Ivy League Engineering Programs for High School Students
Updated: Nov 1
Updated October 2026
TL;DR
You don't have to wait until college to explore engineering at an Ivy League school. This list features eight programs at Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Penn, and Princeton, including research placements, college courses, and short academies. Princeton offers a program with no program fees, while Columbia and Penn have opportunities that pay stipends. Other options can cost thousands of dollars, so we've included costs, eligibility rules, and 2027 application information to help you compare them. If you want to work on an engineering question of your own with a PhD mentor, consider the Lumiere Research Scholar Program.
Time on an Ivy League campus gives you a head start on college. You get used to college-level work, learn what engineering looks like up close, and gather experiences that make your application stronger and your choice of major easier. This guide covers 8 engineering programs at Ivy League universities that are open to high schoolers, and each entry lays out the location, cost, dates, deadline, and eligibility. Some programs pay you a stipend, some offer financial aid, and a few are only for students who live nearby, so it’s worth checking the details before you pick favorites. If you want to compare these with other campus options, see our list of summer college programs for high school students.
How do you choose the right one?
Start with what you want out of the summer, then check the eligibility line, since that rules out more programs than anything else.
If you want | Look at |
A paid, lab-based summer | |
A research placement with no program fees | |
College credit on a Cornell transcript | |
A week that samples many engineering fields | |
Robotics, computer science, or electrical engineering courses | |
A build-and-test design project | |
A selective engineering academy at Penn |
What kinds of Ivy League engineering programs can you do in high school?
Most of these programs fall into three groups. The first is credit-bearing college courses, like Cornell Precollege Studies, where your grades and credits go on an official Cornell transcript.
The second is academies and short courses, such as ESAP, the CURIE and CATALYST Academies, SHAPE, and Dartmouth Summer Scholars, where you pick an engineering area and work through projects with faculty. The third is research placements, including the Laboratory Learning Program, ENG, and the Penn Engineering High School Internship, where you join a lab for several weeks. The research placements are mostly for local high schoolers, so check where you live before you get attached to one.
If you want a wider view of what's out there, our list of pre-college engineering programs for high school students is a good next stop.
When should you apply?
Most 2027 deadlines are TBA, so the last cycle is your best guide. Dartmouth Summer Scholars lists a December 15 priority date, a January 27 regular date, and a March 23 extended date, with rolling admission after May 1. ENG lists a November 16 opening and a January 15 close.
For 2026, ESAP set January 31 as its priority date and February 28 as its final date, and the Laboratory Learning Program took applications from February 15 to March 15. Cornell Precollege Studies had application forms due between April 28 and June 2 in 2026. If you're planning for summer 2027, put the Dartmouth and ENG dates on your calendar first.
8 Ivy League Engineering Programs for High School Students
Location: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (in person; housing and transportation are not provided)
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published; Princeton reports more than 3,000 applications in each of its last three active years
Program Dates: TBA
Application Deadline: TBA (previous cohort: March 15)
Eligibility: 16 or older by June 15, enrolled in a local New Jersey high school, and a U.S. citizen currently attending that school; graduates who haven't turned 18 by June 15 may apply
The Laboratory Learning Program places you in an active natural science or engineering lab at Princeton, supervised by faculty and research staff. You work full time during regular office hours for about 5 to 6 weeks, and you finish with a two-page summary of your project. You send one application and can list up to two research opportunities that interest you, so read each project's requirements before you pick. For more Princeton options, see our guide to Princeton summer programs for high schoolers.
Who is it right for? You live near Princeton, can get yourself to campus every day, and want to spend a summer inside a working lab.
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: Program fee not posted yet; $90 non-refundable application fee; the FAQ says limited financial aid may be available to highly qualified applicants
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA ( previous cohort: July 6 to 25)
Application Deadline: TBA (February 28)
Eligibility: At least 15 by the start of the program, with a minimum 3.0 GPA or equivalent and a preference for strong math and science grades
ESAP is run by Penn's School of Engineering and Applied Science. Your application needs an essay of up to two pages about what excites you in engineering and which skills, software, or programming languages you already use. You also submit an official transcript and one letter from a math or science teacher, while test scores are optional. Our ESAP review goes deeper on the courses.
Who is it right for? You have strong math and science grades and want a selective engineering program from one of the Ivy League's engineering schools.
Location: Penn Engineering, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: Paid; interns receive a stipend (amount not published)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: June 20 to August 5)
Application Deadline: TBA
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors from Philadelphia schools (the page lists current 10th and 11th graders)
This is a seven-week research internship where you work full time with a mentor in a field you care about. Your mentors are doctoral candidates and faculty principal investigators, and your projects are tailored to your interests. The summer ends with a poster presentation, and you also join college- and career-readiness workshops along the way.
Who is it right for? You go to school in Philadelphia and want a paid, mentored research summer.
Location: Ithaca, NY (residential or commuter), or online
Cost: $2,013 per credit; online runs $6,039 to $16,104, commuter $6,206 to $16,271, and residential $9,274 to $22,282, depending on credits and length; $85 non-refundable application fee; $1,500 enrollment deposit for summer sessions
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: three-week sessions on June 1 to 18, June 22 to July 10, and July 13 to 31, plus a six-week session on June 22 to July 31)
Application Deadline: TBA (previous cohort: June 2 for online and commuter sessions, and May 14 for residential sessions)
Eligibility: You must have finished 10th grade; ages 15 to 19 for online, 16 to 19 for commuter (and living near campus), and 16 to 18 for residential; you also need to meet each course's prerequisites
Precollege Studies puts you in regular, credit-bearing Cornell courses, and your grades and credits appear on an official Cornell transcript. Engineering related options have included Engineering Operations: Data Science and Decision Making, plus the Calculus, Multivariable Calculus, Differential Equations, and Linear Algebra courses designed for engineers. Cornell says it will post the 2027 course list as soon as it's available. If you're comparing credit-bearing options, our list of summer college programs for high school students is a useful companion.
Who is it right for? You want real college coursework in math or engineering and are comfortable with a college-level workload.
Location: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (one-week residential)
Cost: $1,900 tuition (subject to change) covering room, meals, and research supplies; $75 non-refundable deposit; need-based scholarships for tuition and travel are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Each academy typically admits 35 to 50 participants
Program Dates: TBA
Application Deadline: TBA (the page lists February 15)
Eligibility: Current sophomores or juniors living in and attending high school in the U.S. or a U.S. territory, with a minimum 3.0 GPA, strong math and science grades, and a path toward calculus, physics, and chemistry
CURIE and CATALYST run side by side at Cornell Engineering. Your mornings are field sessions, where Cornell faculty introduce nine engineering fields through hands-on activities, and a tenth session covers admissions. In the afternoons you join a small group research project for four hours a day, building toward a final presentation. Past projects have covered AI and robotics, biomedical devices, and data management.
Who is it right for? You're a sophomore or junior who wants a fast tour of engineering fields and meets one of the academies' criteria.
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY (you arrange your own transportation)
Cost: Tuition not posted yet; $1,000 non-refundable deposit credited toward tuition; a limited number of need-based scholarships cover the full cost of tuition and fees
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published (SHAPE says it receives many more applications than it can accept)
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: July 6 to 24 and July 27 to August 14)
Application Deadline: TBA
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors, plus recent high school graduates; the program is geared toward local students
SHAPE offers three-week sessions of college-level, project-based engineering courses taught by Columbia faculty. You pick one subject for your session, and the course list covers robotics, computer science, electrical engineering, and innovation and design. Electives, workshops, and company visits fill out the schedule. Our guide to SHAPE walks through the courses in more detail.
Who is it right for? You live in or near New York City and want a project-based engineering course.
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost: Paid; $17 per hour at 25 hours per week
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: July 7 to August 12)
Application Deadline: TBA
Eligibility: Current 11th graders attending NYC schools; the Foundations of Research track requires you to be legally allowed to work in NYC and to have prior work or volunteer experience, and the CS3 track is for students from Harlem and the surrounding area
ENG is a six-week research experience in Columbia Engineering labs. In the Foundations of Research track, you work with researchers on projects in areas like biomedical engineering, computer science, and environmental engineering. In the CS3 track, you build AI tools, learn about computer vision and the Internet of Things, and study how technology shapes life in Harlem, with a chance to present to city officials.
Who is it right for? You're a rising senior in New York City who wants a paid research summer.
Location: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH (residential or commuter)
Cost: Residential tuition starts at $8,299 and commuter tuition starts at $4,999, depending on the course and when you apply; $1,900 deposit for enrollments before January 31, 2027
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: June 27 to July 9 (Engineering: Design & Prototyping), July 4 to 16 (Clean Energy Technologies), July 11 to 23 (Engineering Systems Challenge: Mapping a Clean Energy Town), and July 25 to August 6 (Introduction to Biomedical Engineering)
Application Deadline: December 15 (priority), January 27 (regular), and March 23 (extended); rolling after May 1 while space remains
Eligibility: High school students who have completed grades 9 through 12 (per the course listing)
Dartmouth builds its Summer Scholars academies, and Dartmouth faculty teach them, while partner Summer Discovery handles admissions, enrollment, and payment. The courses are noncredit, so you're there to explore. Engineering: Design & Prototyping spends at least 40% of its time on building and testing: you run stiffness, impact, friction, and wear tests, build two prototype versions, and finish with a technical dossier and a founder-style pitch. No prior engineering or lab experience is required, and you bring your own laptop.
Who is it right for? You like making things, want to see why they fail, and can spend two full days in a shop and studio setting each day of a two-week academy.
How do these programs compare on cost?
Cost type | Programs | What to know |
No program fees | Housing and transportation are not provided | |
Paid with a stipend | ENG pays $17 per hour at 25 hours per week; the Penn stipend amount is not published | |
Tuition or program fee | From $1,900 for a one-week academy to more than $22,000 for a six-week residential course load; ESAP and SHAPE have not posted new tuition | |
Financial aid or scholarships | CURIE and CATALYST offer need-based scholarships for tuition and travel, SHAPE offers a limited number of need-based scholarships, and ESAP says limited aid may be available to highly qualified applicants |
If you want a backup plan, pair a local, low-cost option with one that takes applicants from anywhere. For example, if you live in New Jersey, you could apply to the Laboratory Learning Program in February and look at a Cornell Precollege Studies online course in the spring.
Our guide to free summer engineering programs can help you build out the rest of your list.
Tips to Stand Out in Your Engineering Program Applications
1. Answer the exact question you were asked
ESAP wants to hear what excites you about engineering and which skills or software you already use. The CURIE and CATALYST Academies use three 250-word essay prompts, and they suggest you write a strong essay, answer each prompt directly, and be authentic about your interests. They also say it's fine to admit you're unsure about engineering. Specific beats polished, so a story about a project you tried (and what broke) works better than a general love of science.
2. Ask a math or science teacher early
ESAP requires one letter from a math or science teacher, and the CURIE and CATALYST Academies ask for a recommendation from a math teacher, science teacher, or counselor. Teachers write better letters when you give them a few weeks and a short list of what you've worked on. Starting this conversation in the fall helps if you're aiming for a December or January deadline.
3. Bring real-world experience when a program asks for it
ENG requires prior work or volunteer experience for its Foundations of Research track, and that track also needs a separate Ladders for Leaders application. Tutoring, a part-time job, or a regular volunteer role all count as experience you can point to. Write down your hours and responsibilities now, so you're not hunting for details on deadline day.
4. Check where you live before you fall for a program
The Laboratory Learning Program asks for proof of housing and transportation during the application, and ENG asks you to attend an NYC school. SHAPE is geared toward local students and asks you to arrange your own transportation. Where rounds are rolling, as with Dartmouth Summer Scholars, earlier applications get answers sooner.
Want to research your own engineering question?
The programs above give you classes, labs, or a team project. If you'd like to go deeper on a question you choose, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program pairs you one-on-one with a PhD fellow or postdoc. In the 12-week Individual Research Program, you have 9 sessions with your mentor and 2 with a writing coach, and you finish with a college-level research paper. The program is fully online, need-based financial aid is available.
What you might still be wondering about Ivy League engineering programs
Do I need to have taken calculus or physics before applying?
Not for all of them. One design academy says no prior engineering or lab experience is required, while a one-week residential option expects you to be on track for calculus, physics, and chemistry before you graduate. The credit-bearing courses list their own prerequisites, so read the course page before you apply.
Will I build or test something myself, or mostly listen to lectures?
You'll do hands-on work in most of them. One academy spends at least 40% of its time building and testing prototypes, the one-week residential options end with a group research project, and the research placements put you inside a working lab. The credit-bearing courses follow regular college formats, so check each course description for lab or project time.
I'm a sophomore. Can I still apply?
Yes, for several of them. One academy takes current sophomores and juniors, one course-based option welcomes rising sophomores, and another asks only that you've finished 10th grade. A few of the research placements are limited to rising juniors or seniors, so check the grade line before you plan around one.
How competitive are these programs?
Most don't publish acceptance rates, but a few share clues. One lab program reports more than 3,000 applications in each of its last three active years, and a one-week academy typically admits 35 to 50 participants. One of the course-based options says it receives many more applications than it can accept.
Can I earn college credit?
Yes, in some of them. One option puts your grades and credits on an official college transcript, while a design academy and a lab placement both say they're noncredit. Check the program page for credit details before you apply.
Do I need to live near one of these programs?
For about half of them, yes. Several research placements are limited to local schools in New York City, New Jersey, or Philadelphia, while others take applicants from anywhere, and one credit-bearing option has an online format. For more places to start from home, see our list of summer engineering research programs for high school students.
Do these cost money, and do any of them pay you?
It depends on the program. Two of them pay a stipend (one at $17 per hour), one has no program fees, and the paid options run from about $1,900 for a one-week academy to over $22,000 for a six-week residential course load. If you'd like a mentored research option with need-based financial aid, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program lets you work one-on-one with a PhD mentor on your own paper.