It’s time to start thinking about what you’re going to do this summer. What you do with your free time says a lot about your interests, passions, and drive. If you’re constantly thinking of business ideas and brainstorming the next big thing, but you need help learning how to execute your vision, this blog post is for you. Below you’ll find a few of our favorite summer programs for budding entrepreneurs:
Wharton Essentials of Entrepreneurship:
Wharton’s recently renamed program is an intense two-week summer stint for 9th to 11th graders who want to learn what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Wharton is the best of the best when it comes to business schools, and this program is no different. You’ll attend lectures given by current and past Wharton professors, workshop ideas, and work in teams to create and present a final project. There is a social aspect to this program as well – the students we’ve worked with who have attended this program say that the activities Wharton plans are just as meaningful as the classroom experience.
Stanford Silicon Valley Innovation Academy:
In addition to accepting high school and gap year students ages 16-19, this program is also open to college students, so competition is stiff. If you have what it takes to impress the admissions team, you’ll spend seven weeks working on a team-based project. The program offers coaching sessions, “Round Zero lunches” with special guests, panels, social events, and more. At the end of the summer, students present their moonshot project to the Stanford community.
Business Bootcamp at the University of Rochester:
Rochester’s three-week program was designed to maximize exposure to all areas of entrepreneurship, and they fit a lot into 21 days. The main elements are innovation management at the concept stage, corporate marketing, and new product development, design thinking, and business simulation. Students also go on local business tours with stops ranging from student incubators to large corporations.
Harvard Secondary School Program:
Harvard’s program stands out because of the courses offered: financial accounting, introduction to capital markets and investments, start-ups from the perspective of business and intellectual property law, public speaking, and improvisational acting. The program is intense, and seven weeks long, but if you’re looking to get a glimpse of what life on campus is like, this program could be worth looking into.
Georgetown Business Academy:
Georgetown’s summer program offers two tracks: Business and Leadership or Global Business. No matter what track you choose, you’ll participate in business simulations that teach you what it’s like to start your own company. The focus is on honing practical skills and critical thinking, necessary traits for any aspiring entrepreneur. There are investment challenges and group presentations, and students study social responsibility of business and risk management.
Exploring Entrepreneurship at USC:
USC’s immersive program touches on accounting, finance, creativity and innovation, business ethics, personal branding, human resources, and building a personal network. Guest speakers host lectures and participants go on field trips to learn about the business and entrepreneur environment in Los Angeles. A few memorable (and more niche) trips in the past include visits to retailers in the sports business and emerging food concepts.
Babson Summer Study:
In the Introduction to the Entrepreneurship Experience summer program, you’ll learn how to collaborate, solve problems, and bring ideas to the market by attending workshops and classes that are designed to spark creativity. Students build prototypes in the workshops and pitch their ideas at the end of the program.
If you need help planning your summer, contact us here.