The University of California is among the best state university systems in the United States, with seven of its ten campuses considered “Public Ivies,” or state universities that provide a quality of education that is on par with the Ivy League. In the 2022-2023 US News and World Report, the University of California, Los Angeles was tied with the University of California, Berkeley for best public university in the country. Fortunately for academically outstanding high schoolers, UCLA’s Summer Sessions offer a chance to study fascinating subjects at an elite university while earning college credit.
What Are the UCLA Summer Sessions?
The UCLA Summer Sessions are an opportunity for high schoolers to earn college credit by enrolling in 1-2 intellectually stimulating summer courses alongside UCLA students. This year, the university offers 146 courses in 30 subject areas for high schoolers. Students 17 and older may stay in the dorms as residential students. For younger students, UCLA offers nonresidential options. Many of the classes are also available 100 percent online. Students will find courses across a range of subjects, including Introduction to Black Studies, Chemical Structure, Intermediate Modern Chinese, Introduction to Creative Writing, People and the Earth’s Ecosystems, Biomedical Ethics, and many more.
Program Structure
In order to meet students’ different needs, UCLA’s summer courses come in several formats. The core residential structure revolves around 6-10 week courses that last for the entire summer quarter. Additionally, the program offers summer intensives, in which students learn the same course materials, but in accelerated sessions of just three weeks. UCLA Summer Sessions also offers three full college immersion programs. In the Summer College Immersion Program, high school students embark on a co-curricular journey with UCLA students by participating in courses, workshops, lectures, seminars, and residential life. The Summer College Immersion + Program uses the structure of the standard SCIP but with an added emphasis on research. UCLA offers a virtual eSCIP program for students living anywhere in the world. Finally, UCLA also has a 1-3 week Precollege Summer Program that prepares students for university by earning college credits and participating in field trips, projects, and guest lectures on a subject of their choosing.
Student Life
Students ages 17 and up are encouraged to stay on the UCLA campus for the duration of their program. Those who enroll in a residential plan will have access to dorms, where they’ll stay with two roommates, access to university recreation facilities, and breakfast and dinner at the UCLA dining halls. SCIP and SCIP+ students will also have the option to participate in planned residential activities, such as workshops on stress and management skills, as well as fun group activities like game nights, ice cream parties, beach trips, karaoke, museum outings, and scavenger hunts. Other precollege programs have their own recreational outings planned through each academic department.
Eligibility and Tuition
Eligibility varies between programs. The Precollege Summer Institutes are open to high schoolers ages 14 and up. The Summer Courses are open to students ages 15 and up, but residential students must be at least 17. Summer College Immersion Program applicants must be rising juniors or seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.5. International students from countries where English is not the primary language must also submit English proficiency exam scores to be admitted. As fees vary between programs and modalities, UCLA’s website features a fee calculator so parents can know exactly how much a program will cost. Limited financial aid in the form of full and partial scholarships is available for California high school students. Departmental scholarships are also available in select Precollege Summer Institutes.
Finally...
With a range of programs and modalities to choose from, UCLA offers a diverse assortment of options for intellectually curious high schoolers. Whether you want to earn course credit from the comfort of your home or embark on a residential college journey, UCLA has you covered. No matter what program you choose, a summer at UCLA will be intellectually stimulating, setting you up for success and helping to diversify your extracurriculars for college applications.
