Unofficial Transcript 
Min GPA Requirement .svg)
Personal Statement 
Activities List 
English Test 
Online Application From 
Application Fee 
Application is closed
Discover a variety of course opportunities for high school students this summer with Northwestern University and prepare for college success. Explore important present-day themes with top Northwestern faculty and instructors in two-week seminars featuring discussions, readings and study that provide a rich learning experience.
Non-credit
Residential
Commuter
Accepts International Students
Financial Aid
Final project
Application fee waiver
Our on campus IN FOCUS Seminars expose students to top former and current Northwestern faculty and instructors highlighting themes relevant today. These two-week certificate seminars are structured like a college seminar course. Seminars feature discussions, readings and study; enabling a rich learning experience. Once you successfully complete your seminar you will receive an official Northwestern University transcript. Students earn a Satisfactory "S" grade by attending and participating in all classes, and completing all assignments.
IN-FOCUS courses include access to our "Wildcat Connect: Get Ready Series". This series adds an additional robust co-curricular component to your schedule outside of the classroom with interactive workshops that will prepare you for college and integrate you into the Wildcat community!
IN FOCUS Seminars offers in person. Residential Scholars live on campus in Northwestern University residence halls. Commuting Scholars attend classes while commuting from their homes in the Chicago area or staying with relatives living nearby.
IN FOCUS Seminars
Session 1 courses:
- Investigating the Power of Ethics: Are There Two Sides to Every Issue?
- So You Want To Be A Rocket Scientist? Aerospace Engineering
- How Democracies Die and How To Keep Them Alive
- Time, Space, and The Future: Quantum Mechanics and Relativity
- CAN I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION! Public Speaking, Persuasive Presentation and Beyond
Session 2 courses:
- It’s a Matter of Life and Death: Bioethical Decision-Making
- Envisioning Freedom: Exploring Black Feminism through Contemporary Art, Culture, and Politics
- So You Think This Stuff Is Easy? Using the Science of Psychology to Raise a Virtual Child
- So You Want to Be a Doctor?
Session 3 courses:
- Are You Ready? Writing for College Success
- Game Theory and Practice
- How to Get Away With Murder: Forensic Chemistry
- So You Want to Be an Engineer? Biomedical Signals and Circuits
- Call it Genocide or Mass Murder? Does it Matter?
Session 4 courses:
- Beyond the Binary: Anthropological Approaches to Gender and Sexuality
- So You Want to Be a Lawyer: Legal Analysis and Communication
- So You Want To Build a Robot? Mechatronics and Electromechanical Design
- Investigating the Power of Ethics: Are There Two
College Prep students enrolled in college credit courses take undergraduate courses with other Northwestern and visiting university students during the summer. Only high school College Prep students enroll in the e-FOCUS and IN FOCUS Seminars.
All courses are taught by former and present Northwestern faculty and instructors who look forward to the same level of commitment and involvement from you that they do from the rest of Northwestern’s student body. The e-Focus and IN FOCUS seminars are designed for students who want an intensive learning experience in a specific subject area such as sustainability, global justice, or pre-law.
Admission Requirements:
1 - Cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
2 - 14 to 17 years of age at the start of the program (06/19/2023)
3 - Completion of freshman, sophomore or junior year of high school by the commencement of program.
Unofficial Transcript
Min GPA Requirement
Personal Statement
Activities List
English Test
Online Application From
Application Fee
Application Requirements:
1 - $60 Non-refundable application fee
2 - Personal statement:
Answer the following two questions (minimum of 500 words):
- Describe your most rewarding recent academic project or academic experience.
- Explain your interest in the specific program(s) you have selected, and what you hope to gain from participating in the program this summer.
Students will be evaluated on the quality of their writing, as well as thoughtfulness and originality.
3 - List of extracurricular activities:
List the clubs, sports, volunteer organizations, employment or other endeavors in which you participate within or outside of school. Please include your dates of involvement, a short description of the activity, and your role.
4 - High school transcripts:
Unofficial transcripts will be accepted.
5 - TOEFL/IELTS/DET may be required:
An English proficiency score is required for applicants whose first/primary language is not English or whose secondary schooling has not been in English. There is no minimum score required by Northwestern. Competitive applicants demonstrate a high level of English proficiency and often score in the high range on all four sections (Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing) of the TOEFL, or receive IELTS band scores in the highest three bands on the overall and individual scores (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking).
Jun 19 - Jun 30
2 weeks
Commuter
Jun 19 - Jun 30
2 weeks
Residential
Jul 03 - Jul 14
2 weeks
Commuter
Jul 03 - Jul 14
2 weeks
Residential
Jul 17 - Jul 28
2 weeks
Commuter
Jul 17 - Jul 28
2 weeks
Residential
Jul 31 - Aug 11
2 weeks
Commuter
Jul 31 - Aug 11
2 weeks
Residential
IN FOCUS (In-person Commuter)
Tuition - $2,500
Program Fee - $600
Total Cost - $3,100
Non-Refundable Deposit - $1,000
IN FOCUS (In-person Residential)
Tuition - $2,500
Program Fee - $600
Room & Board - $1,200
Total Cost - $4,300
Non-Refundable Deposit - $1,000
* A non-refundable deposit is required three weeks after your acceptance to hold your space in the program. This deposit is applied to your total program cost.
Not included in tuition - Textbooks if required.
Financial Aid
Application Fee Waiver
Deadline: March 1, 2023
Applications received after this date will not be considered. Approval of an application fee waiver does not constitute approval for a tuition scholarship or acceptance to the program.
Tuition Scholarship Application
Deadline: March 1, 2023
Scholarship Applications received after this date will not be considered. All scholarship applicants will be notified via email of the scholarship evaluation committee’s decision approximately four weeks after the deadline. In order to be fully considered for a chance to receive a tuition scholarship the applicant must complete CPP's online application in its entirety, including having transcripts turned in before March 1, 2023.
Other Resources for Financial Assistance
You may wish to search for other financial assistance opportunities by talking with your guidance or career counselor at your school, local PTA, civic (Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, Alumni Associations, etc.) and religious organizations.
Unofficial Transcript
Min GPA Requirement
Personal Statement
Activities List
English Test
Online Application From
Application Fee
Application is closed
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