Penn Arts and Sciences High School Programs Astronomical Techniques Research Academy

The course pairs interactive lectures, which introduce the ideas, with scripted observing and computing labs that put them to work. By day you observe the sun with specialized optical and radio equipment, and at night you use 10-inch telescopes. Along the way you build simple cameras and spectrometers, work with digital spectrometers and radio telescopes, learn to calculate where objects sit in the sky and track them, and analyze and visualize your data in Python. Lectures from leading researchers fill out the program, and each week ends with student presentations.

Outside class you can use the residence hall, lounges, gym, dining halls and libraries, and Penn expects much of your free time to go on studying and assignments. Residential staff plan activities such as trivia or arts and crafts nights during the week and trips off campus at weekends, with the beach or a Phillies game among Penn's examples. In 2026 students moved in on 11 July, had orientation on 12 July and moved out on 25 July.

The academy is directed by Dr. James Aguirre, who has been at Penn since 2008. He earned his PhD in physics at the University of Chicago and was a postdoc and NRAO Jansky Fellow at the University of Colorado Boulder. He studies how galaxies form and evolve using radio and far-infrared telescopes, and he has worked on several experiments that carried telescopes above the atmosphere on high-altitude balloons. He's also the author of An Introduction to Astrophysics with Python, which fits a course built around Python data analysis.

Penn says its academies are led by faculty and experienced professionals with help from graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants.

If you complete the program you receive a Certificate of Completion, which Penn sends as a digital copy on request, and you can ask your Penn instructors for letters of recommendation. The academy is non-credit, so there's no University transcript, and Penn states that its high school programs don't guarantee admission to a Penn undergraduate program.

The more lasting gain is practical. Penn designs the hands-on exercises so you can repeat them outside the course and says the data-analysis techniques carry over to a wide range of future STEM projects. It also says the night observing should leave you able to carry on astronomical investigations on your own.

Penn takes students currently in 9th to 11th grade and asks summer applicants for a minimum 3.5 high school GPA and strong writing. You don't need prior Python or observing experience, although Penn says either helps. You submit the application yourself rather than through a parent or counselor, and Penn reviews completed applications on a rolling basis in the order they arrive, with a decision taking up to six weeks.

Penn doesn't publish how many students it admits, but the 2026 academy reached capacity and Penn strongly recommends applying early, so when you apply matters as well as what you send.

• Essays

  Two essays of up to 400 words each, one on why you want this program and how it fits your goals and one on two extracurricular experiences, plus a third on your English background if you're not a native speaker.

• Transcript

  A full transcript for the previous school year, official or unofficial, in English or with an official translation.

• Recommendation

  One letter from an adult who can judge your work, such as a supervisor or professor, written on their organization's letterhead and naming this academy specifically.

• English

  Non-native speakers need TOEFL 100 (iBT), IELTS 7 or a Duolingo English Test score of 130, unless they've attended an English-medium school for at least two years by enrollment.

In 2026 the academy cost $6,700 for the two weeks, which covered classes, on-campus housing, a meal plan, linens, gym access for students 15 and over, activities and trips, and supervision. On top of that came a $100 application fee that isn't refunded, plus travel to Philadelphia, airport transfers, meals off campus, medical costs, laundry supplies and spending money. Students with a non-US home address also pay a mandatory, nonrefundable international registration fee that includes health insurance, and Penn doesn't publish its amount. You don't need to buy any course materials before the academy starts.

Once admitted, you hold your place with a $1,500 deposit that counts toward the fee but is never refunded and can't be moved to another Penn program. Penn bills the balance through PennPay, usually in early May with payment due by June, and adds a 1.5% penalty to any amount paid late. Under the 2026 terms, everything except the deposit could be refunded if you withdrew in writing by 15 May, and there was no reduction for arriving late or leaving early.

Penn offers no financial aid. Philadelphia residents at School District of Philadelphia public or charter high schools can be considered for a limited number of scholarships that let them attend free of charge, although travel and personal costs aren't covered. Families can also pay with a 529 college savings plan.

Penn runs the residential side with its partner ESF Pre-College, which recruits and supervises the residential staff, plans evening activities and weekend trips, and helps look after students' health and safety on campus. You must be at least 13 to live in the residence halls.

After hours, emergency and urgent care is provided at the nearby Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Penn's Division of Public Safety, which includes its own police department, offers 24/7 walking escorts. Penn will try to meet reasonable requests for physical or academic accommodations if you provide documentation. It doesn't publish a staff-to-student ratio, so if that matters to your family, ask the program office before you commit.