Columbia University Pre-College Programs Entrepreneurial Innovation and Human Behavior

Class runs Monday to Friday, 21 to 25 June 2027, from 10:00 a.m. to noon and again from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. There's an hour for lunch in between and normally a ten-minute break halfway through each class meeting.

Outside class hours there are co-curricular events, such as lectures on college applications, plus College Life seminars and clubs hosted by current undergraduates. Every student can join these, whatever their class schedule. Before the week starts there's a mandatory virtual orientation where you meet the college interns and staff, although Columbia hasn't yet published its 2027 date.

Every class is live on Zoom, and Columbia asks you to sign on 10 to 15 minutes early. Alongside the instructor, each class has a Course Facilitator who quietly handles tech problems so the lesson isn't interrupted. Between classes, homework, feedback and discussion happen on CourseWorks, Columbia's learning platform. Discussions, group work and student presentations are a regular part of class.

Columbia says its instructors are scholars and practitioners in their fields who have passed background checks and Protection of Minors training, although you can't request a particular instructor or section. You'll need a webcam and microphone for daily participation and permission to install Zoom on your computer. Columbia also asks for a hard-wired Ethernet connection, because weak Wi-Fi causes dropouts.

Students from rising 9th grade through current 12th grade can apply, from the US or abroad, and seniors can take the course in the summer after they graduate. Columbia calls admission selective, but it sets no minimum GPA and doesn't ask for SAT, ACT or PSAT scores. Your application needs to show the academic background, motivation and maturity to take an active part in class. Columbia doesn't publish an acceptance rate or cohort size.

You'll need the $95 fee, an unofficial transcript and two short-response answers. You'll also need a recommendation from a teacher at your current school who teaches a related subject and has taught you. That's a middle school teacher if you're in 8th grade, or your primary instructor if you're homeschooled. International applicants don't need English test scores, but Columbia expects English equivalent to at least 90 on the internet-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or 6.5 on IELTS, because you'll read everything and join fast-paced discussions without translation help. Admissions decisions are final, with no appeals.

The week costs $2,868. That covers the $2,700 course fee plus activity ($100), health services ($32) and technology ($36) fees. You also pay a $95 non-refundable application fee and should budget around $50 for materials. Paying by credit card adds 2.85% for a US card or 4.25% for an international one. Columbia lists these figures as estimates that still need approval from its Board of Trustees.

If you're admitted, a $1,000 non-refundable deposit holds your place and counts toward the total. The rest is due in full by 11 June 2027, and there's no payment plan. If you withdraw by 11:59 p.m. ET on 17 June 2027, you get everything back except the deposit. After that, you owe the full amount.

Need-based scholarships cover 25% to 50% of the course cost, but not the fees. They're for US citizens and permanent residents living in the US or its five major territories who take a single course in one session. You must select the financial aid option before submitting your application, and the paperwork includes your parents' tax returns and W-2s. The aid deadline is 10 February 2027, although Columbia awards funds on a rolling basis until they run out.

You leave with an official Columbia University Certification of Participation and a written evaluation letter from your instructor. Both are posted to your applicant account, typically by mid-October. The letter comments on your effort, participation, assignments, progress and potential in the field. Columbia says your school counselor can add both documents to their recommendation.

What you won't get is credit. The course carries no college credit, no grades are given and Columbia provides no other proof of participation. Students dismissed from the program, for example over plagiarism, receive neither document.

Applications go through Columbia's summer programs application portal.

1. 1

   Apply to the program

   Choose Online Summer Session AA and list this course among your top two choices, because Columbia admits you to the program rather than to a specific course.

2. 2

   Meet a deadline

   Submit everything by 1 February 2027 to qualify for early course registration, or by 1 April 2027 at the latest, and remember that courses often fill before the deadline.

3. 3

   Hear back

   Expect a decision by email three to five weeks after your file is complete.

4. 4

   Confirm your place

   Pay the deposit by the date in your acceptance email, then activate your Columbia login and complete the enrollment forms, including an ID photo at least four weeks before the start.

5. 5

   Register for the course

   Sign up yourself in Columbia's Vergil system from 10 March 2027 if you applied early, or from 24 March 2027 otherwise, and have a backup course ready, because full courses aren't overenrolled and there's no waitlist.