If you’re an ambitious high school student looking to get a head start on your college education, you should consider applying for a pre-college program. These programs, especially when offered by renowned institutions such as Ivy League colleges, are immersive academic experiences that provide a glimpse into college life, challenging coursework, and the chance to learn from expert faculty.

Ivy League universities are known for their academic rigor and distinguished faculty. Apart from the comprehensive academic experience offered by Ivy League pre-college programs, you will also get to explore potential career paths and connect with peers who share your interests and passions. These programs are often highly competitive – securing a place signals your capabilities and determination, something college admission officers look for.

In this blog, we’ve covered 15 of the best pre-college programs offered by Ivy League colleges. 

1. Columbia University College Edge: Fall

Application deadline: June 27, 2024

Eligibility: Students in grades 11 or 12 can apply. You can check the application requirements here.

Program dates: September 3 - December 20, 2024. Summer and spring sessions are also offered.

Location: Commuter program held at Columbia University’s Morningside Campus, New York, NY. Housing is not provided.

Cost: $2,376 per point (3 points is typically equal to 1 course)

With this pre-college program, students can enroll in university courses to earn credit studying alongside undergraduate students. The program is designed to prepare students for both college and their future careers through coursework and college preparation workshops. You can choose from a wide range of college-level courses, covering subjects such as math, computer science, economics, psychology, and more. You can enroll for a maximum of 6 points during the program. Classes will be held on campus and you should be prepared to dedicate two to three hours of study outside class for every hour spent in class. During the course, you will also engage in college prep. 

This is a highly selective program, with a minimum requirement of a cumulative 3.3 GPA. A writing sample, of 3–10 double-spaced pages in length is required, which should be graded by one of your high school teachers. A Statement of Purpose, between 600-800 words is also required. 

2. Science, Technology, and Politics @ Cornell University

Application deadline: June 2, 2024

Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors.  You must be at least 15 years old when you start your class.

Program dates:  June 24, 2024 – July 12, 2024

Location: Online

Cost: $5,250

Cornell University is not offering its Summer Residential Program in 2024 but you can still access one of the many undergraduate-level courses online. Cornell University's pre-college programs give you a chance to benefit from Ivy League-level education before applying to or attending college. Science, Technology, and Politics is one of the courses that only only helps you explore the intersection of science and politics but also helps you earn 3 credits while you're still in high school!

You will likely to explore issues such as the role of the military and private sector in funding research, the politics of experts and expertise, computer privacy and national security, and environmental politics.

3. Introduction to Computational Mathematics and Big Data Visualization @ Brown University

Application deadline: Rolling basis

Eligibility: Students completing grades 9 to 12, between the age of 14 to 18 by June 16, 2024

Program dates:  June 17 - July 26, 2024

Location: Online

Cost: $5,998. Some financial aid is offered.

This is a project-oriented course that aims to develop students’ interests in STEM. This is one of the many courses offered by the Summer@Brown Online program, which is not at full capacity and is accepting students on a rolling basis. This program will allow you to understand the basic concepts of numerical analysis, parallel computing, and data visualization, and develop your ability to apply computational mathematics to analyze and solve practical scientific and engineering problems arising in CDS&E (Computational and Data-Enabled Science and Engineering).

You will learn some basic concepts, methods, and computer tools for scientific computing and related data analysis. If you do not have coding experience, the course also runs classes to help you with necessary mathematical methods and programming skills!

4. Explorations in Quantum Physics @ Columbia University

Application deadline: June 6, 2024

Eligibility: Students completing grades 9 to 12

Program dates:  July 16, 2024 - August 02, 2024

Location: Columbia University, New York, NY

Cost: NYC Commuter Summer (3 Weeks): $6,100 per session ( A non-refundable $2,000 deposit to secure a place in the program)

NYC Residential Summer (3 Weeks): $12,154 per session ( a non-refundable $3,500 deposit to secure a place in the program)

If you’re curious about quantum physics and want to learn the fundamental concepts in the field, you should consider attending the Explorations in Quantum Physics course, one of the many pre-college courses offered by Columbia University. This course is offered in two modes, commuter and residential. 

You are expected to have a strong background in algebra and classical mechanics to make the most of this course. The course includes lectures with an emphasis on derivation and problem sets, essays, and group projects. While the basics of quantum physics are discussed in detail, one of the highlights of the course is Quantum computing, in which you will learn about qubits and their state manipulation!

5. Mechanical Engineering III: Dynamics @ Yale University

Application deadline: June 14, 2024

Eligibility: Must be a rising senior year high school student and at 16 years of age at the start of the program. 

Program dates:  July 1, 2024 - August 2, 2024

Location: Online

Cost: $5,070 tuition + $85 technology fee

Mechanical Engineering is one of the core engineering fields and has multi-disciplinary applications. If learning concepts like kinematics, relative motion and dynamics of particles is on your list, you can enroll for Mechanical Engineering II: Dynamics, one of the pre-college program courses offered by Yale University. 

One of the main topics covered in this course is the working and applications of a gyroscope, a device used for measuring or maintaining orientation and angular velocity. Gyroscopes help navigate vehicles ranging from airplanes and ships to drones and self-driving cars. They stabilize and orient cameras, scientific instruments, and robots. 

6. Dartmouth Summer Scholars: Data Science Track

Application deadline: Rolling basis

Eligibility: Students completing grades 9 to 12

Program dates:  Session 1: - June 30, 2024 - July 12, 2024 | Session 3: July 28, 2024 - August 9, 2024. (The Data Science course is not offered in Session 2)

Location: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

Cost: $7,999

Dartmouth College is offering a pre-college program for high school students in 2024, for the first time in collaboration with Summer Discovery. The institute offers programs across seven different disciplines in three different sessions between June 30, 2024, and August 9, 2024. If you are interested in data science, there is a two-week boot camp that focuses on the importance of quantitative analysis and qualitative interpretation in understanding and leveraging data. 

You get introduced to Python programming fundamentals and its various libraries. The curriculum advances through vital concepts such as data structures, manipulation, and exploratory data analysis (EDA). You also get to work on hands-on projects using real-world datasets. 

7. Dartmouth Summer Scholars: Healthcare Track

Application deadline: Rolling basis

Eligibility: Students completing grades 9 to 12

Program dates:  Session 1: June 30, 2024 - July 12, 2024 (New Essentials of Medicine is only offered in Session 1)

Location: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

Cost: $7,999

One other course offered by Dartmouth College that might be useful for you as a high school student interested in STEM, is the New Essentials of Medicine. The program is divided into three broad themes: (1) Becoming a Doctor, (2) Centering Patient Experience, and (3) Building a Future of Compassionate Care.

This summer course is designed to equip advanced high school students with knowledge and skills in the fields of humanities and social sciences, which will prepare them for their pre-med education and future careers in healthcare. This course is relevant for students interested in pursuing various careers in healthcare, including students pursuing clinical careers; students engaging with healthcare and science as writers or advocates; and students in the humanities and social sciences who are interested in exploring lived experiences of health, illness, and medicine.

8. Infectious and Epidemic Disease @ Brown University

Application deadline: Rolling basis

Eligibility: Students completing grades 9 to 12, between the age of 14 to 18 by June 16, 2024

Program dates:  July 8 - 26, 2024

Location: Online

Cost: $4,282. Some financial aid is offered.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists and people involved in public policy have become more aware of the risks infectious diseases around us pose. If you are interested in learning about how a disease becomes an epidemic and what can be done from a scientific point-of-view to control its spread, you should consider enrolling in Brown University’s Infectious and Epidemic Disease pre-college program. 

This course utilizes a combination of lectures (to establish background knowledge), discussions, group projects, and opportunities to learn how to be successful in the laboratory. You will also explore treatment and outbreak control methods applicable to old diseases that remain persistent in our surroundings, newly emerging infectious diseases, tropical diseases, and hospital infections. 

9. Introduction to Macroeconomic Theory and Policy @ Cornell University

Application deadline: June 23, 2024

Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors.  You must be at least 15 years old when you start your class.

Program dates:  June 24, 2024 – July 12, 2024

Location: Online

Cost: $5,250

Cornell’s School of Applied Economics and Management is considered one of the top economics and management schools in the country. It also ranks high for its business programs. If you are interested in economics and want to learn about the fundamentals of the national economy, Introduction to Macroeconomic Theory and Policy is a good introductory-level course. 

The course will touch upon the U.S. economy and also explore how macroeconomic model of how the economy works to generate growth and employment. You will also learn about macroeconomic indicators like GDP, inflation, and employment and apply this knowledge in projects that tackle macroeconomic issues of the present time.

10. Introduction to Engineering @ Columbia University

Application deadline: May 30, 2024

Eligibility: Students completing grades 9 to 12

Program dates:  July 16, 2024 - August 02, 2024

Location: Online

Cost: $3,850 per session (A non-refundable $1,000 deposit to secure a place in the program)

As a high school student interested in STEM, you will likely be pursuing an engineering degree in college. Introduction to Engineering is a pre-college program designed for motivated high school students to explore the growing number of disciplines within the field of engineering through guest lectures and group activities.

The course will also examine the professional ethics of engineering and evaluate the accountability that engineers have to society and the environment. After this course, students are expected to develop an overall understanding of the engineering field, the different career paths available, and the ethics involved in the profession.

11. Indigenous Fly-In Program @ Dartmouth College

Application deadline: July 22, 2024

Eligibility: Open to all rising high school seniors currently living and attending a high school in the U.S., regardless of citizenship status

Program dates:  October 13 - 16, 2024

Location: Dartmouth's Native American and Indigenous Studies Department, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

Cost: Free. Dartmouth will cover travel expenses, housing, and meals.

The Indigenous Fly-In Program is one of the two college-access programs for high school students at Dartmouth College. Students who come from Indigenous communities, or have demonstrated an interest in the Indigenous community in general and want to learn about Dartmouth's Native American and Indigenous Studies Department are encouraged to apply.

The highlights of the program are - orientation of the Dartmouth campus and facilities, the Native Students' Experience Forum, the Native Americans at Dartmouth (NAD) Community Dinner, Admissions Workshops and Case Studies, and the First-Year Experience. While this is not an academically inclined program, this program is useful for students who are looking to learn more about native American culture and give their college applications a boost. 

12. Cell and Molecular Biology of Medicine @ Columbia University

Application deadline: June 14, 2024

Eligibility: Must be a rising senior year high school student and at 16 years of age at the start of the program. 

Program dates:  July 15 - 26, 2024

Location: Online

Cost: $5,070

Understanding the interactions at the cellular level has become crucial in modern medicine. Medication regimes such as such as antibiotics, antiviral drugs, chemotherapy, and psychiatric drugs all involve intricate interactions at cellular levels to deliver the desired results. If this sounds interesting to you then the Cell and Molecular Biology of Medicine, a pre-college course offered by Columbia University is right for you!

You will look at the molecular biology and treatment of conditions such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and auto-immune disorders such as lupus. Gene therapy, a promising field in medicinal research will also be touched upon in this course. Interactive lectures and in-class assignments will help you understand the connections between science and medical treatments. You will also be expected to write a number of short essays exploring how various modern medical treatments work on a cellular and molecular level which would be a great way to test your learnings from the course!

13. Acid/Base Chemistry: From Food to Everyday Phenomena @ Brown University

Application deadline: Rolling basis

Eligibility: Students completing grades 9 to 12, between the ages of 14 to 18 by July 14, 2024

Program dates:  July 15 - 26, 2024

Location: Online

Cost: $3,094

Acid-base reactions form the very basis of various chemical phenomena observed in day-to-day life. Table salt (NaCl) is formed after a reaction between HCl, one of the strongest acids, and NaOH, one of the most alkaline (basic) compounds you can find in a lab. So, you see, just how interesting the acid-base interactions can be!

The course is a great introductory course for you to understand the acid-base reactions from the foundational basis and will cover concepts of pH, dissociation constants, and interpretation of common visuals like graphs related to acids and bases, preparing students for upcoming college coursework. You will be introduced to the uses and implementation of laboratory equipment, such as pH meters, UV-vis spectrophotometers, and volumetric pipets, providing you with a strong foundation to pursue lab research as a chemist.

14. Digital Platforms and Cultural Production @ Yale University

Application deadline: June 14, 2024

Eligibility: Must be a rising senior year high school student and at 16 years of age at the start of the program. 

Program dates:  July 1, 2024 - August 2, 2024

Location: Online

Cost: $5,070 tuition + $85 technology fee

This is a unique offering from Yale University, which explores the phenomenon of digital platforms and how they have changed society at large. In this course, you will explore contemporary capitalism while topics like inequality, surveillance, decentralization, and ethics in the digital age are also discussed. 

The goal of the program is to help you study platforms across diverse socio-economic contexts. For social media platforms, Instagram will be used as an example, while Twitch will be the example for video streaming platforms, digital labor platforms Uber will be studied and Amazon is the go-to choice for e-commerce. The course offers a multidisciplinary perspective on studying these platforms, viewed as an amalgamation of firms and multi-sided markets, each with its distinctive history, governance, and infrastructures.

15. Introductory Biology: Cell and Developmental Biology @ Cornell University

Application deadline:  June 2, 2024

Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors. You must be at least 15 years old when you start your class.

Program dates:  June 24, 2024 – August 6, 2024

Location: Online

Cost: $5,250

To build a strong foundation in the field of biology, starting at the cellular level is a solid choice. Cornell University’s pre-college program has an introductory-level course suitable for high school students that explores the molecular mechanisms that drive the growth and multiplication of cells. 

Apart from understanding in detail about cells and the various macromolecules present in them, you will learn how to apply concepts learned in class to interpret hypothetical experimental observations and acquire scientific information from various databases and the primary literature.

If you’re looking to build unique projects in the field of AI/ML, consider applying to Veritas AI! 

Veritas AI was founded by Harvard graduate students, and through the programs, you get a chance to learn the fundamentals of AI and computer science while collaborating on real-world projects. You can also work 1-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we had over 1000 students learn data science and AI with us. You can apply here!

Image Source - Dartmouth Logo