Rutgers Pre-College Summer Building Leadership Strategies Summer Academy

Classes run from about 9:00am to 3:30 or 3:45pm, Monday to Friday, with an hour for lunch and a short debrief to close each afternoon. Rutgers' sample schedule starts with theories of leadership and communication skills on Monday and moves through self leadership, teamwork, ethics, emotional intelligence and parliamentary procedure, with a team-building field trip on Thursday afternoon and the final group presentations on Friday.

From 4:00pm there's time set aside for assignments and rest, then dinner at 6:00pm and a group activity at 7:00pm, such as a movie night at the Rutgers Cinema, arts and crafts or sports, all supervised by a residential or program assistant. You move into the dorm on Sunday, and the week ends with a closing ceremony and dinner on Friday before move-out on Saturday.

Rutgers doesn't name the instructors for this academy, but across its academies courses are taught by Rutgers faculty, graduate students, clinicians, researchers or field professionals, depending on the topic. Most academies have 25 to 30 students, and Rutgers doesn't give a separate figure for this one.

You finish with 1.5 Rutgers college credits and a Rutgers Pre-College Digital Badge, issued through Accredible, which you can add to college applications, resumes and LinkedIn. The credits come with a grade, and you only get one if you hand in the graded assignments. Afterward you request your transcript from the Rutgers Registrar using your RUID or NetID.

Rutgers doesn't say whether other colleges accept the credits, so check with any college you're aiming for before counting on them. It also says plainly that taking part doesn't guarantee admission to Rutgers.

For 2026, Rutgers took high school students finishing their sophomore or junior year who were 16 to 18, had turned 16 before the summer, held at least a 3.0 GPA and were proficient in English. Admission was rolling, so qualified applicants got places as their applications were reviewed until the academy filled, and anyone after that went on a waitlist. Complete applications got a decision within two or three weeks, and Rutgers doesn't publish how many students apply or get in.

International students had an earlier deadline, 12 April 2026 against 29 May 2026 for US students, and needed an F-1 or J-1 visa, a passport copy, proof of funding and health insurance. Rutgers recommends a TOEFL score of 79, an IELTS score of 6.5 or a Duolingo English Test score of 105, and arranges a phone or video interview if you don't have one.

• Online application

  Completed in the Rutgers pre-college application portal.

• Transcript

  At least two marking periods of grades, and an unofficial copy is fine.

• Personal essay

  Up to two paragraphs answering "Why do you want to attend the Rutgers Pre-College Summer Academy and what do you hope to learn?"

• Recommendation letter

  From any teacher or adult who can speak to your achievements, and it has to be sent by them, not by you.

In 2026 the week cost $3,887.50 for in-state students and $5,068 for out-of-state students. Both totals include the $2,899 program fee, which covers a week in the residence halls, where students also eat in the Rutgers dining halls, plus a $162 student fee, and the gap between them is the 1.5-credit fee.

Rutgers asks for a $500 deposit to confirm a place, and that deposit is never refunded. The 2026 balance was due by 1 June 2026. Refunds of the rest are decided case by case, a scheduling clash or a place on another program doesn't count as a reason, and there's no refund at all within two weeks of the start, so it's worth settling summer plans before you pay.

On top of that you'll need a laptop and your travel to New Brunswick. International students also pay for a visa, which is worth checking with the official source, and for Rutgers health insurance, which costs about $60 for the week.

Program Assistants and Resident Assistants supervise students around the clock, in the dorms, in class and at evening activities, and students can't leave campus unsupervised for any reason, including 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 a room with one other student, usually from the same academy, and can request a roommate, although that isn't guaranteed. Rutgers Dining Services prepares labeled, pre-packaged meals for students with allergies or medical dietary needs once you send in the dietary form. Alcohol and drugs are banned outright, bullying can get a student sent home, and a student whose medical, housing and waiver forms aren't in on time can't check in. Families also get a Zoom orientation a few weeks before move-in.