Northeastern University Pre-College Programs Beyond Words: Exploring Identity, Culture, and Innovation through Language

Classes run from about 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, with optional social activities in the evenings and on weekends. Northeastern's sample schedule dates from 2024 and may change, but it gives a good idea of the rhythm. Breakfast is at 8:00, followed by a morning lecture block, lunch at noon and an afternoon lecture block. On several days there's also a hands-on session around 4:00 before dinner, such as designing the sound system or the words of a constructed language.

Week one moves from the sounds of language and the International Phonetic Alphabet to how words are made, dialects, slang and languages in contact, and it ends on Friday with a field trip and presentations on dialects, slang and the constructed languages. Week two turns to the mind, covering how humans develop language, speech and language disorders, language in the brain, bilingualism and experimental design, with a lab visit and a session on creating stimuli and running experiments. It ends with research proposal presentations, then a wrap-up on the last morning before move-out. Expect some group project work outside class hours as well.

You leave with a Recognition of Completion signed by a faculty member and the research proposal you developed and presented as a conference-style poster. The poster is the part worth keeping, since it shows you can frame a research question about language and explain how you'd test it.

Northeastern doesn't say the program plays any part in its own undergraduate admissions, so it's best treated as a way to find out whether linguistics, psychology of language or a related major suits you. One past participant said it helped settle Northeastern as their first choice for college.

You need to be a rising junior or senior in high school by the time the program starts. International students are welcome as long as they can be in Boston, although Northeastern doesn't sponsor student visas for non-credit programs like this one.

Northeastern reviews applications holistically, the way its undergraduate admissions office does, giving academics and extracurriculars equal weight, and it's looking for motivated students who are passionate about the subject. The application itself is light. You'll need an unofficial transcript or report cards and a personal statement of no more than 250 words on your passion for the subject, why you want to enroll and what you hope to gain, and you can name a teacher or counselor as a reference if you'd like. Northeastern doesn't publish an acceptance rate, but its programs typically take 15 to 30 students each.

Tuition for summer 2027 is $6,995, and that covers classes, course materials, a residence hall room, meals and social activities for the 12 days. On top of that you'll pay for travel to and from Boston and for health or travel health insurance, which Northeastern requires for the whole program. You'll probably need a laptop too, since most of its programs require one.

Once admitted, you hold your place with a non-refundable deposit of 20% of tuition after any aid, which comes to $1,399 at full price. There's no formal payment plan, but Northeastern says families who need more time for the final payment can ask, and families have paid with 529 college savings plans in the past, subject to the plan provider's rules.

Every admitted student is considered for need-based aid, which usually comes as a scholarship or a tuition discount. You ask for it inside the application by giving your household's adjusted gross income from the latest federal tax return and number of dependents, and the award arrives with your admission decision. Children of benefits-eligible Northeastern faculty and staff get 33% off, and some partner high schools and community organizations sponsor students.

Northeastern runs three rounds for summer 2027, and applying early matters because places go to admitted students in the order their deposits arrive. The full timeline is on its pre-college admissions page.

1. 1

   Apply online

   The application opens in early December 2026 and asks for your transcript or report cards, the personal statement, an optional reference and, if you want aid, the financial questions.

2. 2

   Pick a round

   The priority deadline is 15 January 2027, the regular deadline 28 February 2027 and the late deadline 15 March 2027, each at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, but Northeastern may close a popular program after the priority round.

3. 3

   Hear back

   Decisions arrive by email in early February, mid-March or early April depending on your round, along with any aid award.

4. 4

   Pay the deposit quickly

   Deposits are due by 18 February, 1 April or 15 April 2027 depending on your round. Northeastern admits more students than it has places and fills them in the order deposits arrive, and programs typically fill before the deposit deadline.

5. 5

   Pay the balance

   Full tuition is due by 1 May 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

Northeastern staff live in the residence hall with students, Residential Life Proctors staff the building entrance around the clock, and everyone has to be inside by 10:00 p.m. each night. Students usually share a room with one roommate and a bathroom with suitemates, and you can request a roommate on the program form.

Social outings are chaperoned, and when students get to explore an area on their own during an off-campus trip, staff set a meeting point and time and encourage everyone to pair up. Parents can submit leave requests if their child needs to leave campus independently. Allergies and dietary needs go on the program form, and Northeastern asks families to email the Pre-College team before enrolling about any academic, disability-related or religious accommodations.