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About Summer College

Cornell University's prestigious "Summer College Programs for High School Students," now more than fifty years old, offers three- and six-week academic programs for talented sophomores, juniors, and seniors from around the world.

As a summer Cornellian you can:

  • Experience the excitement of college life at a great Ivy League university
  • Take fascinating college courses with Cornell's world-renowned faculty
  • Get a head start on college by earning three to six college credits
  • Explore careers and academic majors from architecture to veterinary medicine
  • Enhance your college applications and attend admissions workshops
  • Live, study, and play on one of the nation's most beautiful campuses
  • Make friends from around the world, and more

You can choose from programs in:

Architecture, Art and Design, Business, College Success, Engineering, English Language, Environmental Studies, History and Politics, Hotel Management, Humanities, Law and Government, Medicine, Psychology, Research and Science, and Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science. (See Programs at a glance.)

The details

As a Summer College student you'll enroll in one or more of Cornell's fast-paced and rigorous undergraduate courses and enjoy the rare opportunity to work closely with some of Cornell's most outstanding professors.

The grades and credits you earn will be recorded on an official Cornell University transcript. These credits can generally be applied toward an undergraduate degree at Cornell or another school.

In addition, to help you in your college search, you can attend a college fair, one-on-one admissions consultations, and special workshops with Cornell admissions officers.

You'll live in a residence hall on campus and enjoy a wide range of fun activities. Summer College staff will be available 24/7 to support you as you tackle college classes, juggle free time and coursework, negotiate life with a roommate, and practice living on your own.

As our alumni will attest, students who attend Summer College frequently aim higher when choosing a college or university. You'll also find that what you learn at Summer College about your interests and aptitudes, along with your Cornell grades and credits, can become important factors in gaining admission to your first-choice college.

Graduate Martha Glodz is not alone when she says it all adds up to "an unforgettable, life-changing summer!"

A few additional facts about Summer College 2013

  • Programs run for three or six weeks on the Cornell campus in Ithaca, New York.
  • Programs are designed for sophomores, juniors, and seniors in high school.
  • To be eligible for Summer College, you must have completed your sophomore, junior, or senior year of high school by June 2013. (Check individual programs, for specific eligibility requirements.)
  • We receive between 1,200 and 1,450 applications for all programs.
  • More than 900 students attend Summer College each year: approximately 50 percent female, 50 percent male.
  • At Summer College, you'll truly be part of an international, multicultural community. Summer College 2012 students came from more than 540 cities in 45 countries around the world! See the interactive map.
  • Limited financial aid is available.
  • Summer College is more than fifty years old! Learn about the history of Summer College.

What our students say . . .

Because we know that it's what our graduates and their parents say that really matters, we hope you'll: