Summer Discovery The Academies by Harvard Student Agencies

Class runs 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday, in Harvard classrooms, which adds up to the 40 hours of programming the Academies promise for every course. A typical week mixes classroom lessons and interactive activities with field trips to Harvard's graduate schools, a tour of the campus and guest lectures from Harvard faculty and industry professionals. Lunch comes from local restaurants, and the week closes with a final presentation.

The Academies don't describe an evening program, so if you'd be staying in Cambridge rather than going home each night, ask what's arranged after 5pm. If you're looking at the week of 5 July, check with the Academies before you apply. Five Academies list sessions from 5 to 9 July 2027, but the Academies also say there are no classes that week because of Independence Day.

Harvard undergraduates teach and mentor every Academy, so your instructors are current students rather than professors. Each class has three members of the instructional team for a typical group of 25 to 30 students, with a cap of 35, which the Academies describe as a 10:1 ratio.

Outside expertise comes through guest speakers. The Academies name Harvard Medical School students for Pre-Med, speakers and faculty from Harvard Kennedy School for Government and guest speakers from top banks for Finance.

You leave with a finished final project, and its form depends on the Academy you choose. The Academies mention no certificate, grade or college credit, so think of the week as a way to test a field, with a project you can talk about afterward, rather than as a credential.

No. The Academies are for high school students in grades 9 through 12, and every program starts from the fundamentals, so you don't need any background in the subject. The Academies also describe applicants as students who will be entering grades 9 through 12, so if you're in eighth or twelfth grade now, ask them whether you're eligible for summer 2027.

The application itself is short. You choose your program and week and submit it, which the Academies say takes a few minutes.

Tuition is $1,800 for a one-week Academy. That covers the 40 hours of classes, guest talks and trips, and lunch is included. You'll pay separately for travel to Cambridge. Summer Discovery, which also lists the program, mentions Harvard dorm housing for an additional fee, but neither it nor the Academies give a price, so ask before you book anything.

Financial aid is need-based, open equally to domestic and international students and given as a tuition discount. The Academies say more than 80% of students receive some help and that they meet the demonstrated need of every accepted applicant. Asking for aid has no effect on admission, but you can only request it inside the application before you submit it, so you can't add it later.

For summer 2027, canceling before 1 April gets a full refund, after 1 April you get 50% back, and after 13 May you get nothing. The Academies may waive these dates and give a full refund to international students who can't get the documents they need to attend.