10 Free Pre-College Summer Programs in California for High Schoolers
- Stephen Turban
- Apr 28
- 7 min read
If you’re a high schooler planning on applying to universities in California, consider applying to a pre-college summer program in the state first!
What are pre-college summer programs? Why should I apply?
Pre-college summer programs for high schoolers offer an immersive experience in a subject of your choice, at the college level.
These programs may give you a realistic idea of what to expect from college life, and experience college-level academics in a structured format.
They also offer great exposure to networking opportunities, community-building, and hands-on learning while giving you free access to college campuses and their resources.
California is home to some of the most popular universities in the country, and many of them offer some great pre-college offerings for high school students each year. The ones in the list are all fully-funded pre-college opportunities in California for high schoolers.
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Program Dates: June 9 – July 31
Application Deadline: February 22
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors who are at least 16 years old by the start date of the program. You must be currently living in and attending a high school in the USA, and must be a citizen or permanent resident with a green card.
Stipend: At least a $500 stipend, but those from underrepresented groups in biomedical research may get $1,500 through special grants.
SIMR is an 8-week summer internship designed to increase your expertise and offer hands-on experience in the fields of biological science and medicine. The program encourages high school students to perform basic medical research under the guidance of postdoctoral fellows, students, researchers, and Stanford faculty. This will ensure that you gain practical knowledge that offers a deeper understanding of how scientific projects are designed, conducted, and reported.
Location: UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Los Angeles, UC San Diego, or UC Santa Cruz
Program Dates: July 6 – August 2
Application Deadline: February 7
Eligibility: California High School Students in grades 8-12
Cost: $5,256 tuition, but full financial aid is available
This intensive program offers specialized opportunities in STEM fields. You will be mentored by researchers, scientists, and renowned faculty. It also provides an exceptional hands-on learning experience, as you use state-of-the-art facilities and explore advanced STEM topics beyond the typical high school curriculum.
This challenging, lab-intensive program aims to enhance your skills, interest, and awareness in subjects such as biotechnology, environmental science, robotics, and computer science. This program can only accommodate about 200 students on each of the college campuses, making it highly competitive and a prestigious opportunity if you are selected.
Location: Virtual or in-person at various LA Pediatric Society facilities
Program Dates: Session I: July 7 – 17 | Session II: July 21 – 31
Application Deadline: February 14
Eligibility: Qualified 11-12 grade students from Los Angeles and its adjacent counties. Some facilities may have additional age restrictions, and LA County residency restrictions
Stipend: One $500 scholarship is awarded at the end of the program
One of the oldest free pre-college summer programs in California for high schoolers, the Eve and Gene Black Summer Medical Career Program was launched in 1969. It encourages high school students to pursue medical careers through a medical mentorship program. Participants engage in daily sessions, attend presentations, and receive educational lessons from various medical professionals, including surgeons, pharmacists, nurses, dieticians, therapists, ophthalmologists, radiologists, and more.
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Program Dates: Vary based on yearly cohort. Multiple 12-week cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Application Deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Eligibility:
You must be currently enrolled in high school or plan to enroll as a freshman in college.
Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement. (Note: accepted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)
No previous knowledge of your field of interest is required!
Cost: The program is fully funded!
The Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation stands as a non-profit research program tailored for gifted students from low-income backgrounds. Stemming from the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, renowned for its extensive one-on-one research opportunities for high school students, the foundation provides the same access to independent research experiences at zero cost.
The Lumiere Breakthrough Scholar Program is the equivalent of the Individual Research Scholar Program at Lumiere Education. In the flagship program, talented high-school students are paired with world-class Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll develop an independent research paper. You can choose topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can apply here!
This program is a solid option if you are interested in interdisciplinary research and want to create an individual research paper.
Location: Pomona College, Claremont, CA
Program Dates: June 22 – July 18
Application Deadline: February 24
Eligibility: Current 9th-grade students who are residents of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, or Ventura Counties
Stipend: None. The college covers all costs (housing, activities, food, transportation to field trips)
Expanding on the scope of usual pre-college summer programs in California, this 4-week residential program stretches throughout the academic year for 3 continuous years. It is designed to ensure that 90 participants from low-income families or those underrepresented in college may be encouraged to pursue higher education.
This is an intensive program in which you will participate in cultural events, field trips, workshops, and projects in addition to your usual coursework. You will live on campus during the summer and take college-level courses in maths and critical enquiry, supported by trained teaching assistants.
Location: University of Southern California (USC) University Park Campus, Los Angeles, CA
Program Dates: July 15 – August 2
Application Deadline: January 17
Eligibility: Juniors with a 4.0 weighted GPA or above, enrolled in Algebra II/Trigonometry, who have taken an Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate course if offered, are actively enrolled in a high school curriculum, and demonstrate financial need
Cost: None. USC pays for transportation to and from the campus for students coming from outside of Southern California
This program aids aspiring students in their academic and career transitions. It will prepare you for your college experience, including gaining admission and applying for scholarships, as you explore the wide range of options available.
The program includes an immersive three-week residential experience that will introduce you to college life and help you build connections with peers. After this, you will be mentored as you prepare for your college applications and explore various career paths and academic opportunities.
Location: UC San Francisco, CA
Program Dates: June 9 – August 1
Application Deadline: March 2
Eligibility: Current juniors attending an SFUSD school or an SF charter school
Stipend: $3,200 (25 hours/week) $4,500 (35 hours/week)
This is an intensive program in which you will be thoroughly engaged in research for the full 8 weeks. In this program, you will be paired with a mentor who will introduce you to biomedical research and assist you as you work on a project related to topics such as infectious disease, neuroscience, molecular biology, immunology, cancer, stem cell research, and developmental biology. This program provides a solid foundation for developing both your academic and professional careers, funded by the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Location: Children's Hospital Los Angeles, CA
Program Dates: Session 1: June 16 – 20 | Session 2: July 28 – August 1
Application Deadline: January 10
Eligibility: Current freshmen, sophomores, or juniors in high school who live in Los Angeles County, who can attend all 5 days of the session, and have not attended Camp CHLA before
Cost: Free
With activities designed to encourage students to learn, explore, and actively participate in the work that CHLA members do, this program can lay the foundation for a career in healthcare. The program includes hands-on lessons in various health promotion and injury prevention methods, such as first aid, CPR, body ergonomics, and more.
It also offers networking opportunities and educational presentations from healthcare professionals. You will gain an immersive introduction to healthcare as a potential career and the work that occurs throughout the hospital on a daily basis.
Location: Annenberg Youth Academy, Los Angeles, CA
Program Dates: June 16 – July 3
Application Deadline: April 14
Eligibility: Students must reside and attend high school in Los Angeles County
Stipend: None. Free breakfast and lunch given daily, transportation scholarship available upon request
In this program, only 26 students from the communities in the USC University Park and Health Science Campuses are selected for the intensive 3-week summer academy. You will participate in first-year college-level courses, which will help you develop a conceptual understanding of communications and journalism and the role they play in creating civic-minded leaders and innovators.
This program is designed to sharpen the essential skills required to succeed in journalism: critical thinking, debate, public speech, multimedia production, writing, interviewing, and ethnography. You will also be introduced to the undergraduate programs and services offered by USC Annenberg and gain a deeper understanding of the various career opportunities available in media and journalism.
Location: Meta headquarters, Menlo Park, CA
Program Dates: June 16 – July 25
Application Deadline: February 14
Eligibility: You must be a tenth grader, full-year resident of East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, or Redwood City, with a minimum GPA of 2.0 to be considered for this program.
Stipend: Participants receive a competitive stipend.
While not one of the typical pre-college programs, this opportunity has been included in the list as it offers students the chance to immerse themselves in the day-to-day operations of one of the world’s most popular social media networks. In this program, you will explore the various career options available in the world of technology, as you learn coding and develop various soft skills that will help propel your academic and professional careers.
You will dedicate about 30 hours/week for 6 weeks to this program.
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.
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