Emory Summer College Program

Online courses are live, so you log in at set times rather than working through recorded lessons whenever you like. Emory requires you to attend synchronous sessions on weekdays, with each course setting its own meeting times, and every class runs on Eastern time. Emory's own example is Psychology 110 at 1:15 to 2:45 p.m. EDT, which is 1:15 to 2:45 a.m. in Beijing, so check your course's slot against your time zone before you apply.

Classes run on Canvas and Zoom, and each course adds material you work through on your own on top of readings and assignments. Each course opens with a Week Zero on its online class hub, a week before the first class. You'll need a Windows or Apple computer, high-speed internet, a webcam and a microphone headset, and Emory expects cameras on whenever possible.

On-campus courses follow the same calendar, but you travel to Emory's Atlanta campus for each class. In 2026, Foundations of Modern Biology I, for example, met online on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:45 to 11:15 a.m., with an in-person lab from noon to 3 p.m. on the same days for students local to Atlanta.

You need to be in 10th or 11th grade when you apply, at least 15 by the time your session starts and holding a GPA of at least 3.0, so 9th and 12th graders and high school graduates can't apply. Summer College also requires a standardized test score, and PSAT, PreACT, SAT and ACT scores are all accepted. Each course can set its own prerequisites as well, such as high school biology for Foundations of Modern Biology I.

Homeschooled students are welcome, although, as for every applicant, a recommender can't be a parent. Anyone who isn't a US citizen or permanent resident applies as an international student, even at a US high school, and adds an English writing sample. If English isn't your first language, you also need to show fluency. A score of 700 or more on SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing or 30 or more on ACT English does that. Otherwise you'll need a TOEFL iBT of 104, a C1 on TOEFL ITP, an IELTS of 7.5 or a Duolingo English Test score, and Emory says competitive applicants typically score above 130 out of 160 on the Duolingo test. Emory says international due dates are earlier than the standard ones, so confirm yours with the program office.

International students can take online courses without a visa, but on-campus classes need an F-1 visa, and Emory says it doesn't issue the I-20 documents used to get one for its pre-college programs. On-campus applicants also have to show they live, or have somewhere to stay, in metro Atlanta.

Emory hasn't posted 2027 prices yet and says they'll be out by mid-November 2026. In 2026, a 3-credit course cost $6,485 on campus or $6,493 online, and a 4-credit course cost $8,581 on campus or $8,589 online. Those totals already include Emory's $130 health and wellness fee plus a $67 athletic fee for on-campus students or a $75 technology fee for online ones.

On top of that, there's a $75 application fee, which isn't refundable and is waived only for returning Pre-College students and foundation scholars. Textbooks come from the Emory Bookstore, vary in price by course and need to be in hand before the first class, and on-campus students also cover their own daily travel to campus. Once you're accepted, a $350 deposit holds your seat and counts toward the total, but it's non-refundable, and the rest is due before your session starts.

Withdrawing needs the program director's approval. You get all your tuition back only up to the drop/add date, which is 15 May 2027 for Session 1 and 2 July 2027 for Session 2. After that the refund shrinks fast. In 2026 it stepped down to 80%, 60%, 40% and 20% over the following eight or nine days, depending on the session, and then stopped altogether.

Partial need-based aid is open only to US citizens and permanent residents who have already been accepted, and Emory lists 1 March as its aid deadline, so if you need aid, apply to the program early enough to be accepted before then. Emory doesn't award full tuition, and it advises families counting on aid not to pay the deposit until the award arrives. Dependents of Emory employees may qualify for a courtesy scholarship that covers course tuition but not the college fees.

You finish with college credit and a letter grade on an official Emory University transcript, which you request from Emory's registrar whenever a college asks for it. Most courses in the 2026 catalog carried 3 or 4 credits. Emory describes the credits as transferable and says Summer College grades count toward a college GPA, but the college you eventually attend decides what credit it accepts, so check with it before you count on skipping a class.

It isn't a route into Emory. Emory says it can't guarantee admission to anyone who takes part, only that successful participation may strengthen an application to selective universities, and Emory doesn't conduct admissions interviews.

Applications go through Emory's pre-college application portal.

1. 1

   Create an account

   Set up an account with your personal email and start a Summer College application for Session 1 (due 20 April 2027) or Session 2 (due 7 June 2027).

2. 2

   Fill in the questionnaires

   Complete the demographic, parent or guardian, education and course selection sections, including the alternate course Emory requires and uses if your first choice is full.

3. 3

   Add your documents

   Upload your high school transcript (report cards aren't accepted) and test score report, send recommendation requests to two teachers or counselors from the portal and pay the $75 fee.

4. 4

   Get parental consent

   Your primary parent or guardian completes the consent form in the application.

5. 5

   Wait for a decision

   Once your application is complete, Emory emails a decision within 3 to 5 business days.

6. 6

   Accept and pay the deposit

   Accept through the reply form and pay the $350 deposit by 27 April 2027 for Session 1 or 14 June 2027 for Session 2. Paying straight away improves your chance of getting the course you were approved for.

7. 7

   Finish the pre-arrival steps

   Activate your Emory NetID and email, complete the required forms in the portal and attend the online orientation before classes start.