9463865

This program is perfect for

  • Motivated high school students, ages 14–17, preparing for academic and career success
  • Aspiring scholars seeking early exposure to research, innovation, and professional communication
  • Learners needing a flexible, intensive summer learning opportunity that enhances college readiness

Explore advanced topics with UC instructors and researchers

University of California, Santa Cruz invites motivated high school students to join a transformative academic journey through the Pre-College Summer Enrichment Program.

Each session provides an immersive introduction to a specialized area of study, combining college-level instruction, hands-on projects, and guest lectures from leaders in academia and industry.

Students collaborate in small teams, guided by UC student mentors, as they build essential skills in research, communication, and critical thinking. Each session concludes with a final project presentation to peers, instructors, and advisors—preparing students for the academic rigor of college and the demands of future careers.

Program details

  • Who Should Apply: Students ages 14-17
  • Program Format: Varies
  • Program Length: Each session is 2-3 weeks.
  • Application Fee: $65
  • Applications: Will open late December 2025

Tell me more.

Why choose UCSC's Pre-College Program?

  • Build real projects with a small team.
  • Make lasting friends and build your network.
  • Earn a certificate of completion from UC Santa Cruz.
  • Get mentorship from top UCSC instructors.
  • Get a head start on your future career path.
  • Learn from experts in video game design, artificial intelligence, pre-medical studies, and entrepreneurship.
Office lifestyle concept. Top view of international young business team having meeting at office, sitting around table

Startup Entrepreneurship

  • Develop business models.
  • Conduct market research.
  • Deliver final pitch presentations.

Build your own startup from the ground up. Startup Entrepreneurship empowers high school students to transform bold ideas into real-world solutions. This collaborative course introduces students to the Lean Startup methodology, design thinking, and customer discovery as they explore the fundamentals of launching a venture. 
Through hands-on project work and mentorship, students will develop business models, conduct market research, and deliver final pitch presentations—while building leadership skills that enhance college readiness and future career success.

  • Dates: June 15–26, 2026
  • Modality: Commuter (Silicon Valley)
  • Cost: $2,500
  • Instructor: Yuliya Monastyrska
Gloved hand of laboratory technician holding a petri dish. Blurred petri plates stacks forms lab background.

Genomics in Action: Exploring the Viral World

  • Discover, analyze, and decode DNA.
  • Work safely with real viruses that infect bacteria.
  • Get an overview of trends in biology.

Dive into the world of ‘phage hunting’, a hands-on experience where you’ll discover, analyze, and decode the DNA of real viruses that infect bacteria.

Introduction to hypothesis-driven laboratory research. Students isolate a unique bacteriophage and characterize its structure and genome.

  • Dates: June 15–26, 2026
  • Modality: Commuter (Silicon Valley)
  • Cost: $2,500
  • Instructor: Michael Doody
Teenage students wearing virtual reality goggles at school in a computer science class

Video Game Design

  • Craft compelling storylines for video.
  • Integrate visual elements to drive video engagement
  • Work on projects that change the world.

Through hands-on projects, and collaboration, you’ll design games that engage players and inspire change.

Video Game Design will focus on the art of game design, including critical elements such as storytelling, character development, plot construction, and the creation of engaging gameplay.

  • Dates: July 6 – 17, 2026
  • Modality: Commuter (Silicon Valley)
  • Cost: $2,500
  • Instructor: Reza Habibi
Composition of human head outlines, lights, numbers and abstract design elements as a concept metaphor for modern technology issues.

Human Centered AI: How AI Thinks

  • Explore how AI shapes our world.
  • Build a simple language model.
  • Design smarter, fairer, and more human-centered technologies.

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the design, development, and responsible use of modern artificial intelligence models, with a particular focus on large language models (LLMs). Students will learn the core concepts and technologies underlying these systems, including their layered architectures, in-context learning, prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and fine-tuning. Through hands-on activities, students will build a simple language model, experiment with creating functional AI tools, and critically analyze them for ethical, alignment, and explainability challenges.

  • Dates: June 29 – July 17, 2026
  • Modality: Hybrid: 1 week online bootcamp + 2 weeks commuter (Silicon Valley)
  • Cost: $3,750
  • Instructor: Reza Habibi
University lecturer pointing at a projector screen with an open palm. The projector screen shows a presentation about data mining.

AI/Machine Learning

  • Explore the foundations of artificial intelligence.
  • Practice coding on real research applications.
  • Gain technical skills for college success.

AI/Machine Learning empowers high school students to harness the power of data and innovation to explore real-world challenges. This immersive, mentor-guided course introduces students to foundational concepts in artificial intelligence and machine learning through Python-based instruction and hands-on project work. As they analyze data and build predictive models, students will gain practical experience with industry-standard tools—developing critical thinking, problem-solving, and technical skills that support college and career success in a rapidly evolving digital world.

  • Dates: June 29 – July 17, 2026
  • Modality: Hybrid: 1 week online bootcamp + 2 weeks commuter (Silicon Valley)
  • Cost: $3,750
  • Instructor: TBA
Diverse male and female nursing students review information for a test. They are looking at a laptop.

Pre-Health/Pre-Med

  • Step into the world of medicine before college.
  • Get hands-on experience, explore healthcare careers.
  • Discover your future in medicine and health.

Are you a motivated high school student dreaming of a career in medicine or health care? This immersive course gives you a unique opportunity to learn directly from physicians, researchers, and health professionals who are shaping the future of medicine. Through interactive experiences and expert guidance, you’ll gain the knowledge, confidence, and tools to begin your journey into the medical field.

  • Dates: July 6 – 17, 2026
  • Modality: Commuter (Silicon Valley)
  • Cost: $2,500
  • Instructor: Caison Warner

Learn more about our Pre-College Programs in 2026!