Northeastern University Pre-College Programs Kinesiology: The Science of Movement

Classes run on weekdays from about 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the program lasts 12 days, from a Sunday move-in on 11 July 2027 to a Friday move-out on 23 July 2027. During class hours you'll be in labs using motion capture, neuroimaging, wearable sensors and fitness-testing equipment, working in small teams on applied movement problems, and hearing from people in the field through panels and site visits.

Northeastern says to expect some work outside class, usually group projects with other students. Evenings and weekends bring optional social activities on and off campus, which in past years have included giant board games on Centennial Quad, a cannoli in the North End and thrift shopping in Cambridge. You eat at the dining hall and campus eateries using a Husky Card. Northeastern hasn't published an hour-by-hour timetable for this program and notes that schedule and course details may change.

Northeastern faculty lead most of its pre-college programs, supported by other faculty, instructors or graduate students, and current Northeastern students may serve as teaching assistants. For this program, Northeastern says you'll work alongside its faculty and researchers, although it doesn't name who will teach the 2027 session. A typical program has 15 to 30 students, and much of the lab work is done in small teams.

You need to be a rising junior or senior in high school by the time the program starts. Northeastern reviews applications holistically, the way its undergraduate admissions office does, giving equal weight to academics, activities and the rest of the application, and it says it's looking for motivated students who are ready for a rigorous program.

The application asks for an unofficial transcript or report cards and a personal statement of up to 250 words on why the subject interests you, why you want to enroll and what you hope to gain. You can also name a teacher or counselor as a reference, but it's optional. With 250 words to cover three questions, a specific reason for caring about movement science will carry further than a general interest in health. Northeastern doesn't publish an acceptance rate.

The full price is $6,995, which covers tuition, course materials, housing in a campus residence hall, meals and the social program. On top of that you pay to get to and from Boston, and you need health or travel health insurance that covers you in Boston for the whole program. Most programs also expect you to bring your own laptop.

Every admitted student is automatically considered for need-based aid, which usually comes as a scholarship or a discount off tuition, and you hear about any award with your admission decision. The aid questions in the application ask for your family's adjusted gross income from the latest federal tax return and the number of dependents, with space to explain other circumstances. Children of benefits-eligible Northeastern faculty and staff get 33% off, and some partner high schools and community organizations sponsor students.

To hold a place you pay 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, but Northeastern asks families who need more time to email its team, and families have paid with 529 college savings plans in the past.

You apply through Northeastern's pre-college admissions page, and because Northeastern admits more students than it has places and programs typically fill before the deposit deadline, paying the deposit soon after you're admitted matters as much as applying early.

1. 1

   Early December 2026

   The online application opens, with the transcript, personal statement, optional reference and financial aid questions all inside it.

2. 2

   Priority round

   Apply by 15 January 2027 at 11:59 p.m. ET, hear by email in early February and pay your deposit by 18 February 2027.

3. 3

   Regular round

   Apply by 28 February 2027, hear in mid-March and pay your deposit by 1 April 2027.

4. 4

   Late round

   Apply by 15 March 2027, hear in early April and pay your deposit by 15 April 2027, as long as the program is still taking applications.

5. 5

   1 May 2027

   The rest of the tuition is due by 11:59 p.m. ET.

Northeastern staff live in the residence hall with students, and Residential Life proctors staff the building entrance around the clock. You have to be back in the hall by 10:00 p.m. every night, and you'll usually share a room with a roommate and a bathroom with suitemates, with the option to request a roommate once you're enrolled.

Off-campus trips are chaperoned, and when students get time to explore an area on their own, staff set a meeting point and time and ask everyone to pair up with a buddy. Parents can submit a leave request if they want their child to leave campus independently. Living on campus is the expectation, and Northeastern allows commuting only as an exception for serious medical or personal reasons. Dietary allergies and restrictions go on the program form, and Northeastern also takes requests for academic, disability and religious accommodations before enrollment.