Program Overview

For the past decade, students across the country and around the world have had their first taste of college life through a summer high school program at the University of Pennsylvania. The tree-lined walkways and historic buildings of Penn’s campus are the perfect setting for your summer experience.

The Penn Summer High School Programs, open to both residential and commuting students, offer an outstanding academic challenge in an Ivy League environment. Our programs are built around courses taught by Penn faculty, scholars, and distinguished outside experts. With small class sizes—usually between 15 and 20 students—you can be sure to get the individualized attention you deserve.

As a student in our programs you can spend your free time participating in special activities. There are also academically based extracurricular activities such as SAT preparation workshops, a college writing series, and presentations about college admissions procedures.

The Penn campus itself offers an enormous array of lectures, panels, and musical and dramatic performances. It has the country’s largest open-stack library, state-of-the-art research labs, and world-class museums.

No matter what your interests are, there is always something to do at Penn. We love it here and we know you will too. Just take a look at all we have to offer!

Programs

• Penn Summer Biomedical Research Academy
  The four-week, non-credit Biomedical Research Program immerses you in some of the most cutting-edge areas of biomedical research, including cardiovascular disease, oncology, immunology, and neuroscience. More>
  
  
• Penn Summer Forensic Science Research Academy
  Forensic science is one of the fastest growing careers in science today. Covering everything from fingerprints and DNA matching to ballistics and blood-spatter analysis, recent advances in forensic science have transformed basic police investigative work as well as the conduct of the judicial system. More>
  
  
• Penn Summer Experimental Physics Research Academy
  Have you ever taken a ride on a rollercoaster and wondered how many Gs your body experienced at the bottom of the big drop? If so, the four-week, non-credit Physics Academy is for you. More>
  
  
• Penn Summer English Language Academy
  The Penn Summer English Language Academy is designed to provide international high school students opportunities to develop the English language and academic skills necessary to interact successfully in an American academic environment. More>
  
  
• Pre-College Program
  The six-week Penn Pre-College Program is the perfect opportunity to prove that you have what it takes to succeed in the Ivy League. More>