Furthering the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, discovering how to preserve blood, laying the mathematical foundations for the theory of genetic evolution—the University of Chicago is a leader in these and in many other areas of research. This summer, learn the techniques used in cutting-edge biological research and work in person at lab facilities at a premier research university.

Credit

Residential

Accepts International Students

Financial Aid

Final project

Immerse yourself in biological research
Furthering the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, discovering how to preserve blood, laying the mathematical foundations for the theory of genetic evolution—the University of Chicago is a leader in these and in many other areas of research. This summer, learn the techniques used in cutting-edge biological research and work in person at lab facilities at a premier research university.

This four-week intensive training program is designed to expose students to a broad range of molecular, microbiological, and cell biological techniques currently used in research laboratories. Students are immersed in the research experience, giving them a taste of "life at the bench". Using a project-based approach, the course progresses from a survey of basic lab techniques to the application of current molecular techniques in developmental biology and microbiology. Most of a typical day in RIBS is spent in lab. Lectures will also be presented to provide background and introduce new concepts. Since communication skills are important in science, students will keep lab notebooks and they will make several group presentations. The course ends with a research forum in which the students present the results of their projects. Successful completion of the course will give participants the experience and confidence to work in a research laboratory.

This is the most rigorous of the pre-college offerings in Biology, requiring that students have a demonstrated passion for science, with strong performances in high school biology, math, and chemistry (honors or advanced level preferred if available). Students who have completed a significant amount of lab work outside of class may find this course repetitive.

Regular class attendance, timely completion of work, and participation are required. Failure to meet these standards may result in probation or dismissal. Students in Immersion, RIBS, and Stones & Bones, are required to take all classes for a quality letter grade and missing more than a day will have a significant impact on your grade for the class. Each Summer Session course is equivalent to 9 weeks of undergraduate coursework. Because Summer courses are condensed, 1-2 days of class is equivalent to an entire week of instruction during the regular academic year, so attendance and timely completion of work is critical. Summer Session courses and grades are recorded on a UChicago transcript; college applications, including the Common App, will require you to submit this transcript when you apply to colleges.
Course times: 9:00 A.M - 5:00 P.M.
Units: 200 UChicago units, which is equivalent to 2 full-time courses

The University of Chicago: Research in The Biological Sciences (RIBS)

Jun 12 - Jul 07

4 weeks

Residential

13600 USD

Cost includes housing and dining.

Students admitted to any Multi-Week Program must confirm attendance by submitting a $1,000 non-refundable program deposit within seven days of the release of their admissions decision. Students will not be registered for courses or programs until this initial deposit is received. Students admitted to any Scholarship Program will have the enrollment deposit automatically waived.

The full program fee will be due four weeks after students are admitted; students who fail to pay the program fee will forfeit their spot in their program.

Application fees and the enrollment deposit are nonrefundable.

Financial Aid

High school students are eligible for a number of scholarships and aid.

Need-based aid
UChicago offers need-based aid to students interested in participating in Summer College.

In order to be considered for need-based aid to support students with demonstrated financial need, students must complete the additional information requested in the application.

Aid varies based on need and program cost; students typically receive between the following amounts: $500 - $9,000.

UChicago Scholarship Programs
In addition to this aid, UChicago also hosts scholarship programs for rural students, students engaged in Hispanic/Latino communities, students who identify as Black/African American, students whose parents are police officers or firefighters, and students who are currently enrolled in any of the United World Colleges, to provide enhanced financial, academic, and social support in our Summer College programs.

Students selected for each of the scholarship programs will be able to participate in a Summer College course free of charge. All costs will be covered by the scholarship

The application fee will be waived for anyone applying to a scholarship program.

External Scholarships
Students who apply through external scholarship partners will have varied scholarship opportunities and will not have to pay an application fee or submit a Financial Aid Application.