Northeastern University Pre-College Programs Design for Impact: Build What Matters

You work alongside faculty and practitioners from Northeastern's Center for Design, the university's hub for interdisciplinary design research in its College of Arts, Media, and Design, who come from design, architecture, engineering, data and the social sciences. Across its pre-college programs, Northeastern says most are led by its own faculty with support from other faculty, instructors or graduate students, and current Northeastern students may serve as teaching assistants.

Northeastern doesn't name the instructors for this program and says faculty assignments may change. A typical program has 15 to 30 students.

Classes run from about 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, although Northeastern says exact hours vary slightly by program. You move in on Sunday 25 July and out on Friday 6 August 2027, which leaves one weekend on campus in the middle, and you should expect some work after class, usually group projects with other students.

The program opens with orientation and welcome events, and evenings and weekends have optional social activities. Past Boston ones have included arts and crafts and giant board games on Centennial Quad, plus outings for cannoli in the North End, thrift shopping in Cambridge, exploring the Seaport and questing at Boda Borg.

You leave with a Recognition of Completion signed by a faculty member and the project you developed, which Northeastern describes as portfolio-worthy, after pitching it at a final public presentation. There's no college credit and no transcript, so the value lies in the project and the skills you practice, not in an academic record.

• Planning and running interviews and observations to find what real users need and where they struggle
• Turning research findings into clear problem statements centered on the user
• Divergent-thinking techniques such as mind mapping and "how might we" questions
• Visual and verbal storytelling to present an idea persuasively

The 2027 fee is $6,995, which covers tuition, course materials, a residence hall room, meals and social activities. Meals come through a Husky Card that works in the dining hall and at campus eateries. Getting to Boston isn't included, Northeastern requires health or travel health insurance for the whole program, and most programs ask you to bring your own laptop.

Admitted students hold a place with a non-refundable deposit of 20% of tuition after aid, which is $1,399 at the full price. There's no formal payment plan, although Northeastern asks families who need more time to email the team, and families have used 529 college savings plans to pay in the past.

Every admitted student is considered for need-based aid, usually given as a scholarship or program discount. You request it in the application by giving your family's adjusted gross income and number of dependents, and the award comes with the admission decision, so you know your price before you pay the deposit. Children of benefits-eligible Northeastern faculty and staff get 33% off, and some partner high schools and community organizations sponsor students.

Northeastern staff live in the residence hall, residential life proctors staff the entrance 24 hours a day, and everyone must be back in the hall by 10:00 p.m. each night. Student Life staff, both professionals and current Northeastern students, live alongside participants and run the social program.

Most students share a room with a roommate and a bathroom with suitemates, and you can request a roommate once enrolled. On program trips off campus, students may sometimes explore a set area on their own, paired with a buddy and given a meet-up time and place. Leaving campus alone needs a leave request from a parent, and commuting from home is allowed only as an exception for serious medical or personal reasons. Families can raise academic, disability (ADA), dietary or religious accommodation needs by email before enrolling, and allergies and dietary restrictions go on the program form.

Northeastern lists every round and requirement on its pre-college admissions page.

1. 1

   Applications for summer 2027 open in early December 2026 on Northeastern's online application.

2. 2

   Upload an unofficial transcript or report cards and a personal statement of up to 250 words on why the subject excites you, why you want to enroll and what you hope to gain, and name a teacher or counselor as a reference if you'd like (it's optional).

3. 3

   Request need-based aid in the same application, which Northeastern reviews holistically, weighing the academic and extracurricular parts equally.

4. 4

   Submit by the priority deadline of 15 January 2027, the regular deadline of 28 February 2027 or the late deadline of 15 March 2027, each at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, bearing in mind that a popular program may close after the priority round.

5. 5

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

6. 6

   If you're admitted, pay the 20% deposit by your round's deadline (18 February, 1 April or 15 April 2027), and sooner is safer, because Northeastern admits more students than it has places and fills them in the order deposits arrive.

7. 7

   Pay the remaining tuition by 1 May 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.