8 Business Pre-College Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Dec 10, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Feb 1
If you’re a high school student interested in pursuing a business degree, enrolling in a pre-college business program can help you build an entrepreneurial mindset and explore concepts not typically covered in school. Pre-college business programs offer exposure to essential business concepts, including marketing, finance, entrepreneurship, and leadership, through a blend of lectures, team projects, and interactive workshops.
These programs will allow you to create detailed business plans, work collaboratively on business ideas, give presentations, and develop soft skills like teamwork, networking, and public speaking, all while building your understanding of business. Participating in a pre-college business program can also strengthen your college applications and help you make informed decisions about future academic and career goals.
Here is a list of 8 pre-college business programs for high school students worth exploring!
Location: This 100% virtual program has live, interactive workshops
Cost: $2,900 (3 weeks). Need-based financial aid is available
Application Deadline: There are multiple application deadlines throughout the year
Dates: Individual Program: 12 weeks with flexible start dates; Group Program: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Eligibility: High school students
The Young Founder’s Lab is an intensive startup boot camp for high school students created by Harvard entrepreneurs. This program will help you build a revenue-generating startup that addresses a real-world problem. With guidance from mentors who are seasoned entrepreneurs and professionals from companies like Google, Microsoft, and X, you'll gain hands-on experience in the startup world.
The curriculum features interactive classes on business basics, ideation workshops, skill-building sessions, and case studies. The program includes three phases: Foundational business education and ideation; Market and user research to develop a prototype; and Startup launch, focusing on traction and revenue generation. The program wraps up with a demo day, where you’ll present your startup to potential investors, giving you practical experience in pitching and scaling a business. You can access the application here!
2. Columbia University's Pre-college Programs—Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Changing the World via Venture Creation
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost:
NYC Commuter Summer (3 Weeks): $6,300 per session
NYC Residential Summer (3 weeks): $12,449 per session
Online Summer (2 Weeks): $3,960 per session
Academic Year Weekend: $2,810 per session (single course registration)
Need-based scholarships are available for NYC residents participating in the 3-week NYC Commuter Summer Academic Enrichment program. Financial aid is not offered for the Academic Year Program.
Application Deadline: Applications for the summer session will open in early December.
Dates:
Summer session: Multiple 2 and 3-week (in-person and virtual) sessions available between June and August
Academic Year Weekend: January 18 – March 23 (Spring session) | September 20 – December 14 (Fall session)
Eligibility: Domestic and international students entering grades 9–12 in the fall, as well as current 12th graders
Columbia’s pre-college program offers several business, economics, and entrepreneurship courses lasting 2–3 weeks, available in-person or online. These courses cover fundamentals in business development, market research, and analysis. If you're interested in business research, the Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Changing the World via Venture Creation course focuses on the venture-planning process. Topics include business model development, customer discovery, market analysis, product innovation, brand building, team management, profit models, financing, and legal issues.
Throughout the course, you’ll complete activities and assignments that guide you through each phase of planning a new venture. You'll refine your business model based on feedback, learn key terms, apply research tools, and understand how each planning stage contributes to venture creation. The course also builds essential professional skills like problem-solving, communication, project management, financial analysis, and collaborative leadership.
Location: University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Cost: $8,600 (Residential) | $5,850 (Commuter). Financial aid ranging from $500 – $6,600 is available for the summer immersion program
Application Deadline: Regular deadline: March 5
Dates: July 10 – 26
Eligibility: Current high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who are at least 14 years old
UChicago’s Immersion program is a residential experience where high school students receive guidance from faculty, researchers, and professionals through discussions, research projects, and hands-on activities. If you're interested in business research, the Economics From an Experimental Perspective course introduces you to economic principles and methods, including field experiments as a complement to lab experiments.
In the first week, you’ll participate in exchange and market experiments along with lectures on economic concepts. In the second week, you'll engage in group decision and strategic game experiments, each linked to a lecture explaining the underlying principles. The final week involves completing strategic game experiments, presenting results, and participating in discussions. To reinforce these concepts, you’ll work on economic problem-solving individually and in groups. You can view a sample syllabus here.
Location: Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Cost: $5,500 plus a $75 non-refundable application fee (covers all events, speakers, course materials, and Michigan Ross apparel); full and partial need-based scholarships are offered
Application Deadline: January 21
Dates: June 13 – 27
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0; preference will be given to U.S. citizens or permanent residents
The Michigan Ross Summer Business Academy is a two-week pre-college program for high school students from diverse backgrounds interested in exploring a business career. The program provides an introduction to how companies operate, problem-solving strategies, market research, and the experience of being a business student at Michigan Ross. The program accepts only 72 students every year.
During the program, you will gain insights into business operations, career options, and college life by working with your peers. You will also have opportunities to interact with Ross faculty, corporate partners, and industry professionals, expanding your knowledge and network. The program emphasizes ethical leadership and encourages students to reflect on the role of purpose-driven business leadership. You will get to complete college-level work through classes and workshops. To learn more about this program, check out our full guide here.
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Cost: $5,550 + $75 application fee. Need-based financial aid is available
Application Deadline: Early Deadline: January 8; Regular Deadline: February 12
Dates: Session I: June 22 – July 3; Session II: July 6 – 18; Session III: July 20 – August 1
Eligibility: Students aged 16–19 who will graduate high school in the next 2 years
Harvard’s Pre-College Program is a two-week summer experience for high school students, offering a chance to live on campus and take a college-level course. You can choose from over 30 non-credit courses in subjects like STEAM, business, humanities, and sociology, taught by Harvard-affiliated instructors. Each course has 12 to 18 students, and you'll attend 3 hours of class daily, with homework and research presentations.
The "Authentic Leadership" course is a great choice for those interested in business. It uses self-assessment tools, readings, and discussions to help you understand your purpose and develop confidence as a leader. The course encourages personal growth through self-exploration and peer coaching, helping you identify areas for improvement. Its focus is on developing authenticity and leadership skills. Outside of class, you'll have 2 to 4 hours of homework and can enjoy activities like field trips, dance lessons, and college readiness workshops. These workshops cover college admissions essays, financial aid, and choosing the right college. At the end, you’ll receive a Harvard transcript and can get a written evaluation from your instructor.
Location: Virtual (synchronous lectures)
Cost: $3,050 (some courses may require additional purchases, like textbooks); need-based financial aid is available
Application Deadline: March 29
Dates: Session 1: June 17 – 28; Session 2: July 8 – 19
Eligibility: Students currently in grades 9–11 (note: some courses may have specific grade level restrictions)
Stanford University’s Pre-College Summer Institutes offer a 2-week virtual program for high school students worldwide focusing on one online course. You can choose from 60 courses in areas like computer science, social justice, math, creative writing, philosophy, and engineering. The courses are ungraded and not for credit, and you can take only one course per summer. Each course includes two hours of live online classes with instructors plus out-of-class assignments. There are also seminars, workshops, and activities available during free time. At the end, you’ll receive a written evaluation and a certificate of completion. Only 16 students are accepted per class.
For students interested in business, the “Innovation and Entrepreneurship” course covers customer insight, marketing, product development, and business models. Using design thinking, you'll solve real problems and create a business model. The course also explores Silicon Valley companies and various business concepts with a team startup project. You'll gain insight into business careers and leadership skills.
Location: Brown University, Providence, RI
Cost: $5,256 for residential students and $4,076 for commuters. Scholarships are available.
Application Deadline: May 10
Dates: 2 weeks; July 15 – 26
Eligibility: Students who will have completed grades 9 to 12 and will be 14–18 years old by June 15
Brown University’s Pre-College Programs give high school students a chance to experience college-level courses without the stress of grades. You will get to choose from over 300 non-credit courses, attend community activities, and participate in college-readiness workshops. Each course involves three hours of daily classes, five days a week, plus three hours of independent or group work outside class. Activities include class discussions, group projects, and individual study. You will receive a certificate of completion, and those finishing a course lasting two weeks or more will also be eligible for a performance report.
In the “Measuring Business Success: An Introduction to Financial Accounting” course, you’ll explore accounting basics, such as revenue recognition, accrual vs. cash accounting, and the purpose of financial statements. The course covers the main accounting statements, their uses, and limits and includes an analysis of real-world financial examples. You will work on homework assignments in groups to prepare you for class discussions. At the course's end, you will present an analysis of financial statements. This course will help you build a foundation in accounting principles and insights into how financial statements reveal key business information, useful for management and investment decisions.
Location: University of California, Los Angeles, CA (commuter program)
Cost: $2,947, you can review the fee structure for various courses here; scholarships based on both need and merit are available
Application Deadline: June 1
Dates: June 24 – July 12
Eligibility: Students who are at least 15 years old, in grades 9–12, and have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher; you can check the specific pre-college summer institute page for additional requirements
The UCLA Introduction to Investments Summer Institute is a three-week program that introduces high school students to investing and personal finance, offering an overview of career paths in finance and college credit in UCLA’s economics department. The program will help you develop financial literacy with a focus on money, banking, and personal investment. No prior background in economics or math is required. You will learn about U.S. and global financial markets, their structure, and their impact on daily life.
You’ll attend lectures by UCLA faculty on investment topics and join discussion sessions led by UCLA Economics majors, providing an opportunity to share ideas in smaller groups. Topics covered include financial markets, stock ownership, bonds, commodities, the Federal Reserve, economic cycles, valuation methods, personal investing, global markets, venture capital, private equity, and career paths in finance. You will also get to apply concepts learned through relevant case studies.
One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.