Northeastern University Pre-College Programs Experiential Entrepreneurship (Boston)

Class runs from about 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, with breakfast from 7:30 and lunch around noon. Evenings are for dinner and optional social activities.

Northeastern's sample schedule, from summer 2023 and marked as subject to change, shows the first week moving through ideation exercises such as SCAMPER and mind mapping, customer empathy and target customer personas, a field trip and a concept presentation on the first Friday. The second week covers competitive positioning, pricing and distribution, prototypes, market sizing and branding, with a makerspace workshop, guest speakers and practice pitches before final presentations on the last morning. The weekend in the middle is given over to optional social programming, and Northeastern says to expect some group project work outside class hours.

Northeastern says most of its pre-college programs are led by Northeastern faculty, supported by other faculty, instructors or graduate students, with current Northeastern students sometimes working as teaching assistants. This program adds industry professionals who advise teams on finding and growing an audience, business planning, product development, negotiation and pitching. Northeastern hasn't named the 2027 instructors and notes that faculty assignments can change, so if it matters to you who leads the sessions, ask the pre-college team.

You need to be a rising high school junior or senior by the start of the program, which for 2027 means finishing 10th or 11th grade that spring. International students are welcome as long as they can be there in person, but Northeastern doesn't sponsor student visas for non-credit programs. Admissions uses a holistic review modeled on Northeastern's undergraduate process, weighing academics, extracurriculars and the rest of the application equally, and there's no minimum grade or test score listed.

Tuition is $6,995, which covers teaching, course materials, a room in a campus residence hall, meals through a Husky Card and social activities. Your travel to Boston isn't included, and you'll need health or travel health insurance for the dates of the program.

Once admitted, you secure a place with a non-refundable deposit of 20% of tuition after any aid, which is $1,399 at the full price, and the balance is due by 1 May 2027. There's no formal payment plan, although Northeastern will talk to families who need more time, and some families have paid from a 529 college savings plan after checking with their plan provider.

Every admitted student is considered for need-based aid, which you request inside the application by giving your household's adjusted gross income and number of dependents. Awards usually come as scholarships or tuition discounts and arrive with your admissions decision. Children of current, benefits-eligible Northeastern faculty and staff get 33% off, and some partner high schools and community organizations sponsor students.

You apply through Northeastern's pre-college admissions page, where the online application goes live in early December 2026.

1. 1

   Complete the online application with an unofficial transcript or report cards, a personal statement of up to 250 words, and the optional name and contact details of a teacher or counselor as a reference.

2. 2

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

3. 3

   Look for your decision by email in early February, mid-March or early April depending on your round, along with any financial aid award.

4. 4

   Pay your deposit by your round's deadline of 18 February, 1 April or 15 April, and preferably sooner, because Northeastern admits more students than it has places and programs usually fill before the deposit deadline.

5. 5

   Pay the remaining tuition by 1 May 2027.

Northeastern staff live in the residence hall alongside students, and Residential Life Proctors staff the building entrance around the clock. Everyone has to be back in the building by 10:00 p.m. You'll usually share a room with a roommate and a bathroom with suitemates, and you can request a roommate once enrolled.

Off-campus outings are chaperoned, and when students are given time to explore an area on their own, staff set a meeting point and time and encourage everyone to buddy up. To leave campus independently, a parent or guardian has to submit a leave request. Enrolled students list dietary allergies and restrictions on the program form, and Northeastern asks families to email the pre-college team before enrolling to discuss other accommodations, such as academic, disability or religious needs.