offer.


Top Pre-College Programs in the US for High School Students. Yale, Harvard, Stanford, MIT. Boost academic profile and strengthen your college applications.

Important to note:


  • All information below is based on official program websites or directly affiliated university pages as of 18 November 2025.

  • Dates, costs, formats, eligibility and application policies can change.

  • 2026 dates and deadlines are mentioned only when the official site explicitly labels them as 2026.

  • Before applying, families must verify all details on the current official program pages.

  • This article will be updated as and when new information comes in, so bookmark it and keep watching this space.


1. Harvard Pre-College Program

Harvard University – Cambridge, MA


Two-week, non-credit residential program for high school students on the Harvard campus. Students take one intensive course, live in residence halls, and join co-curricular and social activities.

2026 details (official)

  • Session I: 21 June – 2 July 2026

  • Session II: 5 July – 17 July 2026

  • Session III: 19 July – 31 July 2026

  • Program cost (per session, 2026): $6,100 (plus $75 application fee), covering tuition, room, meal plan, program fee, and accident/sickness insurance.



2. Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS)

Yale University – New Haven, CT


Two-week, residential academic enrichment program for high school students from around the world, with interdisciplinary sessions in STEM, humanities, and global affairs.

2026 application deadlines (official)

  • Early Action: 15 October 2025, 11:59 p.m. ET

  • Regular Decision (final): 7 January 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET

Candidates must submit the full application (including financial aid section) by 7 January 2026 to be considered for need-based scholarships.



3. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes

Stanford University – online


Online single-subject intensive courses for students currently in grades 8–11, in topics such as bioscience, computer science, engineering, philosophy, creative writing, and more. Courses are non-credit and small-group.

  • Format: online enrichment; not for Stanford credit.

  • Audience: “intellectually curious students currently in grades 8–11.”

For Summer 2026, the public site outlines the program structure but does not yet provide a full 2026 calendar or tuition table.



4. MITES Summer

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – Cambridge, MA


A six-week, residential STEM program for rising high school seniors, part of MIT’s MITES (MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering & Science) initiatives. Focuses on students from underrepresented or underserved backgrounds.

  • Length & format: 6-week in-person residential program at MIT.

  • Eligibility: US high school juniors (rising seniors), with detailed criteria on the MITES site.

  • Cost: tuition and housing costs covered for participants; families may be responsible for travel, with possible support.

The application opens in November each year, but exact Summer 2026 session dates and deadlines are not yet listed in a single 2026 calendar.



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5. Columbia University – NYC Residential & Commuter Summer

Columbia University – New York, NY


Non-credit pre-college programs for high school students in New York City, with both residential and commuter formats. Columbia offers courses in STEM, humanities, social sciences, and the arts.


NYC Residential Summer 2026 (official)

  • Session A (3 weeks): 29 June – 17 July 2026

  • Session B (3 weeks): 21 July – 7 August 2026

  • Session AB (6 weeks): 29 June – 7 August 2026

NYC Commuter Summer 2026 (official)

  • Session AA (1 week): 22 – 26 June 2026

  • Session A (3 weeks): 29 June – 17 July 2026

  • Session B (3 weeks): 21 July – 7 August 2026

  • Session C (1 week): 3 – 7 August 2026

  • Session AA + A + B (7 weeks): 22 June – 7 August 2026

Program costs and course lists are on Columbia’s Pre-College costs and programs pages.


Official websites:


6. Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) – On-Campus Summer

Johns Hopkins University – multiple US & international sites


Three-week, on-campus academic programs for advanced students in grades 2–12, including high school students. Courses in math, science, computer science, writing, and humanities.

2026 core session dates (official)

  • Session 1: 28 June – 17 July 2026

  • Session 2: 19 July – 7 August 2026

Exact course offerings and site-specific calendars vary; those are listed on CTY’s site.



7. Brown University Pre-College Programs

Brown University – Providence, RI


A portfolio of pre-college options (e.g., Summer@Brown, Leadership Institute, STEM for Rising 9th & 10th Graders) with on-campus, online, and hybrid formats. Programs include both non-credit and, for some tracks, for-credit options.


Program dates & costs for 2026 (selected highlights)

For Summer@Brown (examples from the official “Program Dates & Costs” page):

  • On-campus 1-week: $3,748 (residential) / $3,096 (commuter)

  • On-campus 2-week: $5,786 (residential) / $4,482 (commuter)

  • On-campus 3-week: $8,372 (residential) / $6,416 (commuter)

Hybrid and fully online options have 2026 tuition and date windows listed separately. Brown also publishes Summer 2026 application dates and deadlines on its Pre-College application page.



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8. Carnegie Mellon University Pre-College Programs

Carnegie Mellon University – Pittsburgh, PA


A set of pre-college programs including SAMS (Summer Academy for Math and Science), Pre-College Summer Session (for credit), and specialized programs in computer science, AI, game design, design, drama, and music.


2026 admissions timeline (official)

  • Early application deadline: 1 February 2026

  • Final application deadline: 1 March 2026

  • Early decisions released: 15 March 2026

  • Final decisions released: 15 April 2026


For SAMS, the site specifies eligibility for students between 11th and 12th grade who are at least 16 years old by 20 June 2026.

Specific program start/end dates differ by track and are listed on individual program pages.



9. Cornell University Precollege Studies

Cornell University – Ithaca, NY / online


Credit-bearing courses for high school students through Cornell’s School of Continuing Education. Students can take 3- or 6-week Cornell courses in summer (and some other terms), on campus or online.


Summer 2026 session windows (general Cornell summer calendar)

  • Three-week 1: 1 – 19 June 2026

  • Three-week 2: 22 June – 10 July 2026

  • Three-week 3: 13 – 31 July 2026

  • Six-week session: 22 June – 4 August 2026

  • Eight-week session: 8 June – 4 August 2026

Precollege students typically enroll in courses that follow these session dates.


Cornell lists Precollege tuition for Fall 2025–Summer 2026 as $1,940 per credit on its tuition page.


10. University of Pennsylvania – Pre-College Programs

University of Pennsylvania – Philadelphia, PA


Penn Arts & Sciences offers:

  • Pre-College Program – take credit-bearing Penn courses, residential or online.

  • Young Scholars Program / Academies – non-credit or short-format experiences.

Summer 2026 dates (selected)

  • Pre-College Residential (2026): 30 June – 8 August 2026

  • Pre-College Online (2026):

    • Summer Session I: 26 May – 1 July 2026

    • Summer Session II: 2 July – 7 August 2026

  • Example 2-week Academy (2026): 11 – 25 July 2026 (exact dates by academy listed on its page).

Applications for Summer 2026 programs open 1 December; some programs fill by March.



11. University of Chicago – Pre-College Summer Session

University of Chicago – Chicago, IL


Pre-college umbrella that includes 1-Week Enrichment, 2-Week Career Insight, 3-Week Immersion, 4-Week Practicum, Summer Online, and a Summer Language Institute for pre-college students. Students engage with UChicago faculty in rigorous, discussion-driven courses.


For Summer 2026, the Summer Session site states that Summer 2026 programs will be announced in mid-December and the application will open in January 2026.

Program-specific 2026 dates and deadlines are not yet posted publicly.



12. Duke – Summer Session for High School Students (for credit)

Duke University – Durham, NC


Through Duke Summer Session, high school students can enroll in university courses for credit alongside college students, subject to eligibility.


From the “How to Apply” page for high school students:

  • Eligible applicants must be 16 years old by June 29, 2026.

  • High school student applications open 1 March 2025 (for the 2025–26 summer cycle described).

  • Application deadline listed as June 16 for that cycle.

Detailed 2026 course calendars and dates depend on the specific Duke Summer Session schedule for that year.



13. Georgetown – Summer Programs for High School Students

Georgetown University – Washington, DC


Under the Hoya Summer High School Sessions and Summer Academies, Georgetown offers:

  • For-credit courses where students earn Georgetown credit.

  • 1-, 2-, and 3-week Academies with simulations, field trips, and projects in fields like international relations, law, and medicine.


Georgetown’s official site notes that it is updating the website with Summer 2026 information, including dates, deadlines, tuition, and details, and that applications open in late fall.

As of the check date, no full 2026 calendar is publicly posted.



Need all this information condensed at one place? We understand this article can be a tough place to keep track of programs. Download the table version.

14. UCLA – Summer Sessions for High School Students

University of California, Los Angeles


High school students can join UCLA Summer through:

  • Summer Courses (6–10 week UCLA classes)

  • Summer Online

  • Summer Intensives (3-week accelerated courses)

  • Summer College Immersion Program (SCIP)


The Summer Sessions site states that Summer 2026 offerings will be updated by January and that registration opens 15 February 2026.

Program-specific 2026 dates for each high school option will appear on the UCLA Summer site.


Official websites:

Summer Sessions: https://summer.ucla.edu/


15. UC Berkeley – Pre-College Scholars

University of California, Berkeley


Pre-College Scholars allows high school students to study at Berkeley in summer, with tracks such as Residential, Commuter, Non-Credit Residential, and Virtual. Many tracks allow students to earn UC Berkeley credit.


For Summer 2026:

  • The Virtual Track page lists:

    • Application opens: Tuesday, 17 February 2026 (9:00 a.m. Pacific)

    • Application deadline: Monday, 1 June 2026 (11:59 p.m. Pacific)

Residential and other track dates for 2026 are still being updated; current detailed date tables mostly refer to Summer 2025.



16. Michigan Math and Science Scholars (MMSS)

University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, MI


A summer program focused on math and science for high school students, run by the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Courses span astronomy, biology, computer science, chemistry, mathematics, physics, psychology, and more.


2026 schedule (official)

  • Session 1: Sunday, 21 June – Friday, 3 July 2026 (noon)

  • Session 2: Sunday, 5 July – Friday, 17 July 2026 (noon)

  • Session 3: Sunday, 19 July – Friday, 31 July 2026 (noon)

Course offerings for 2026 are announced around mid-December.



17. Vanderbilt Programs for Talented Youth (PTY) – VSA & VSI

Vanderbilt University – Nashville, TN


Vanderbilt’s PTY offers advanced academic programs, including:

  • Vanderbilt Summer Academy (VSA) – for students in grades 7–12

  • Vanderbilt Summer Institutes (VSI) – for students in grades 11–12

Programs are designed for academically advanced students and emphasize rigorous coursework and a community of peers.


PTY pages indicate that Summer 2026 dates exist (“View Summer 2026 Dates!”) but the detailed date tables are behind restricted content, so specific VSA/VSI dates are not restated here.


Official websites:

Vanderbilt Summer Academy: https://pty.vanderbilt.edu/vsa/

Vanderbilt Summer Institutes: https://pty.vanderbilt.edu/vsi/


18. Emory Pre-College Program

Emory University – Atlanta, GA


Summer academic program for high school students, with both non-credit and for-credit options. A 3-week pre-med institute joins the existing set of pre-college offerings.


2026 dates (official)

  • Noncredit Pre-College sessions:

    • Session A: 14 June – 27 June 2026 (deadline: 1 May)

    • Session B: 28 June – 11 July 2026 (deadline: 1 May)

    • Session C: 12 July – 25 July 2026 (deadline: 1 May)

  • Pre-med institute (noncredit):

    • 28 June – 18 July 2026 (deadline: 1 May)

  • Summer College (for credit):

    • Session 1: 15 May – 26 June 2026 (deadline: 24 April)

    • Session 2: 29 June – 7 August 2026 (deadline: 5 June)


Applications for Summer 2026 open in the fall.


19. USC Summer Programs

University of Southern California – Los Angeles, CA


Four-week, credit-bearing pre-college courses for high school students in fields such as business, engineering, journalism, film, and more. Students live on campus, attend USC courses, and earn USC elective credit.


2026 dates and deadlines (official)

  • Program dates: 22 June – 17 July 2026

  • International application deadline: 13 March 2026

  • Domestic application deadline: 8 May 2026


Official websites:

Application portal (dates & deadlines): https://studyat.usc.edu/portal/summer_programs


20. Princeton Summer Journalism Program (PSJP)

Princeton University – Princeton, NJ


Year-long, free journalism and college-preparation program for current high school juniors from limited-income backgrounds, run by Princeton’s Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity.

The program includes:

  • Virtual workshops and college counseling during the year.

  • A multi-week summer intensive beginning online and ending with a 10-day residential component at Princeton.


2026 cycle (official)

  • The PSJP site states that “The application for the 2026 Princeton Summer Journalism Program will open on Dec 1.”

  • The FAQ indicates that the 2026 summer intensive runs “from late June through early August,” beginning with virtual classes and ending with the on-campus residency. Exact day-by-day dates are not yet published.



21. Anson L. Clark Scholars Program – Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University – Lubbock, TX


Highly selective 7-week residential research program for high-achieving high school juniors and seniors. Only 12 scholars are selected each summer to work with Texas Tech faculty mentors.


2026 dates and application window (official)

  • Program dates: 21 June 2026 – 6 August 2026

  • Application opens: 2 January 2026 at 8:30 a.m. CT

  • Application deadline: 16 February 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CT


Applications require essays, transcripts, standardized test scores (at least PSAT/PACT), and three recommendations (two from teachers, one from another academic/professional reference).


Official websites:


22. Aggie STEM Camps – Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University – College Station, TX


Aggie STEM provides STEM camps and outreach in collaboration with Texas A&M’s College of Education & Human Development and College of Engineering.


Key pieces from the official site:

  • Aggie STEM Overnight Camps:

    • One-week residential camps (6 days/6 nights) on the Texas A&M campus for students entering grades 6–12 in Fall 2026.

    • Tuition currently listed as $1,499 (middle grades) and $1,699 (high school), including lodging, meals, and STEM programming.

  • Aggie STEM Elementary Day Camps:

    • Day camps for students entering grades 3–5 in Fall 2026.


The site notes that registration fees and deposits are non-refundable but transferable between Aggie STEM camp weeks. Exact week-by-week Summer 2026 camp dates are listed on the camp-specific “dates” pages and should be checked there.



23. Caltech – Summer Research Connection (SRC)

California Institute of Technology – Pasadena, CA


A 6-week research program for Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) high school students and K–12 science teachers, run by Caltech’s Center for Teaching, Learning, and Outreach.

  • Participants join Caltech laboratories as student–teacher teams under faculty or research staff mentors.

  • SRC is a local program limited to PUSD high school students (not a national residential camp).


As of the check date, Summer 2026 SRC dates are not publicly posted and must be confirmed on the SRC site or through PUSD communications.



24. Northeastern University – Accelerate Pre-College Programs

Northeastern University – Boston, Oakland, London, New York; plus online


Accelerate Pre-College Programs are Northeastern’s flagship pre-college experiences, including residential programs in multiple cities and Pre-CollEDGE Online asynchronous programs.


Residential Summer 2026 sessions (official “Programs by Date” list)

Examples from the 2026 “At a Glance” page include:

  • June 21 – July 3, 2026: Oakland programs (e.g., Architecture in Action, Building Healthier Communities through the Arts, Experiential Entrepreneurship, Wildfire Ecology) and NYC Musical Theatre Intensive.

  • July 5 – July 17, 2026: NYC Musical Theatre Intensive.

  • July 12 – July 24, 2026: Boston programs (e.g., A Taste of History, Bioengineering Immersion, Biotechnology & the Future of Medicine, Cybersecurity & Privacy, Engineering Innovation & Design, Game Design in Extended Reality, Innovations in Health Professions).

  • July 26 – August 7, 2026: Further Boston offerings and London options such as Future Leaders for Corporate Impact and Experiential Entrepreneurship.


Tuition (Boston/London/Oakland 2026)

  • “The tuition for 2026 programs in Boston, London, and Oakland is $7,095,” including tuition, course materials, housing, meals, and social activities.

Online program dates for later 2026 cycles are announced separately on the Pre-CollEDGE Online page.


Official websites:


25. Boston University – Summer Term High School Programs

Boston University – Boston, MA


BU offers four main Summer Term programs for high school students:

  1. High School Honors – 6-week program where rising juniors and seniors take BU courses for credit.

  2. RISE Internship/Practicum – 6-week STEM research experiences for rising seniors.

  3. Academic Immersion (AIM) – 3-week non-credit intensives in Psychology, Business, Medicine, or Creative Writing.

  4. Summer Challenge – 2-week non-credit residential program where students choose two seminars.


2026 calendars (as currently posted, pending approval)

From BU’s Summer Term high school overview and the Summer Challenge page:

  • High School Honors & RISE: 6 weeks, June 28 – August 7

  • Academic Immersion:

    • Psychology/Business: June 28 – July 17

    • Medicine/Creative Writing: July 19 – August 7

  • Summer Challenge (explicit “2026 Summer Challenge calendar”):

    • Session 1: 14 – 26 June 2026

    • Session 2: 5 – 17 July 2026

    • Session 3: 19 – 31 July 2026

BU marks these dates as “pending approval and subject to change,” so they must be re-checked closer to Summer 2026.



Top Pre-College Programs in the US for High School Students


Each of these programs is designed to not only challenge and inspire students academically but also to provide invaluable exposure to college life, innovative research, and real-world experiences. Whether you’re aiming to dive into STEM, explore the humanities, or gain early professional experience, these opportunities offer a head start on your higher education journey. Exploring these programs can help you identify your interests, build a robust college application, and ultimately, set the stage for a successful academic future. Happy exploring!

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