University of Chicago Summer Session Career Insight: Healthcare and Biological Sciences

Class runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Central time, Monday to Friday, with a lunch break. The morning is for the science, taught by UChicago professors, lecturers and researchers, and the afternoon is for careers, when UChicago's Career Advancement staff connect you with practitioners and help you think through the skills those careers need. UChicago describes the course as discussion intensive, with most class time given to seminar-style learning, and students in two-week programs are expected to participate fully.

Outside class, the residential staff run daily activities around campus, Hyde Park and the city. Past outings have included baseball games, museum trips and beach days, many of them free or low cost. In 2026 there was no class on 19 June for Juneteenth.

You leave with a certificate if you complete the program's requirements and attend every day, because UChicago won't issue one to a student who misses a day. Career Insight carries no credit and no grades, and participants aren't registered students of the university, so there's no UChicago transcript to send to colleges. The work you produce is a small-group final project, reflection essays and other assignments.

Enrolling also brings two extras. UChicago's Office of College Admissions runs Admissions Academy workshops for registered pre-college students, including sessions on essay writing and a mock admissions committee. And once you've completed a Summer Session program, you can apply to UChicago in your final year of high school through its binding Summer Student Early Notification option under Early Decision I. That gives you a route to apply, not a promise of admission.

Any current 9th, 10th or 11th grader who's at least 14 can apply, though UChicago doesn't publish an acceptance rate or class size.

Of the materials below, the longer essay and the writing sample need the most care. The essay asks why you chose your courses and how they connect to your current interests and future plans, and it has to cover every course you list. The writing sample must be typed English expository prose with your teacher's grade and comments, and lab notes or math sets don't count, so if you don't have one, you'll need to write a paper and have a teacher review it. All teaching is in English with no English as a second language (ESL) support, and you can show your English through the application itself or through optional scores such as TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo.

• Transcript

  Your high school transcript, plus your 8th grade report if you're in 9th grade now.

• Two supplement essays

  One of up to 500 words on why you chose your courses, and one of up to 250 words on your most rewarding academic project or experience.

• Graded writing sample

  One of your essays or research papers, typed and marked by a teacher.

• Teacher recommendation

  From a teacher in a subject related to the course.

• Parent or guardian confirmation

  Sent by email after you submit.

• $75 application fee

  Waived for students who apply for financial aid.

• Test scores

  Optional.

You apply through UChicago's Summer Session application portal, which UChicago says opens in December for summer 2027. UChicago hasn't yet posted 2027 dates for this course, so check that it's listed before you apply.

1. 1

   Pick up to four programs with one course under each and rank them, because UChicago admits you to only one course for the whole summer.

2. 2

   If you live in the Chicagoland area and want to commute, say so on the Supplement page of the application.

3. 3

   If you need financial aid, complete the aid section and upload your parents' financial documents in the same application, since aid can't be awarded after a decision.

4. 4

   Submit by the Priority deadline of 13 January 2027 or the Regular deadline of 3 March 2027, and make sure your teacher's letter and your parent's confirmation come in, because UChicago won't review your application without them.

5. 5

   Expect a decision in mid-March if you apply by the Priority deadline or mid-April if you apply by the Regular one.

6. 6

   Accept within seven days by paying the $1,000 non-refundable deposit, then pay the rest of the fee within four weeks of admission or lose your place.

In 2026 the residential fee was $5,890, and students from the Chicagoland area could commute for $4,100. UChicago hasn't posted 2027 fees yet. The residential fee covers tuition, housing and dining hall meals, and the $1,000 deposit you pay on acceptance counts toward it. On top of that you pay the $75 application fee (waived if you apply for aid), travel to and from Chicago, course materials and spending money, plus an extra charge if you take the staff-led shuttle from O'Hare. You'll also need your own valid U.S. health insurance, because UChicago's included coverage applies only to its three- and four-week programs. International students should budget for any visa costs as well.

Need-based aid is partial, never full, and isn't guaranteed. In 2026, depending on eligibility and the funds available, families with household income under $125,000 could be left paying $2,945 after aid, and those under $80,000 could be left paying $1,475. Awards are limited and go first-come, first-served, so apply by the Priority deadline if you need help. Chicago Public Schools students with household income under $125,000 can also apply for the CPS-UChicago Summer Scholarship, which is highly competitive and for commuters only. In 2026 it brought the two-week fee down to $800, or to $0 for household income under $60,000.

Refunds are strict. In 2026 the program fee, minus the deposit, could be refunded until 4 May 2026, and not at all after that. The deposit comes back only if UChicago cancels the course and you don't take a replacement, and the application fee isn't refunded.

Resident assistants (RAs), many of them UChicago undergraduates or recent alumni, live on the same floor as students, and the Residential Director and assistant directors are available to students and families 24 hours a day. In 2026, students under 18 lived in Woodlawn Residential Commons in singles or doubles. The halls have security staff around the clock and secured entrances, and students show their University ID at the front desk.

Curfew runs from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and you sign in with your RA in a 15-minute window starting at 9:45 p.m. every night. Missing it brings escalating discipline, from an earlier curfew to dismissal. You can be out during curfew hours only with an adult your parents have authorized on a release form filed in advance. The University of Chicago Medical Center is on campus for emergencies, and parents sign a medical treatment release after admission. Possessing, using or even being around alcohol or drugs can get you dismissed immediately.