If you’re an aspiring wall-street trader or investment banker, taking a summer finance or business program is a great way to show colleges how passionate you are about business. A number of the programs listed below are located on college campuses—they’re a great way to build your network and experience what college life will feel like.
Some of these programs are currently hybrid in-person/online, and some may switch to fully online if the pandemic worsens. Most are designed for rising seniors and juniors, although a number of them are open to high school students of all ages.
Application materials vary by program, but most will ask you for your high school transcripts, a letter of recommendation from a teacher, and a personal statement explaining why you are interested.
Columbia Summer Immersion Program
Location: New York City, Online
Overview: Columbia’s Summer Immersion Program offers courses both online and in-person this summer, and a number of them focus on business and finance. Students can choose between Introduction to Business, Finance, and Economics, Investment and Portfolio Management, and Understanding the Stock Market. Colombia’s programs offer burgeoning financiers the opportunity to live and learn in the financial capital of the world, NYC.
Age: All HS Students
Application Deadline: March 3rd, 2022
Dates: Various dates depending on program/course selected (1 week or 3 week, offered at different times in summer.)
Tuition: Varies based on program length and residential/commuter/online
UChicago Summer Immersion Programs
Location: Chicago, IL, Online
Overview: UChicago has one of the best business schools in the country, and their online Summer Immersion Program offers students to study with some of their illustrious faculty. Courses such as Data Science and Quantitative Finance and Risk Management allow students to take a deep dive into finance and business. Courses are offered both online and in-person, but it seems more of the business courses will be online this year.
Age: All HS Students
Application Deadline: March 9th, 2022 (regular decision), April 7th, 2022 (Extended Decision), May 1st (Rolling)
Dates: Various, courses offered in different sections throughout the summer
Tuition: $4,300–$7,775
Harvard Summer School
Location: Cambridge, MA, Online
Overview: Harvard’s Summer School offers full-summer courses and shorter two-week immersion programs, both online and in-person. Relevant courses for business-minded students include Invention, Innovation, and Markets, and Economic Development. Harvard offers students the opportunity to study finance and business at one of the top universities in the country.
Age: 16 or older by June 18th, 2022
Application Deadline: March 2nd, 2022 (regular decision), May 11th, 2022 (Late Decision)
Dates: June 18th-August 6th, 2022
Tuition: $3,500–$13,200
Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes
Location: Online
Overview: Stanford offers a full slate of online summer courses focusing on business and finance—students can choose from courses such as Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Business Strategy. Stanford’s online programs are a little less expensive than other options, although they will be fully online in 2022.
Age: All HS Students, but certain courses are Juniors/Seniors only
Application Deadline: March 15th, 2022
Dates: June 20th-July 1st 2022 OR July 11th-July 22nd 2022
Tuition: $2,700
UCLA Introduction to Investments Summer Institute
Location: UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
Overview: UCLA’s Introduction to Investments Summer Institute introduces students to investments and financial planning. Financial professionals speak to students to introduce them to various investing career paths, and students learn about money, banking, and investment decisions. UCLA’s program is fully in person in Los Angeles and offers both residential and commuter options for prospective students.
Age: All HS Students
Application Deadline: May 1st, 2022
Dates: June 20th-July 9th, 2022
Tuition: ~$4,200
Georgetown University Business Academy
Location: Georgetown, Washington DC
Overview: Georgetown’s Business Academy introduces students to finances and business through investment challenges and faculty lectures. Students are taught exclusively by faculty from Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business, and they engage in simulations of stock markets and entrepreneurship. This is a bit of a generalist business program, but it does seem to focus on financial concepts and training.
Age: All HS Students
Application Deadline: May 15th, 2022
Dates: July 27th-August 5th, 2022
Tuition: $6,745 (residential) / $5,099 (commuter)
Washington University in St. Louis—Gateway to Business
Location: Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Overview: WUSTL’s Gateway to Business program educates students on a variety of topics in business, and also offers students the opportunity to focus on crafting their college applications. The Gateway to Business program is hybrid online and in-person—students will meet four times virtually before coming together on-campus for a week in July.
Age: All HS Students
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates: June 16th, 23rd, 30th, July 14th (online), and July 17th-22nd 2022
Tuition: $4,750
Brown Pre College Programs
Location: Providence, RI, Online
Overview: Brown offers a number of online and on-campus options that focus on business and economics. Students can select from courses such as Financial Mathematics and Making Informed Financial Decisions. Most of Brown’s courses are offered in-person, but there are some options available online.
Age: All HS Students
Application Deadline: April 18th, 2022
Dates: Various, courses offered in different sections throughout the summer
Tuition: $2,500-10,000
NYU Precollege Program
Location: New York City
Overview: NYU’s Pre-College Program allows students to study in the heart of New York City. NYU allows students to select their own courses, and students pay based on the number of credits they pursue. The program offers a number of business and finance courses, and students can study under professors from NYU’s Stern School of Business.
Age: Grades 10-12
Application Deadline: March 15th (priority), June 24th (final)
Dates: July 6th – August 17th, 2022
Tuition: Varies by credits
Wharton Essentials of Finance
Location: UPenn, Philadelphia, PA
Overview: Wharton’s Essentials of Finance explores financial fundamentals and allows students to explore both private and public finance through learning and simulations of the stock market and venture capital. The course is offered fully in person at Wharton, one of the top business schools.
Age: Grades 10-12
Application Deadline: April 7th, 2022
Dates: Multiple Sections, offered from Jun 5th-August 6th in two week blocks
Tuition: $6,599
If you’re interested in attending one of these programs, start applying soon—many of the application deadlines are fast approaching, and even programs with rolling deadlines sometimes fill up ahead of time.
Remember, online pre-college programs are one way to fill your summer, but they’re not your only option: you can explore job opportunities or independent study options as well.
If you have any further questions, or if you’d like to discuss your upcoming summer plans, feel free to reach out to us here.