Rutgers Pre-College Summer Astronomy & Astrophysics Summer Academy

Classes run from 9am until dinner at 5:30pm, with breakfast at 8am and lunch at noon, according to the sample Week I schedule Rutgers publishes and says may change. Most blocks pair a short lecture with an activity, so you'll project the celestial sphere, measure the Earth's radius, work out the speed of light and classify stars on a Hertzsprung–Russell (HR) diagram. The week moves from the night sky and the history of science through the solar system, the sun and the life and death of stars to cosmology and the Big Bang.

Friday afternoon is given over to group project presentations, followed by dinner and a certificate ceremony. Every other evening at 7pm there's a group activity such as a movie night at the Rutgers Cinema, arts and crafts or sports, all supervised by staff. Rutgers says most work happens during the day, although you may occasionally get short readings or project work in the evening. You move into your dorm on Sunday and out on Saturday morning.

Rutgers hasn't published a day-by-day plan for Week II, which is built around the research project and, weather permitting, an observing session at the Rutgers Observatory.

Rutgers staffs its academies with university faculty, graduate students, researchers and field professionals, although it doesn't name this academy's instructors. In Week I you meet working astrophysicists and graduate researchers who talk about their research and career paths and take your questions, and Week II includes time exploring current research with active Rutgers astrophysicists and learning how scientific publication works. Rutgers says most academies have 25 to 30 students, which it keeps small so staff can get to know each participant.

You leave with a Rutgers Pre-College Digital Badge, issued through Accredible, which Rutgers says you can share on college applications, resumes and LinkedIn. It's a record that you completed the academy, not college credit, and no transcript comes with it. Week II students also finish with a guided research project they've taken from question to interpreted results, which is the more substantial thing to describe in an application or interview.

On admissions, Rutgers is clear that taking part doesn't guarantee admission to Rutgers, and describes the academy as experience you can highlight in applications, essays and interviews.

In 2026 the academy was open to high school students finishing 10th or 11th grade, aged 16 to 18 and at least 16 before the summer, with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA and good English. International students also need an F-1 or J-1 visa, and Rutgers recommends a TOEFL score of 79, an IELTS score of 6.5 or a Duolingo English Test score of 105, or arranges a phone or video interview when there's no score. Their 2026 deadline was 12 April, well before the 29 May 2026 domestic deadline.

The application is short: an online form, a transcript with at least two marking periods of grades (unofficial is fine), an essay of no more than two paragraphs on why you want to attend and what you hope to learn, and a letter of recommendation that your teacher or other recommender submits directly. You don't need Week I to take Week II, since Rutgers says the advanced week suits Week I graduates or anyone with a strong interest in physics, astronomy or data science.

Rutgers reviews applications as they arrive and accepts qualified students until a week is full, then adds further applicants to a waitlist in order. It answers within two or three weeks of a complete application and says applying early significantly increases your chances of a place.

In 2026 one week cost $2,899, the same for New Jersey residents and out-of-state students, and both weeks cost $5,798, plus $55 if you stay in your dorm the night between them. The fee covers the residential week, including your dorm room and meals in the dining halls.

Once accepted, you confirm your place with a $500 deposit that is never refunded, and in 2026 the balance was due by 1 June 2026, with the place lost if it wasn't paid. Rutgers decides refunds of the balance case by case, but it doesn't treat a scheduling conflict or a place on another program as a reason, and it gives no refunds at all within two weeks of the start date. That makes it worth settling your summer plans before paying the deposit.

International students pay extra for a visa and must buy health insurance through Rutgers, which Rutgers puts at about $60 for the week. If cost is a concern, ask Rutgers directly about aid, since it doesn't advertise any for the academies.

Program assistants and resident assistants supervise students around the clock, in classes, dorms and evening activities, and students can't leave campus unsupervised for the whole week, even for food or a family visit. Staff work under Rutgers' Protection of Minors Policy, which requires background checks, training and reporting of suspected abuse.

Students share rooms two to a room in on-campus residence halls, usually grouped by academy. You can name a preferred roommate on your housing form, which Rutgers honors when it can, and single rooms are given only for medical need. Students with food allergies or medically necessary diets fill in a Dietary Needs form and get labeled, pre-packaged meals from Rutgers Dining Services. Rutgers has zero tolerance for alcohol and drugs, and bullying or harassment can lead to dismissal.

Medical, dietary, housing and waiver forms must arrive by Rutgers' deadline, because a student without them can't be checked in or housed.