Summer Discovery The University of Michigan

Class takes up about four hours of the day. In Summer Discovery's sample day for residential students, the morning course or academy runs from 9:30 to 11:30 AM and the afternoon one from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, so a student in a full-day academy spends both blocks on the same subject, and some classes take field trips around town.

The rest of the day revolves around activities. From 3:30 PM you sign up for whatever you want to do, dinner is at 6:00 PM and evening events start around 8:00 PM, on or off campus. Students are back in the residence hall by 10:30 PM, on their floors by 11:30 PM and in their rooms by midnight. At Michigan, students also get daily access to the Hadley Rec Center, and weekend trips include Cedar Point, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Henry Ford Museum and major league games.

Commuters are dropped off at 8:30 AM and picked up at 6:00 PM on weekdays, though Summer Discovery says times can differ by campus. They eat lunch in the dining halls and join the afternoon activities.

You leave with a Summer Discovery certificate of completion and the project your team built, such as the case-based career project in Careers in Medicine or the capstone pitch in the Aerospace Engineering Academy. Summer Discovery says all its high school courses also come with a letter of recognition designed to support college applications.

Both documents come from Summer Discovery, not from the University of Michigan, and Summer Discovery's Michigan pages mention no college credit. So it's best treated as enrichment you can describe on an application, with the project as the most concrete thing to talk about.

For summer 2027, two weeks cost $7,499 if you live on campus and $4,499 if you commute, and four weeks cost $11,999 or $5,999. Middle and high school sessions are priced the same. The high school Research Academies with Polygence, which add mentoring during the school year after two weeks on campus, cost $10,249 residential or $7,249 commuter.

The residential price covers tuition, housing, two to three meals a day, the afternoon, evening and weekend activities and trips with their transportation, and use of campus sports facilities. Everyone also pays a $100 application fee that's never refunded, and flights, airport transfers, laundry, linens, meals off campus, medical costs and spending money are extra. Three Michigan courses add $95 each: Forensic Investigation, Mechanical Engineering and Careers in Medicine. Students who live outside the US pay an international registration fee of $379 if residential or $239 if commuting, which covers US medical insurance and, for residential students, airport transfers. Paying by card adds a 3.5% surcharge, while an e-check from a US bank costs nothing extra.

The deposit depends on when you enroll: $1,900 before 31 January 2027, $2,500 from 1 February and $3,500 from 1 April, when the full fee is due at once. Otherwise the balance is due by 1 April 2027. Cancellations must be made in writing, and what you lose grows as summer approaches.

High school students have one staff member for every 10 students, and middle schoolers one for every 8. Resident Counselors, who are at least 20 and have been through Summer Discovery's safety training, live on students' floors, and all staff pass criminal background checks and training for working with minors.

Students wear an ID that controls access to the residence halls, staff check rooms every night, and nobody leaves campus without supervision. High schoolers may move around a mapped home area in groups of three or more at set times. Residential students have 24/7 medical care, staff keep and hand out all medication, including over-the-counter pills, and parents are told after or during any medical visit. The full rules are on Summer Discovery's safety and security page.

Families should take the conduct and medical rules seriously. A student who is dismissed is sent home at the family's expense with no refund, and not disclosing medical or psychological conditions in writing can itself lead to dismissal.

Middle school courses at Michigan are for grades 6 to 8 and high school courses and academies for grades 9 to 12, with the ACT/SAT Success Studio limited to grades 9 to 11. Summer Discovery admits qualified applicants first come, first served, so applying early counts for more than standing out, and popular courses can fill up.

The Michigan course pages describe the high school courses as for students who have completed 9th to 12th grade, so a student finishing 8th grade in 2027 should check with Summer Discovery which track fits. Summer Discovery says it usually doesn't make age exceptions.

Applications go through Summer Discovery's online portal.

1. 1

   Choose first

   Decide on residential or commuter, your session, and either one full-day academy or a morning and afternoon course pair, since academies are picked on the application itself.

2. 2

   Apply

   Submit the application with the $100 fee, and enroll by 15 December 2026 if you want Summer Discovery's guarantee of your first choice.

3. 3

   Have details ready

   High school applicants self-report their current GPA, and every applicant gives a counselor's or advisor's full name and exact email so Summer Discovery can contact them.

4. 4

   Wait for a decision

   Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, usually within 3 to 5 business days.

5. 5

   Enroll

   Once accepted, you enroll online and pay the deposit to hold your place.

6. 6

   Pick courses

   If you chose courses, a registration link arrives within 24 hours of paying the deposit.

7. 7

   Pay the balance

   The rest is due by 1 April 2027, or in full at enrollment if you enroll after that.