First application wave
22 February 2026
Application fee increased after this date.
In-person Program
Branding & Design High School Course
A hands-on branding and graphic design course where students create a personal visual identity, use professional software and build portfolio-ready work.
Last verified: 26 Aug 2026Reviewed by:BSBen Stacy
In-person Program
Branding & Design High School Course
A hands-on branding and graphic design course where students create a personal visual identity, use professional software and build portfolio-ready work.
Last verified: 26 Aug 2026Reviewed by:BSBen Stacy
What Succeed checks
We review public program details such as eligibility, age range, cost, duration, location, format, accommodation, meals and application timing.
What Last verified means
Last verified is the latest date Succeed checked the public details shown on this page. Program dates, prices and availability can still change.
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Branding and Design Course at a glance: cost, dates and eligibility
Current status
Recently closed
Eligibility
Grades 9-12; 3.0 GPA
Age range / Year group
Grades 9-12
Location / Region
San Luis Obispo, California
Cost
$2,998; $5,398
Duration
2 weeks
Format
In-person
Design
Accommodation: Cal Poly residential community
Meals: All meals or weekday lunch
Certificate / Outcome: 3.0 CEUs; SSB certificate
Campus experience: Learn by Doing at Cal Poly
Tutors / faculty: Cal Poly faculty
Branding and Design Course summary
This is a practical introduction to branding and graphic design. Students learn how visual identity shapes brand perception and use professional tools to turn ideas into polished designs.
The course combines lessons, peer critique, personal-brand development and visits to local print, design and branding firms. Its main project extends a personal identity into a foil-finished card box and deck.
It suits students exploring design, graphic communication, marketing or entrepreneurship who want tangible creative work and experience of a university learning environment.
What is Branding & Design High School Course?
The Branding & Design High School Course is a hands-on Summer Springboard course focused on visual communication, brand personality and graphic design. Students learn how designers shape brand perception and use industry-standard software to develop effective visual identities.
The practical experience moves from defining a brand to creating an individual identity and polished branded output. Peer critique, professional finishing techniques and visits to creative businesses connect classroom concepts with real design workflows.
Why Succeed highlights Branding and Design Course
Students produce a defined personal brand and a distinctive card-box and card-deck project rather than completing only classroom exercises.
Peer critique gives students structured practice explaining design decisions and responding to feedback.
Industry-standard software and visits to print, design and branding firms connect creative ideas with professional production.
The course combines a portfolio outcome with possible Cal Poly continuing education units and an SSB certificate.
Residential and commuter formats let families choose between a fuller campus experience and daytime participation.
Who is Branding and Design Course for?
Best for
Students who want to test graphic design, branding, marketing or entrepreneurship through practical projects and constructive critique.
Not ideal if
You want a purely fine-art course, an online experience or a program without structured campus days and collaborative feedback.
Is Branding and Design Course worth it?
It can be worthwhile for a student who wants to test whether branding or graphic communication is a serious academic or career interest. The combination of a finished personal-brand project, portfolio work, professional tools and feedback creates more evidence of engagement than passive observation.
The limitation is value for money: this is a paid campus program, with additional application and travel costs, and the credential does not replace academic grades or a sustained portfolio. Its strongest value comes from the work a student produces and can later explain.
A practical overview of cost, accommodation, meals, dates and provider details to review before deciding.
Cost and what is included
$2,998; $5,398; includes Residential tuition includes all meals and lodging., Residential tuition includes academic and weekend excursions., Commuter tuition includes lunch and the academic course., Commuter programming runs 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday., Both options include course-related excursions., Eligible students can earn 3.0 CEUs and a certificate..
Accommodation
Cal Poly residential community
Meals
All meals or weekday lunch
Provider details
Review the Summer Springboard provider page and official sources before making a final decision.
Dates and logistics
2 weeks; San Luis Obispo, California.
What to check before committing
Confirm current dates, payment terms, travel arrangements, cancellation rules and what is included with the provider.
Compare this program with similar options before deciding on dates, cost, format and fit.
Compare with similar programsHow much preparation does Branding and Design Course need?
Effort level
Moderate to high during the two-week course.
Best started
Begin comparing options and preparing application details six to eight weeks before the next published deadline.
Main challenge
Turning a personal concept into a consistent visual identity and polished final output.
Typical preparation
Review the admission criteria and discuss whether residential or commuter participation is the better fit.
Prepare contact details and any required academic or English-proficiency information before starting the application.
Practice explaining why particular colors, typefaces and layouts communicate a brand personality.
Plan travel, payment and required documents early if attending from outside the local area.
Useful if
You can collect a few examples of brands and designs you admire.
What do students do on Branding and Design Course?
Students move through the branding process from concept and visual identity to software-based production, critique and a finished personal-brand project.
Step-by-step process
- 1
Learn how visual communication affects brand perception.
- 2
Define brand personality and the components of a visual identity.
- 3
Apply graphic design principles using industry-standard software.
- 4
Develop and refine an individual personal-brand concept.
- 5
Present work during peer critiques and respond to feedback.
- 6
Create a foil-finished card box and branded deck of cards.
- 7
Visit local print, design and branding firms.
- 8
Organize polished work into a creative portfolio.
Branding and Design Course dates and deadlines
Next cycle not announced yet. These dates are from the latest verified cycle and should be used as a reference only.
Reference date
Second application wave
19 April 2026
Application fee increased after this date.
Final admission deadline
17 May 2026
Final general deadline for 2026 programs.
Session 1
5-17 July 2026
Two-week Branding & Design course.
Session 2
19-31 July 2026
Two-week Branding & Design course.
| Milestone | Date | Timezone | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
First application wave | 22 February 2026 | Local | Reference date | |
Second application wave | 19 April 2026 | Local | Reference date | |
Final admission deadline | 17 May 2026 | Local | Reference date | |
Session 1 | 5-17 July 2026 | Local | Reference date | |
Session 2 | 19-31 July 2026 | Local | Reference date |
Eligibility and requirements
Students entering Grades 9-12
Minimum 3.0 GPA or equivalent
Incoming high school students may enroll
Recent spring graduates may enroll
International students need English proficiency
Essential Eligibility Criteria must be met
How much does Branding and Design Course cost?
Program fee
$2,998; $5,398 — Commuter; residential tuition
Funding or discounts
- Deposit: $600 — Paid during application to hold the place
- Application fee: From $99 — Mandatory and nonrefundable
- Need-based scholarship: Up to 30%; 60% — Residential; commuter tuition
- Eligible discounts: 5% — Heroes, multi-program, sibling or referral
What's included
Residential tuition includes all meals and lodging., Residential tuition includes academic and weekend excursions., Commuter tuition includes lunch and the academic course., Commuter programming runs 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday., Both options include course-related excursions., Eligible students can earn 3.0 CEUs and a certificate.
How to apply to Branding and Design Course
- 1
Open the official application portal and enter basic contact information.
- 2
Confirm the verification email and complete the account details.
- 3
Choose Create New Application from the dashboard.
- 4
Select Cal Poly, the preferred session, Branding & Design and tuition type.
- 5
Enter the student's information with the student present.
- 6
Pay the $600 deposit and application fee, then submit the application.
- 7
Review the enrollment decision and complete any additional required forms.
What does Branding and Design Course cover?
The program covers the following focus areas.
Brand Foundations
Define brands, brand personality and the elements of visual identity.
Visual Communication
Explore how graphic choices influence perception and communicate meaning.
Design Production
Use professional software and design principles to produce polished visuals.
Personal Brand Project
Develop a personal identity into a foil-finished card box and deck.
Critique and Careers
Practice peer feedback and explore design, marketing and entrepreneurship careers.
Curriculum may be adjusted based on participant interests and current developments.
What is a typical day on Branding and Design Course?
A typical day during the program.
9:00 a.m.
Students attend their selected college-style academic course.
1:30 p.m.
Students join a recreational activity or course-related academic excursion.
3:00 p.m.
College readiness or True You workshops cover practical planning and growth.
7:00 p.m.
Residential students join clubs or scheduled evening activities.
Who teaches on Branding and Design Course?
The named instructor is Dr. Donna Templeton, a Cal Poly Graphic Communication faculty member with more than 15 years of teaching experience. Her background includes digital publishing, emerging digital technologies, magazine and book design, strategic media and cross-media engagement.
The Cal Poly program is run in partnership with Cal Poly Extended Education, and instructors are Cal Poly faculty.
Where do students stay on Branding and Design Course?
Residential plan
- Cal Poly housing: Students stay in a gender-segregated campus residential community.
- Room facilities: Rooms have an extra-long twin bed, desk, chair and dresser.
- Mentor support: Mentors live nearby, with additional staff available around the clock.
- Meals and excursions: Tuition includes all meals, lodging and weekend excursions.
Non-residential plan
- Day participation: Commuters receive lunch and weekday programming from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Weekend add-on: Commuters may add weekend excursions for $125 per day.
The 2026 infosheet describes private rooms in shared apartments, while another campus page describes shared dorm rooms; verify the final assignment before travel.
What happens after Branding and Design Course?
After completing this program, participants often pursue:
Add a personal-brand project to a creative portfolio.
Use the experience to test graphic communication or design pathways.
Explore how branding connects with marketing and entrepreneurship.
Earn 3.0 Cal Poly CEUs with satisfactory performance.
Receive a Summer Springboard certificate of completion.
Portfolio quality and reflective use of the experience matter more than attendance alone.
Where does Branding and Design Course take place?
The course runs on Cal Poly's campus in San Luis Obispo, between California's rolling hills and Central Coast. Students use university facilities and may join campus, coastal and course-specific excursions, including visits connected with printing and digital enterprise.
Families should plan travel to and from campus separately; optional airport transfer may be available for an additional fee.
Branding and Design Course FAQs
Students learn visual communication, brand personality, visual identity creation and graphic design principles. They also examine how design choices influence brand perception.
Students create a personal brand and extend it into a card box and deck of cards using foil finishing effects. The work can contribute to a creative portfolio.
Yes. Students gain practical experience with industry-standard design software as they turn concepts into polished visual outputs.
Yes. Peer critique is built into the learning process, helping students explain decisions, collaborate and improve their designs.
The named instructor is Dr. Donna Templeton, a Cal Poly Graphic Communication faculty member with more than 15 years of teaching experience.
Yes. Commuters attend weekday programming from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and receive lunch, the academic course and excursions.
Residential tuition includes meals, lodging, the academic course, excursions and weekend excursions. Mentors and other program staff live on campus.
Students may earn 3.0 continuing education units from Cal Poly EPaCE, dependent on satisfactory performance, and receive an SSB certificate of completion.
Alternatives to Branding and Design Course
Compare these related in-person creative programs by subject focus, campus setting and the type of work students want to produce.
Alternatives to Branding and Design Course
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Younger students exploring art and design together.
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Save this program in Succeed to compare it with similar programs, dates, costs and formats in one place.
Compare with other programsContent reviewed by
Ben Stacy
Co-founder, Succeed | Former secondary teacher and educational leader
Ben works at the intersection of education, technology and school adoption, with expertise in how secondary schools evaluate data-driven tools and how education technology is used in practice.
Sources and verification
Source types reviewed
- Campus Specific FAQ | Knowledge Base | Summer Springboard - Summer Springboard
- (1) New Messages!
- (1) New Messages!
- (1) New Messages!
- (1) New Messages!
- Branding & Design | Cal Poly SLO | Summer Springboard - Summer Springboard
- Apply Now | Enrollment | Summer Springboard - Summer Springboard
- Tuition Protection Plan T&C
- 2026 HS 2-week Cal Poly V6
- Branding & Design | Course | Summer Springboard - Summer Springboard
Succeed uses official provider information where available, but keeps this public page focused on comparison and planning inside Succeed.
What we verified (on 26 Aug 2026)
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Application process reviewed
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