Over the past few years, colleges across the country offer more and more summer programs for high school students who want to try out college life and academics.
Hundreds of summer programs have become popular ways for high school students to get a head start on college classes. There, they meet other motivated students or try out a college before committing to a four-year degree.
Summer programs usually focus on one area of study and offer on-campus options. They are both students who live on campus and those who live off campus.
Students can choose from math and science, theatre arts, journalism, business, global studies, and so much more.
Chances are if you have a certain interest, there’s a program made just for that interest. Some programs give college credit. Others are just hands-on experiences. They all give high school students the chance to connect with others, learn, and grow.
So, if you’re looking for the best summer programs where you can learn or you want to get a feel for what it’s like to live on a college campus, and maybe even get college credit, get a sit now.
In this article, we’ve put together some of the best college summer programs in 2024 for high school students. We chose to only include colleges with specific programs for high school students. Keep reading!
What Makes the Best College Summer Programs in 2024?
In many ways, a pre-college summer program is an extreme form of advertising for a school. High schoolers get a taste of how they would live and what they would do as students at the college.
If the top college summer programs that are worth it does it right, every summer program student will apply as soon as they get home.
More importantly, a good summer program makes both the students and the school better. Some pre-college programs are for high-achieving, super-ambitious students. Many others are for students who don’t usually go to college.
This could be those who are first-generation, low-income, immigrants, or members of a minority.
These programs are very helpful because they show students that they can go to college and get the financial and job benefits that come with it. The pre-college program helps the school find talented students who might have missed out without it.
So, a really good summer program before college will show off everything that makes that school special. A large, well-known research university should give high school students access to modern technology and teach them about current research.
A well-known small liberal arts college should surround a young person with help, motivation, a sense of community, and a mentor.
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What to Look out for in the Best Colleges Summer Programs
Credit Courses
All pre-college programs have classes, workshops, labs, and seminars. However, not all of them help students get college credits they can transfer. The ones that do may cost more, but some of them let students earn up to 6 or 12 credits. This is a huge head start on the first year of college, whether you go to the same school or not.
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Realistic residential experience.
The word “residential” is one of the keys to the best college’s summer programs. A lot of the time, the pre-college program should be like the first year of college.
Even the US Coast Guard Academy does something similar to their punishing “Swab Week.” Though it’s not as bad. Even if high school students have to go to bed early, giving them a taste of college life is a big plus.
Reasonable Tuition and Scholarship Opportunities
The best college summer programs can be very expensive or seem expensive at first glance. Many programs offer full or partial scholarships based on how well you do or how much money you need, and some are completely free.
Others keep tuition low at first to get students to have the dedication but may not have a lot of money.
Mentorship from Experts
If high school students are going to a residential summer program before college, it’s reasonable to expect that the courses get taught by real experts. Many summer programs are usually taught by graduate students or faculty members who are right in the middle of the latest research. The top college summer programs that are worth it all have mentorships
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Why Should You Attend The Best Colleges Summer Programs
High school students might not want to give up their last summer of freedom for a pre-college program, but there are many good reasons why they should.
High school students can get a taste of college life during their summer break by taking part in pre-college summer programs. The length of these programs ranges from one to seven weeks.
Students in pre-college summer programs learn about things like leadership, writing, engineering, or starting their own business. Summer programs may have commuter or residential options, and students often get to stay on campus with other participants.
Students can attend lectures given by visiting scholars and college professors as part of these programs. Students take part in social activities and may even take classes at private colleges during these pre-college summer programs. They are usually offered by several Ivy League schools.
Competition for summer programs before college varies. Some programs are open to anyone who wants to go, while others have a strict process for getting in. When applying to a program, students may have to send in essays, teacher recommendations, and their standardized test scores.
Some programs can be expensive, so students and their parents should make sure that the courses offered to match the student’s interests. Students who do well in summer programs before college are sometimes seen as better candidates during the admissions process. The top college summer programs that are worth it present it all.
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Are the Best Colleges Summer Programs Worth it?
Online pre-college summer programs have many benefits. They can increase a student’s chances of getting into college. It gives them more independence and leadership skills.
Students can improve their chances of getting into college and learn independence and leadership skills through online summer programs before college.
As more people try to get into college, students are always looking for new ways to stand out. Online summer programs for high school students that prepare them for college show that a student works hard and takes initiative.
When a student goes to the best colleges’ summer programs, it shows that they are serious about their academic future.
People who go to these programs can also learn more about science, literature, and other things that interest them. Some programs, for example, focus on writing essays, which can help students who are applying to college write essays that colleges will want to accept.
Some summer programs let people stay on the college campus if they choose to do so. This sometimes means spending time at Ivy League colleges that would be out of reach otherwise.
As students learn more about a subject, they often form friendships that last. The best college summer programs help students who have an interest in technology, theater, or literature learn more about their favorite subject.
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15 Best Colleges Summer Programs
#1. The University of Washington
The Summer Institute for Mathematics at the University of Washington is one of the best summer programs for high school students in Washington State. It has four 2-week intensive online classes for students who want to learn about the theory and applications of mathematics.
The University of Washington has one of the top college summer programs that are worth it in the Northwest. The courses change from year to year. In the past they have covered things like combinatorics, methods of argument, and game theory, to name a few.
Before the summer program, applicants must be 14 years old by mid-March. They must have also finished three years of high school math.
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#2. Purdue University: Online
Purdue University’s Summer College for High School Students is one of the best college summer programs in Indiana. It gives high school students a taste of college life through a mix of courses and workshops.
The best college summer programs in 2024 at Purdue University give students a choice of one-, four-, eight-, or twelve-week programs.
They can plan their summer studies around them. Students can choose to live on campus, but they have to be 16 years old and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 to do so. John Purdue, a businessman, started Purdue University in the late 1860s.
It is now the main campus of the Purdue system of universities, as well as a space-grant and sea-grant school.
Nearly 300 undergraduate and graduate degrees are available at the school. Purdue has about 43,250 students, which makes it the second-largest school in the state of Indiana.
#3. North Carolina University at Raleigh
North Carolina State University has some of the top college summer programs that are worth it in North Carolina. These programs are for students ages 14 to 17 and are open to all students in North Carolina.
There are also programs for students interested in plant science or veterinary medicine. It also has North Carolina State’s CAMINOS pre-college program. This helps juniors and seniors make the transition to college.
One of the best college summer programs in 2024 at North Carolina State is the communication camp. It is for high school students who have an interest in TV production, public speaking, broadcasting, and other related fields.
North Carolina State University (NC State), a land-grant school, was set up by the state assembly in the late 1880s. It is now a member of the UNC system and a land-grant university. The school’s campus in the city of Raleigh is on more than 2,000 acres and serves about 35,750 students.
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#4. UCLA
Summer Sessions at the University of California, Los Angeles is one of the top college summer programs that are worth it in California. During the 1–3 week intensive sessions students can earn college credits.
Students can take the best college summer programs at UCLA anywhere in the world because they can be online.
High school students can choose from a variety of activities during these college sessions. There are “mock trials,” acting/performance, science labs, game labs, economics labs, and critical thinking institutes.
#5. Georgia Institute of Technology
The Design College at Georgia Tech has one of the best college summer programs in Georgia. Students who have interested in design can take part in a variety of video conferences. Students who have finished at least their sophomore year of high school can join these best college summer programs in 2024.
There are discussions, guided exercises, and live classes, and each class can have up to 28 people. Students can choose between two sessions, each of which has a different focus on one part of music technology design. Georgia Tech is a space-grant school with more than 36,400 students and an endowment of more than $2 billion.
#6. The University of Texas at Austin
The Summer Discovery program at the University of Texas at Austin offers some of the best college summer programs in 2024. It is for students ages 14 to 18 on a variety of topics for high school students in Texas.
Some of the top college summer programs that are worth it at UT are fashion computer tech, python programming, law/society, sports medicine, public speaking, and digital media/marketing.
All of these programs are available entirely online. Each of these summer discovery programs is open to people in grades 9–12 and lasts for three weeks.
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#7. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The Illini Summer Academies at the University of Illinois offer a 4-H college experience. Some of the best college summer programs at UIUC are for veterinary medicine, computer/electrical engineering, business, environmental science, future teachers, agriculture, animal sciences, honeybees/beekeeping, and more.
These are the best summer programs for students in Illinois before they go to college. The pre-college summer program costs vary by program, and there may be a limited number of spots. Students are mostly encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
#8. Virginia Tech
At Virginia Tech, the Computers and Technology division and the Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity (C-Tech2) offer one of the best summer programs in Virginia. It prepares them for college.
Students in V Tech’s best college summer programs in 2024 give students fun and exciting ways to learn about engineering and its many uses. The college program at Virginia Tech runs for two weeks each time.
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#9. Harvard University
Harvard University’s distance learning platform is one of the best ways for high school students to get ready for college in the summer. The best college summer programs at Harvard University each last for two weeks.
The pre-college summer Program offers three sessions during the summer session, which runs from the end of June to the first week of August.
Students get the chance to explore their academic interests. They can also build relationships with their peers and mentors/faculty that will last a lifetime. In these Harvard programs, there are no more than 20 students in each class.
Students are strongly encouraged to send in their applications as soon as possible for this reason. Harvard has one of the top college summer programs that are worth it.
#10. University of Indiana, Bloomington
Some of the best college summer programs in 2024 for students in Indiana are at Indiana University Bloomington. There are dozens of pre-college programs from which high school students can choose.
Some of the best college summer programs from IU Bloomington are for overseas students, choir, game development, music, dance, business, engineering/math, SEED, STEM, composition skills, cinema academy, future-focus, study skills, college auditions for music majors, and language immersion, to name a few.
#11. University of California, Berkeley
The Pre-College Scholars Programs at the University of California, Berkeley are some of the best summer programs that prepare students for college. These programs are available online and give UC Berkeley credit. It has one of the top college summer programs that are worth it.
There are programs in a wide range of academic fields, from STEM to the humanities and beyond. Digital Learning Services at UC Berkeley is in charge of all summer scholar programs.
It is one of fourteen schools in the state’s university system and the first one to join. More than 42,850 students live on Berkeley’s main campus and online.
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#12. Yale University.
Yale University’s Summer Sessions offer high school students in Connecticut and elsewhere two virtual sessions of the best college summer programs.
Each of the top college summer programs that are worth it at Yale University lets high school students who got accepted into the program take two credit courses per session
For the “summer sessions” program, students must have finished their junior year of high school. They must also be at least 16 years old when it starts.
#13. Duke University
Summer Sessions at Duke University is one of the best college summer programs in 2024 for students. They are usually held on campus and, starting in 2024, will also be available online.
The best college summer programs at Duke University last for three weeks, and there are two sessions to choose from.
Online programs for high school students include econometrics, big data, law, bioethics, chemistry, engineering, and scientific research and communication. There are both in-person and online classes that meet from Monday through Friday.
#14. University of California- San Diego
Academic Connections at the University of California, San Diego has two sets of online summer programs. The top college summer programs that are worth it at UC San Diego give students the chance to try out different research.
They have study options to fine-tune their college plans. It has one of the top college summer programs that are worth it.
The pre-college summer program offers life sciences, bioengineering, sports medicine/oncofertility, and design lab are all options for UC Scholars programs. The GELS (Global Environmental Leadership & Sustainability) program offers pre-college programs in Washington, DC, Hawaii, and Biosphere 2.
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#15. Rutgers University
The Pre-College Summer Program at Rutgers University is one of the best college summer programs in 2024 for students between the ages of 16 and 18.
It ranks as one of the top college summer programs that are worth it by College Consensus. Rutgers University has one of the top college summer programs that are worth it.
There are summer scholars and summer academies in engineering, leadership, law, and physical therapy as part of these college programs. Seniors in high school can earn college credits before they start their first year of school. Students who want to prepare for the SAT or ACT can take a course during the summer.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Clark Scholar Program at Texas Tech University is a seven-week research program for high school juniors and seniors who are very qualified. This program is very picky and is one of the hardest summer programs to get into.
Division of Continuing Education at Harvard
Extension School at Harvard.
Summer School at Harvard.
Professional Development at Harvard.
Harvard Institute for Learning After Retirement.
$4,950. In 2024, a session of the Harvard Pre-College Program cost $4,950. The program fee covers two weeks of classes, room and board, and activities. There was also a $75 application fee that was not refundable and a $100 health insurance fee.
Every year, Harvard has three summer programs for high school students. These programs are mostly put on by the university, and when they take place in person, they do so on campus.
High school students who take summer program classes during the summer can get a lot out of them. When they take a class at a college or university, they get a sense of the campus and what it’s like to be a college student. It also gives them a chance to meet college students, so they might be able to make friends their age before they go to college.
Summer programs are worth it, that’s for sure. They are a great way to learn more about your field of interest, gain useful skills, meet other students with similar interests, and, perhaps most importantly, increase your chances of getting into the Ivies.
Conclusion
Parents and high school students who want to grow are becoming more concerned about summer programs for students. Summer programs help to improve a student’s chances of getting into college.
Most colleges today have at least one college program that lets high school students check out the campus. There, they can also talk to professors, and even take classes during the summer.
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References
- collegevaluesonline.com– Pre-College Summer Program
- valuecolleges.com–
- utmeofficial.net– the Best Pre-College Summer Program
- collegeconsensus.com–
- Image Link
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