Rutgers Pre-College Summer Physical Therapy Summer Academy

Most days run from breakfast at 8:00am to group project time ending at 5:00pm, with dinner at 5:00pm and a supervised evening activity at 6:00pm, according to Rutgers' sample schedule. You move into a dorm on Sunday and out on Saturday, so the teaching fits into Monday to Friday.

Every afternoon from Monday to Thursday includes a 3:00pm lecture for the credit course, Foundations of Kinesiology and Health, followed by half an hour on your group project. The rest of the day is where the variety comes in. There's an exercise class and gym tour on Busch Campus, a Theraband challenge, a goniometer lab and a case study discussion, and you spend Thursday morning on a field trip to the Rutgers Doctor of Physical Therapy program in Newark and Friday morning in a human cadaver anatomy lab. Guest speakers include outpatient, travel, acute care and pediatric physical therapists and a current Rutgers Exercise Science student.

On Friday afternoon groups present their projects and review the course, and the week ends with dinner and a certificate ceremony. Evenings bring things like a movie night at the Rutgers Cinema, arts and crafts and sports, although Rutgers says you may sometimes have short readings, assignments or project work then too.

For 2026, you needed to be finishing 10th or 11th grade and aged 16 to 18, already 16 before the summer, with at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA, and you had to be proficient in English. Rutgers recommends a TOEFL score of 79, an IELTS score of 6.5 or a Duolingo English Test score of 105, and may arrange a phone or video interview if you don't have a score.

The application is short. Along with the online form, you send a transcript covering at least two marking periods (unofficial copies are fine) and a personal essay of no more than two paragraphs on why you want to attend and what you hope to learn. A teacher or another adult who can speak to your achievements has to submit a recommendation directly. Rutgers reviews applications as they arrive and accepts qualified students until each week is full, and it says complete applications get a decision within two or three weeks.

That makes timing matter more than the deadline. Both 2026 weeks filled to capacity, and later applicants could only join a waitlist that didn't guarantee a place. International students had an earlier deadline in 2026, 12 April 2026 rather than 29 May 2026. They need an F-1 or J-1 visa, and when they apply they have to upload a copy of their passport, show proof of funding for the full period and have valid health insurance.

In 2026 the week cost $3,784 for in-state students and $4,804 for out-of-state students, and the whole difference is the fee for the 1.5 credits. Both totals included a week in a residence hall, with meals taken in the Rutgers dining halls.

Accepted students paid a $500 deposit to hold a place, which Rutgers never refunds, and the balance was due by 1 June 2026. Refunds of the rest of the balance are decided case by case. A scheduling conflict or a place on another program doesn't count as a reason, while an emergency may be considered if you send a written request, with no guarantee. Nothing is refunded within two weeks of the start date.

International students also have visa costs and must buy health insurance through Rutgers, which it puts at about $60 for the week. A laptop is required for credit-bearing academies, so factor that in if you don't already have one.

You finish with 1.5 Rutgers credits for the course 01:377:144 Foundations of Kinesiology and Health, and you can request a transcript showing them from the Rutgers Registrar. You also get a Rutgers Pre-College Digital Badge, issued through Accredible, that you can add to college applications and LinkedIn. The credit depends on submitting the graded assignments, so it isn't just for showing up.

Rutgers says attending doesn't guarantee admission to Rutgers, so the week introduces its Exercise Science major and Doctor of Physical Therapy program without reserving you a place in either. Rutgers doesn't say whether other colleges will accept the credit, so check with the ones you're considering.

Program Assistants and Resident Assistants supervise students around the clock in classes, dorms and evening activities. You have to stay with your group and program staff all week, so you can't leave campus unsupervised, even for food, a family visit or a personal errand. Staff who work with students are covered by the Rutgers Protection of Minors Policy, which requires training and background checks.

Students sleep two to a room in on-campus residence halls, with roommates usually grouped by academy, and Rutgers enforces zero tolerance for alcohol and drugs. If you have food allergies or a medically necessary diet, Rutgers Dining Services prepares labeled, pre-packaged meals for you. Medical, dietary, housing and waiver forms have to be in by the stated deadline, because Rutgers won't check in a student without them.