Summer Programs
Summer programs are available in all areas of study. They are great on college applications, and some are free or only a few hundred dollars. Summer programs can allow you to earn college units for cheaper than at UCs or private schools and sometimes offer a taste of college dorm life. Below is list of commuter, online, and residential programs in LA and around the country.
Click on each image to be taken to a summer program search engine:
Summer Medical Career Program - LA Pediatric Society
Application due: mid-February
Free to apply and attend!
The Los Angeles Pediatric Society established the Eve and Gene Black Summer Medical Career Program in 1969. This program is best described as a medical mentor program: participants will attend interactive presentations from a variety of specialists including surgeons, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, infectious disease doctors, ophthalmologists, radiologists, and therapists, (i.e., physical, speech, occupational, or cognitive).
Application due: mid-March
Girls Who Code offers two FREE programs in the summer: the Summer Immersion Program and the Self-Paced Program.
The Summer Immersion Program (SIP) is a live, virtual, 2-week introductory computer science course for 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students. Through our new curriculum focused on Game Design, SIP participants will learn beginner to intermediate computer science concepts and UX design basics while getting an inside look into the tech industry through company partners. In addition to a completely free program, we offer grants up to $300 and tech support for qualifying students.
The Self-Paced Program is a 6-week flexible computer science course for currently eligible 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students who prefer not to adhere to a set schedule. Participants can choose to take our data science track, earn beginner-level badges in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for web development, or obtain an intermediate-level badge in Python for cybersecurity.
Application due: early May
The CS@SC Coding Camps provide K12 students with an opportunity to explore topics that are not typically covered in traditional curricula, specifically topics in computer science including stand-alone programming, web development, mobile app creation, and robotics. In person sessions are $600, and online sessions are only $200.
- Help students understand the fundamentals of programming.
- Help student’s understanding what it means to write a program and how to use basic programming constructs.
- Build student confidence in coding skills and knowledge.
- Develop student’s interest in coding.
- Have access to high-quality mentors in STEM.
- Understand the value and impact of computer science in today’s society.
CSUN Summer Enrichment Program
Applications due: late May
Apply by mid-May for scholarship consideration!
CSUN offers summer classes that can be used to strengthen your college application and some remedial math courses! You can take 1-3 classes for 2-5 weeks. Available courses range from culinary studies to video game development. The cheapest option is only $175! This is amazing value for strengthening your college application, available at your closest university!
Application due: mid-May
Explore the fields of civil engineering, computer and electrical engineering, computer science, materials science, mechanical engineering, technology and discover how choosing to study in these majors looks like in a career after college. With sponsors such as Boeing and Aerojet Rocketdyne, CSULA Launchpad is a strong college application supplement with both in-person and virtual options.
Program dates: mid-July - late July
Online Precollege Program - UC Santa Cruz
Applications due: mid-June
At UCSC, online courses are just like their face-to-face equivalents; students are expected to perform undergraduate university-level work alongside undergraduate students. It costs $1737 per 5 credits, which is cheaper than CSUN's summer session! You can take courses in any discipline, ranging from pre-law to marine biology.
USC Summer Pre-College Programs
Applications due early May, but earlier applicants will receive preference.
Estimated cost of $2000 for online courses, $7,500 for commuters, and $10,500 for residential students.
USC Summer Programs extends a tradition of excellence to outstanding high school students through a diverse offering of four-week summer courses. As a “Summer Trojan,” you will balance academic and campus life as you prepare for college — and earn college credit. USC Summer Programs’ courses are taught by USC faculty and experienced professionals of the USC academic community. Each course is designed to be more interactive, engaging and challenging than accelerated high school classes or the broad introductory courses offered by other summer pre-collegiate programs.
Application now open.
Application Requirements: $99 non-refundable application fee, $3,200 program commuter cost or $6,000 to stay in the dorms.
Summer Springboard is a college preparation program for high schoolers. It focuses on helping students discover a career path and experience college life. The internship program includes academic immersion courses, excursions, and mentorship.
This summer program is held at some of America’s leading colleges, not only at UCLA, but also at Georgetown University, Fordham University, and Yale. The current list of coursework options include leadership development classes and college-level lectures from the fields of engineering, medicine, business, law, media, and design.
Precollege Summer Institutes | UCLA
Application due: early June
Total cost starts at $2,000
As the only official academic precollege programs offered by UCLA, Precollege Summer Institutes provide motivated and driven high school students the opportunity to earn college credit in one to three weeks while advancing their academic career and abilities in an area of study of their interest. Through co-curricular components including hands-on projects and performances, field visits, and guest lectures, students receive a comprehensive and immersive study of their chosen subject that goes beyond classroom instruction. The Precollege Summer Institutes are open to high school students from around the world.
Loyola Marymount University Pre-College Summer Programs
Application is now open.
Application requirements: Completed online application form and essay; high school transcripts; $65 application fee; letter of recommendation.
Loyola Marymount University offers current 9th grade to 11th grade students a unique pre-college program over the summer that can count for college credit. Available courses include engineering, political science, entertainment business, filmmaking, and entrepreneurship. Admitted students will have access to university-level coursework and career development opportunities.
Engineering Possibilities in College - Cal Poly SLO
Application due: mid-April
Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo) is pleased to present the 16th annual EPIC — Engineering Possibilities in College — an enriching and fun summer camp for rising 7th-12th grade students. EPIC strives to interest all students in engineering, but especially first-generation-college-bound, female, and/or under-represented multicultural students. Ideal candidates will have good grades and abilities in math and science, with little or no exposure to engineering. Scholarships are available for students based on financial need.
Great Books Online Summer Program - St. John's College
Application due: early June
The St. John’s College Summer Academy is a pre-college summer program that offers high school students ages 15 to 18 an exceptional learning experience. Organized in one-week sessions, students read and discuss texts from the Western canon in small classes guided by St. John’s renowned faculty. Summer Academy Online tuition is only $200 with limited financial aid available. The Academy culminates with an admissions and financial aid session with admissions officers. In-person programs are available in Annapolis, MD and Santa Fe, NM for $1,400 per week (room and board included).
Program dates: late June
The Common Young Writers Program – Amherst College, MA
Application due: mid-March
The Common Young Writers Program welcomes high school students passionate about creative writing to join us for two inspiring weeks dedicated to the craft of fiction. In this virtual course, students will learn and experiment with the building blocks of fiction and be guided through the process of writing and revising their own short stories. Students will learn to read like a writer, by closely examining short stories published in The Common, and engage with their peers. Taught by the editors and editorial assistants of Amherst College’s literary magazine.
Cost & Scholarships
The cost of the two-week program is $849 for Level I and $999 for Level II. Full and partial need-based tuition waivers are available for both levels; we hope that no student will let financial difficulty prevent them from applying. Tuition waivers will be awarded to students with strong applications who cannot attend the program without financial assistance. No tax returns or other documentation is required.
Program dates: late July-early Aug
One Course Summer Institute - Cornell College, Iowa
Application due: mid-June
Cornell's One Course Summer Institute is designed for you. You'll learn alongside peers from across the country and discover what professors expect of college-level work. Immerse yourself in academic, social, cultural, and recreational activities, with additional college prep workshops being available. All meals will be prepared and served by Bon Appétit, our award-winning food service provider that focuses on fresh, nutritious ingredients, and a made-from-scratch approach. Your completion of a One Course Summer Institute course makes you eligible for a $4,000 in scholarship funds at Cornell College (if you enroll full-time at Cornell College). The program costs $4,000 for room and board, tuition, and social outings.
Courses available include Behavioral Neuroscience, Food Chemistry, Engineering, Python, Writing, Ecology, and Art.
Camp Cronkite - Arizona State University
Application due: early April
Camp Cronkite is where high schoolers from across the country come to grow their media skills while getting a taste of college. Students leave with real media skills and work to bolster (or kickstart!) their professional portfolios. Students choose their own Camp Cronkite adventure by selecting one of the following tracks: digital journalism, broadcast journalism, or sports media.
At Camp Cronkite, students learn approaches to reporting, pitching, storytelling and editing, and get hands-on experience across a variety of media techniques—video editing, photography, reporting and writing, script development, AR/VR media and more.
Program dates: late June