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9 Free Pre-College Programs for High School Students

Pre-college programs offer invaluable opportunities for high school students to gain a head start in their academic journey. These programs provide early exposure to college-level coursework, helping students build the skills and confidence needed for higher education. However, many pre-college programs come with significant tuition fees that not everyone can afford. 

If you are looking to sign up for a good pre-college program without breaking the bank, we’ve got you covered!  We have curated a list of 10 exceptional free pre-college programs that offer incredible opportunities for academic exploration, skill development, and personal growth. From prestigious universities to innovative organizations, these programs cater to a wide range of interests and disciplines, providing students with a glimpse into college life and a unique opportunity to mingle with like-minded students!

1. Yale Young Global Scholars

Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT

Dates: August 2024 to April 2025 on Saturdays

Deadline

  • Early Action: November 1, 2024 (Tentative, based on the 2024 program).

  • Regular Decision: January 10, 2024 (Tentative, based on the 2024 program).

Eligibility: Open to all high school sophomores or juniors, including international students, between the ages of 16-18 years old by the first day of the last session (Typically July).


Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) is a two-week academic summer program that allows students to explore a STEM, social sciences, humanities, or cross-disciplinary track. It is one of the few pre-college programs open to high school students from all over the world!


Three sessions are offered every summer, consisting of four tracks - Innovations in Science & Technology, Literature, Philosophy & Culture, Politics, Law & Economics, and Solving Global Challenges. You can only apply for one session. YYGS also hosts very useful webinars on college admissions, tuition, academics, and more! You can either attend these sessions live or watch recordings. Check them out here.


Do note that this program is not free, and there's a $70 application fee for the Early Action pool and $85 for the Early Action pool, alongside the $6,500 tuition. The application fee is reduced to $0 for students with demonstrated financial need who must submit the Fee Waiver Form separately.


2. Lumiere Breakthrough Scholar Program

Location: Remote - you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!

Dates: Fall 2024, TBD

Application Deadline: Closed for Summer 2024. Fall 2024 TBD. There are 4 cohorts (You can apply here!) 

Eligibility: Open to high school students and recent graduates who have demonstrated a high level of academic achievement (typically an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4). While there is no cut-off for income, past scholars have typically come from households earning less than $50,000 annually (for a typical household of 4) with minimum assets. 


The Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation is a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Carved out of the Lumiere Research Scholar Program (one of the largest 1-on-1 research initiatives for high school students), the foundation offers the same independent research opportunities at no cost. 


The Lumiere Breakthrough Scholar Program is the equivalent of the Individual Research Scholar Program at Lumiere Education. In this flagship program, talented high-school students are paired with world-class Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll learn about the cutting edge of your field and develop an independent research paper. 

You can choose topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. 

3. Columbia University State Pre-College Enrichment Program (S-PREP)

Location: Columbia University, New York, NY

Dates: Academic Year Session will take place between October 2024 and May 2025

Deadline: September 15, 2024

Eligibility: Open to middle and high school students residing in the New York State area, Manhattan-based students will be given preference. Students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds or belonging to Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Alaskan Native, or American Indian communities are given preference.


Columbia University's State Pre-College Enrichment Program is an intensive academic enhancement program designed for students from underrepresented backgrounds who are interested in pursuing careers in medicine or related STEM fields. Their BRAINYAC program (Brain Research Apprenticeships In New York At Columbia) provides students with an interest in biomedical and specifically neuroscience research with mentored research experience in a neuroscience lab, but only in the summer session; the deadline to apply for this was May 20. 


You can still apply for the Academic Year session, which runs from October to May, with classes held every Saturday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The program also offers college preparation and career development workshops, college & academic counseling services, field trips, and college tours. SAT preparation courses are also offered during the academic year session. 


If you are interested in medical research, you should also consider signing up for the Scientific Enrichment Month Program. It is a free virtual program conducted in July by the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC). Find out more about it here!


4. Michigan Ross Enriching Academics in Collaboration with High Schools

Location: Michigan Ross campus, Ann Arbor, MI

Dates: August 2024-April 2025 on Saturdays

Deadline: July 15, 2024

Eligibility: Open to students currently in the 10th or 11th grade with a GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale). Students in 12th grade are added to the waitlist and only included if a spot opens up. First-generation college-bound students and minority students from lower socioeconomic standing are encouraged to apply.


MREACH (Michigan Ross Enriching Academics in Collaboration with High Schools) is a program designed for high school students who identify as a minority and are interested in studying business. All sessions are held one to two Saturdays per month from August through April on the Michigan Ross campus.

By participating in this program, you will receive guidance and support from current Michigan Ross BBA and MBA students. You will also get access to resources useful in college applications, the financial aid process, scholarships, and preparation for standardized tests.

5. MIT’s Research Science Institute (RSI)

Location: MIT Campus, Cambridge, MA

Dates: June to August 2025 (tentative dates based on the 2024 program)

Deadline: December 2024 (tentative dates based on the 2024 program)

Eligibility: High school juniors with recommended PSAT math scores of at least 740 for evidence-based reading and 700 for writing. An ACT math score of at least 33 and verbal scores of at least 34 are recommended. Lower scores will be considered if relatively balanced by strong mathematical, scientific, and academic potential highlighted via recommendation letters, high school grades, and science extracurriculars.


Widely considered the most prestigious summer program in STEM for high school students, MIT’s Research Science Institute is a great pre-college program. An intensive, six-week summer residential pre-college program geared towards honing potential leaders in STEM, the Research Science Institute is co-sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE). RSI is fully funded and, thus, highly selective, with students securing admission at top Ivies going forward.

As part of the program, you will experience the complete research cycle and learn to execute your research plan, presenting final findings via oral presentations and written reports. To better understand the academic output facilitated by RSI alumni, you can read through some of their written papers here

An application fee of $65 for U.S. students and $30 for international students is waived for students with need-based assistance.

You can find out more about RSI here


6. Redbird Risk Management Challenge

Location: Illinois State University, Normal, IL

Dates: July 7- July 12, 2024

Deadline: May 31, 2025 (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates)

Eligibility: Open to students entering the senior year in high school with at least a 3.2 GPA (on a 4.0 scale)


Redbird Risk Management Challenge is a free weeklong risk management challenge held at the Katie School of Insurance and Risk Management on the ISU campus. Twenty highly motivated students are selected each year and take part in a team challenge to assume senior-level management roles at a company. You are tasked with developing and implementing strategies that will help your company through potential disasters. The winning team is determined by which corporation generates the most profit by the end of the week.


In the evenings, various social activities such as bowling, mini-golf, and other competitive activities are designed to build camaraderie and help earn additional revenue for your company. Special student guides and programming are arranged for you during the evening. You learn about business management, and interactions with your peers help you develop team-building skills. 

7. Computer Science Summer Institute - Generative AI

Location: UCLA Campus, Los Angeles, CA

Program Dates: July 1 - July 19, 2024

Deadline: June 1, 2025 (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates)

Eligibility: Open to all high school students, who should be at least 15 years old at the start of the program. A cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher is required to apply.


The Computer Science Summer Institute-Generative AI at UCLA is one of the many summer programs offered by the nation's top public university. In this three-week-long course, students will learn in great detail about one of the most common applications of AI: generative AI for text. While the program cost is $3,020, need-based scholarships up to 100% of the fee are available only to California high school students with a family annual adjusted gross income (AGI) of $100,000 or less. 


Students will learn the basics of neural networks, deep learning, and natural language processing, and pre-trained language models such as BERT, BART, and GPT-3 will also be explored. Students work on real-life guided projects, experimenting with generative algorithms and creating unique AI-generated content. The program culminates with a final presentation on the projects undertaken by the students.

8. NIAHD’s Pre-College Program in American History

Location: William & Mary campus Williamsburg, VA

Program Dates: Session 2: July 7-July 27, 2024 (Applications for Session 1 are closed)

Deadline: June 1, 2024. Rolling basis after that until all seats are booked

Eligibility: Open to rising juniors, rising seniors, and rising college freshmen with an interest in American history


The National Institute of American History & Democracy (NIADH)’s Pre-College Program in American History at the William & Mary campus is a 3-week program designed to help students interested in the rich American history. If selected, you will have daily trips to museums and historic sites to explore more about the past. Then, you will need to combine what you have learned from the field experience with seminar readings and faculty-led discussions. 


The institute offers 4 courses during the summer, for which you'll gain four credits apiece. You can enroll for any one of the following courses -


While the program has a $5,600 tuition fee, financial aid is available for qualified students who need to write a letter explaining their financial situation and submit a tax return form for 2023. 

9. USC Bovard Scholars

Location: In-person, University of Southern California

Dates: July 10–29, 2025 (Tentative, based on 2024 program)

Deadline: January 14, 2025 (Tentative, based on the 2024 program). Applications may open in October. 

Eligibility: All high-achieving juniors in high school with demonstrated financial need 


The Bovard Scholars program is a pre-college program offered to high-achieving students from across the country to help them develop critical thinking skills, research aptitude, refinement of career goals, and assist them with college application prep.

This fully residential program spans 3 weeks and is known for its excellent student-to-staff ratio (3:1). You will be assigned a coach to guide you through application processes at different universities, competitive exam prep, and career guidance even after the program ends. The program also includes mixer events with industry leaders, group activities, scholarship databases, and goal-setting exercises.


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 - Yale University Logo