Penn Arts and Sciences High School Programs Economics Academy

Classes run Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time, and attendance is required. Each day starts with the whole group meeting the two program directors before you split into small groups for exercises. After lunch, around noon, the afternoon goes to a guest speaker, more work on global applications or short films about economics, depending on the day.

The 2025 syllabus shows how hands-on it gets, with a pit market game for supply and demand, an OPEC simulation, a visit from representatives of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and a Penn Museum tour with an economics scavenger hunt. You'll also have readings and homework on Canvas, which the course uses every day.

Evenings and weekends are planned by the residential staff, with things like trivia or arts and crafts nights and weekend trips off campus, such as the beach or a Phillies game. The course itself includes two field trips, and the 2025 group also made a trip to Washington, D.C.

Two Penn co-directors, an economist and a political scientist, lead the academy with guest lecturers and teaching assistants. Rebecca Stein has taught in Penn's economics department for years, has won several Penn teaching awards and has more than 100,000 learners in her two massive open online courses (MOOCs). Deborah Harrold teaches in Penn's Liberal and Professional Studies program and in Political Science. Her research on the Middle East and North Africa, especially Algeria, led to her interest in how economic ideas become policy in different countries.

In 2025 the team also included Angel Alvarado on macroeconomics, Diego Aycinena on behavioral economics, Alex Weisiger on game theory and economist Priya Rajagopalan, plus four teaching assistants, among them a Penn economics PhD student and Penn undergraduates. Penn doesn't publish a class size.

You leave with a Certificate of Completion, a group poster from the capstone and the option to ask your Penn instructors for a recommendation letter. The capstone comes in the last week, when your group picks a real economic challenge facing a country, analyzes it with the models from class and proposes a solution, with the course team helping you settle on a workable topic.

Summer Academy students don't earn college credit or get an official Penn transcript, and Penn says taking part doesn't guarantee admission to its undergraduate programs, although it calls the experience a good addition to a resume alongside a strong high school record.

The academy is open to current 9th, 10th and 11th graders, and Penn looks for at least a 3.5 high school GPA, strong writing, strong recommendations and a range of extracurricular interests. There's no economics prerequisite and no calculus, though Penn says following current events will help. Graduating seniors can't apply, you must be at least 13 to live in the residence halls, and you'll need a laptop or tablet with administrator access.

Admission is rolling until full, so complete applications are reviewed in the order they arrive and a decision can take up to six weeks. Penn publishes no cohort size or acceptance rate, and the application has to come from the student, not a parent or counselor. International students are welcome but need a tourist or B-2 visa, because the academy carries no credit and Penn can't sponsor a student visa for it. For 2026, Penn asked for:

• Essays

  Two essays of up to 400 words each, on why you want this program and on two of your extracurricular activities, plus a third on your English background if English isn't your first language.

• Transcript

  A full transcript for the previous school year, official or unofficial.

• Recommendation

  One letter on the recommender's official letterhead that mentions the program you're applying to.

• English test

  For non-native speakers, a TOEFL score of 100 (iBT), an IELTS score of 7 or a Duolingo English Test score of 130. If you'll have attended an English-medium school for at least two years by the time the program starts, you may be able to get a waiver.

The 2026 fee was $10,050 for the three weeks, covering classes, a residence hall room, the campus meal plan, linens, gym access for students 15 and over, activities and trips, and supervision. Readings come through the course's Canvas site, so there are no books to buy.

A $1,500 deposit holds your place and counts toward the fee, but it's never refunded and can't be moved to another Penn program. In 2026, bills came through Penn's PennPay system, typically in early May, and were due by June. A late balance draws a 1.5% penalty and can put your place at risk. Apart from the deposit, the fee was refundable until 15 May 2026 if you withdrew in writing.

Philadelphia residents at a School District of Philadelphia public or charter high school can be considered for one of a limited number of scholarships, which cover the full program but not travel or personal costs. Penn offers no other financial aid, but you can pay with a 529 college savings plan. Costs on top of the fee include:

• Application fee

  $100, nonrefundable, and waived for students at School District of Philadelphia schools.

• Travel

  Getting to and from campus, including airport transfers.

• International registration fee

  Required for students with a non-US permanent address and includes health insurance, although Penn doesn't publish the amount.

• Everyday spending

  Meals off campus, medical costs, laundry supplies and pocket money.

Penn runs the classes, and its partner ESF Pre-College runs the residential side, hiring and supervising the residential staff, organizing evening and weekend activities and helping look after students' health and safety on campus. After admission, families complete ESF's required paperwork through its online system, Bravo.

For after-hours emergencies or urgent care, residential students go to the nearby Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Penn's Division of Public Safety offers 24/7 walking escorts. Penn doesn't publish a staff ratio or curfew rules, so it's worth asking about both before you commit.