Applicants
Benefits of attending a pre-college summer academy:
- Universities like to see that students are invested in co-curricular activity year-round
- Attending a pre-college academy is another accomplishment you may add to your college applications
- Experience campus life at a major U.S. university
- Learn about a field of interest from leading experts
- Challenge yourself
Upon successfully submitting all required items, your application will go into review. All students will receive an email of their program status. Students who are accepted to the program will receive a link to the online payment portal. Accepted students must confirm their attendance by submitting a $500 USD non-refundable deposit. The remaining balance must be paid by the final program payment due date.
- Completed online application
- Letter of Recommendation from any teacher or individual who can speak on your educational or personal achievements
- Academic Transcript
- Personal Essay
- In your essay please address one of the following:
- Why do you want to attend the Rutgers Pre-College Summer Academy and what do you hope to learn?
- The Essay should be a maximum of one page, double-spaced.
- In your essay please address one of the following:
Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the Summer Academies:
- Age 16-18
- Minimum 3.0 grade point average
- English language proficiency
Benefits
- Identify your own interest and aptitude for fields of study
- Learn about a discipline from experts and leading practitioners
- Practice skills and competencies required for success in fields of interest
- See how practitioners use these skills and competencies in their work
- Access campus libraries, computer centers, maker space, academic support services, and other campus resources
Features
- Orientation and campus tour
- Campus living in a modern air-cooled suite
- Presentations and engaging activities led by Rutgers faculty members and leading professionals
- Co-curricular field trips
- Guest speakers
- Final certificate ceremony and reception
Our programs are both residential and commuter focused. We have some academies offered as residential academies and others as commuter academies. The difference is where the student will reside during that week.
Our residential academies are held on campus, where the student will reside/dorm for the entire week while taking courses, eating meals, and engaging in evening activities with their cohort.
Commuter academies are held on campus, but students will be dismissed to their prospective homes daily. Commuter students will be provided with lunch and have a pickup time from campus daily. Commuter students will be given options to engage in some evening activities pre-planned ahead of time with their cohort.
Accepted Students
We accept students on a rolling basis so if your application is complete with all required documents and we do not have any further questions, you should find out within two to three weeks after you submit.
If you are accepted into your academy of choice, you will receive an email that includes an acceptance letter and information on how to pay. Approximately two weeks before the start of your academy, you will receive a welcome packet that includes all the details of what to bring, the accommodations where you are staying, check-in and check-out procedures, etc.
If you are not accepted, you will receive an email within two to three weeks of submission.
If you have had no communication with us for more than three weeks after your application was submitted, check your spam or junk email folder. We have found that occasionally happens with email coming from our Pre-College email account. If there's nothing there, please email us or call 848-932-7565 and ask for Maria Kuberiet or Krystal Ladao.
Parents
We have 24-hour supervision and surveillance in all dorms, classrooms, and activities that the students participate in.
Rutgers University is committed to promoting a safe and welcoming environment for all students. The University's Protection of Minors Policy is required for all staff members interacting with our students. The University has adopted a Protection of Minors Policy to promote the well-being and safety of minors who participate in programs or activities run by or associated with Rutgers. The policy includes requirements relating to reporting suspected abuse or neglect of minors, completing relevant online training, and undergoing background checks for Authorized Adults and people in Direct Contact Positions as defined by the policy. Non-University organizations that wish to operate programs or activities involving minors on RU campuses must ensure their programs are run consistent with the guidelines of the University's Protection of Minors Policy and the Guide to Working with Minors. For more information, please visit protectminors.rutgers.edu.
Rutgers University has a zero-tolerance policy for drugs, alcohol and prescription medication and drug paraphernalia. Summer students may not use, possess, distribute, solicit, assist in the acquisition of, transmit, traffic, manufacture or attempt to manufacture alcohol, illegal drugs, or drug paraphernalia at any time while a student in the Pre-College Summer Academies, whether on or off-campus, including but not limited to private gatherings.
Pre-College Summer Academy participants are expected to conduct themselves as young adults and are obliged to Rutgers University policies as well as State and Federal laws.
Students are expected to be respectful and courteous to all workshop leaders, professors, staff, and peers. Profanity, bullying or harassment of any kind is not acceptable.
Electronic devices must be turned off during workshops and program functions unless the workshop or activity requires.
The Rutgers Pre-College Summer Academies offers high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors the opportunity to experience college life and learning at a Big Ten University. Students must be 16 years of age by the start date of the program in order to participate. Here your child will be able to explore academic interests through lectures, coursework, and hands-on learning. Our goal is for students to not only walk away with a stronger understanding of college, but also hone self-discipline, independence, and reasonability.
International Students
Students will be required to apply for an F-1/J-1 Student Visa.
When applying please have ready to upload:
- Copy of your passport
- Proof of funding
In order to study in the U.S. in student visa status, international students are required to document financial resources adequate to meet the full costs of educational and living expenses. To obtain your student visa, students must provide financial documentation certifying available funds for your time of study ($327/week). Acceptable documentation includes a letter from a sponsoring organization verifying the US$ amount of funding provided, or a personal bank statement or certificate of deposit. If bank records are in a name other than your own, the bank account owner must attach a letter verifying that the funds are available to support your expenses during the period of the program.
To be successful in the Rutgers Pre-College Summer Academies Program, we suggest that students demonstrate at least intermediate-level English through a minimum TOEFL score of 79 or IELTS score of 6.5 or Duolingo English Test score of 105. If you do not have a test score available but would like to see if your English is proficient for the program, you may request a phone or video interview with program staff.
International students (on F-1 or J-1 visas) are required to purchase medical insurance. For all F-1 and J-1 visa holders other than those registered for course credits at Rutgers, arranging for insurance payment or providing proof of alternate coverage must be handled by the host department directly with Rutgers Global. The cost of insurance for the duration of the stay (1 week) is $49.
*This rate is subject to change and may be paid with your deposit. Medical costs are much higher in the U.S. than in other countries. We require Rutgers insurance to assure that you have adequate coverage for medical treatment while visiting the U.S.
International students must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the Summer Academies:
- Be registered for a minimum of one credit per week during the summer
- Must be a part of an approved summer or hybrid language program
- Have a valid passport valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States (unless exempt by country-specific agreements)
- Evidence of English proficiency
- Show sufficient proof of living expenses
- Obtain at least a minimum level of health insurance coverage for you (and your family, if accompanying you) and show proof of adequate coverage
- Payment of any student fees
- Evidence of current immigration status if currently in the United States