A Directory of Summer Pre-College Programs for High School Students

Summer programs and camps that are education-oriented can enable students to explore topics of interests, engage in experiential-based learning, collaborate with peers, develop new skills, participate in productive endeavors, enjoy experiences with hands-on activities, and consider potential college majors and career fields.

Using the Directory of Summer Programs

This directory of summer programs includes information about pre-college programs offered during the summer of 2020. Programs are organized by ‘State‘ and by ‘Topic‘ and can be found using the dropdown menu at the top of this page. Summer opportunities along with additional information about participating in a program can also be found on the directory’s blog.

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There are interesting blog articles that are regularly added to provide more information about productive summer programs such as:

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Featured Summer Pre-College Programs

Young Authors Summer Program: A Pre-College Creative Writing Program

American University Community of Scholars Summer Pre-College Program

World Scholars Academy
Summer Pre-College Program
for High School Students

Wealthy Habits Summer Financial Literacy Camp for High School and Junior High Students

Lake Forest College Writing & Thinking Program for High School Students

Information about the Summer Pre-College Program Direcory

This directory is designed to help high school students, parents, and educators find summer programs of interest. There are variety of pre-college programs on the directory, which can provide students with information about potential opportunities that align with their interests and goals.

The directory can be utilized to explore a variety of summer programs and opportunities.

The directory includes:

The Types of Pre-College Summer Programs included on the Directory

Summer pre-college programs are offered by a variety of colleges and educational organizations. These educational opportunities provide high school students with the chance to extend their learning beyond the traditional school year, meet peers from different locations, explore a topic at an in-depth level, preview academics in a college setting, and/or consider potential majors and careers.

Finding Pre-College Programs for the Summer

During the last fifteen years, there has been an increase in the pre-college summer educational opportunities that are held on college campuses. Summer pre-college experiences for high school students are often held on college campuses. However, these programs vary in terms of length, cost, focus topic(s), structure, selectivity, and more. The number of pre-college programs can make it challenging to know where to begin the search and how to narrow down potential options. This directory is designed to help high school students look for, research, and find pre-college programs of interest.

Through the directory of summer programs, high school students can view opportunities by the state or topic.

Summer Programs by State: One of the ways that the directory can be used involves examing program options by state. There are often a variety of summer opportunities available in a particular state. Viewing summer programs by state can be helpful with regard to narrowing down potential options of interest in a paricular location. Find out more about summer pre-college programs by State.
Summer Programs by Topic: Another way to view programs on the directory is based on a topic of focus. Many summer pre-college programs focus on a particular subject area or field. These programs can provide the chance to learn about a topic at an in-depth level, find out about potential college majors, and learn about career options in a particular field. Summer programs can focus on specific topics such as visual arts, business, theatre, STEM, and more. Find out more information about summer pre-college programs by Topic.

It may also be useful for students to consider categorizing summer pre-college programs in the following ways:

University Department: There are many university departments that host and run programs specific to their mission. These programs tend to focus on a particular topic and enable students to gain insight into a subject area during the summer. For example, there are a variety of engineering departments around the country that coordinate summer programs to promote the field and provide the opportunity to get a feel for what engineers do. There is more information on engineering programs included in this directory.
Pre-College Programs with College-Level Courses: Some of the pre-college summer academic programs enable high school students to take college-level courses. These programs often open up the summer schedule of courses to qualified high school students. As a result, students can learn from faculty members, develop a better understanding of the academic expectations in a college setting, and explore a topic of interest. Some pre-college programs with courses offer the possibility of earning credit. However, it is important to note that credits may or may not be transferable to other institutions. There is more information about pre-college courses on the directory.
Releatively Low-Cost: Many pre-college programs have a cost associated with participation. However, some pre-college opportunities have a relatively low-cost and, in some cases, have no cost. This may be due to financial donations given to a university, a grant that a college earned for a summer program, or a sponsoring organization has allows for a lower cost. More information can about relatively low-cost programs can be found on this directory.
Service-Learning: There are some pre-college programs that emphasize the importance of contributing to a community. These opportunities are designed to integrate learning while gaining experience serving a community. There is more information about service learning opportunities on the directory.
College Prep: Some colleges offer programs specifically designed to help high school students preview a college environment and develop skills that are useful in a higher education setting. These programs may focus on study skills, standardized test preparation, career exploration, and considering college majors.
Educational Organizations: There are a number of reputable educational organizations that run pre-college summer programs. The organizations often work with universities so that students can gain experience on a campus while participating in an academic program. Educational organizations offer programs in areas from computer science camps to writing. It is recommended that students and parents contact a representative from an organization to find out the detailed information about a potential program option for the summer.
Learning Differences: Some pre-college programs have been designed for students with learning differences. These programs tend to provide the chance for students to learn more about the college environment, get a head start on developing skills utilized in higher education, and gain exposure to post-secondary education. More information can be found about programs designed for learning differences in the directory.

Explore a Variety of Summer Pre-College Programs on the Featured Pages of the Directory

Summer Pre-College Writing Programs

Summer Pre-College Business Program Options

Summer STEM Programs and Camps

California Pre-College Summer Programs and Camps

Pre-College Art and Design Programs

Pre-College Summer Opportunities in Washington D.C.

The Directory includes Programs from a Variety of Schools & Organization such as:

Pre-College Summer Experiences for High School Students

Summer pre-college programs for high school students often take place on college campuses and they can provide students with a chance to get a preview of a college environment. Pre-College programs often enable high school students to get a general feel for a college campus and experience learning in a post-secondary education setting.

Summer pre-college programs also give students a chance get a glimpse of college life and help prepare them for the transition from high school to post-secondary education. For more information on pre-college programs, please visit our blog post entitled, what is a pre-college program?

Learning about Topics of Interest through Summer Pre-College Programs

Summer pre-college education programs have different areas of emphasis. This enables students to gain more insight on subject areas of interest and to consider potential college majors as well as career pathways. Pre-college programs can focus on topics such as art, business, computers, engineering, drama, journalism, theatre, math, music, technology, science, STEM, writing, and more. As a result, students are encouraged to carefully consider the topics that they would like to explore and programs that would be beneficial.

Choosing a Program or Educational Opportunity for the Summer

When choosing a pre-college program or camp for the summer of 2020, it can be helpful for students and parents to examine important factors. Some of the factors that can be considered include:

- location
- admission requirements
- supervision
- program focus area
- cost
- daily schedule
- expected outcomes

In order to ensure that students have the type of learning experience that they are seeking from a summer program, students and/or parents are encouraged to directly contact a representative of a summer program to find out detailed and up-to-date information. Students can begin learning about programs by exploring ‘states‘ and ‘topics‘ on this directory.

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