Best Business Summer Programs for High School Students – 2024

January 17, 2024

Have you been running lemonade stands since before you could walk? Selling an array of sought-after stickers on the kindergarten bus? Marketing your signature plant watering service through neighborhood door-to-door efforts? Perhaps you’ve always had a propensity for entrepreneurship and are eager to develop new skills in a formal environment. Or, perhaps business is a relatively novel interest, and you’d like to test the waters before jumping head-first into a related major (see best business summer programs below).

For a full look at our searchable database of the best 2024 summer programs click the button below. Here, you will be able to sort summer programs by discipline and location and can view important data points such as tuition costs, deadlines, course listings, and more!

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Either way, you’ve come to the right place: business summer programs for high school students are an excellent way to gain new competencies, grow as a leader, boost your college applications, network, and learn directly from industry experts. Both in-person and online experiences abound–all you need to do is choose the one that sounds like the best fit. Ready to read more about our top contenders? You’ll find them below:

1) Georgetown Pre-College Online Program

Location: Virtual
Residential?: All courses are fully online.
Program Length: 1-week intensive, 2-week session, or 4-week session
Cost:$1,795 per course
Eligibility: High school students aged 13 and older
Application Deadline: varies depending on course, but is typically rolling until approximately a week before the course’s start date

If you’re a high school student, the flexibility of Georgetown’s Pre-College Online Program is unmatched. Students as young as 13 can take courses year-round, exploring budding curiosities and career paths or delving deeply into subject areas they are passionate about. Currently, there are seventeen courses available in as many subject areas, spanning the fields of medicine, STEM, business, marketing, law, government, psychology, leadership, and more.

All courses are delivered through a set of engaging and dynamic video lessons led by Georgetown professors, and involve approximately 20-30 hours of instruction and activities. During the course itself, you’ll be assigned a mentor with expertise in your course’s field who will support you through the material and be available to answer questions. There are no live meetings required, so everything can be completed on your own schedule. The curriculum is designed for active learning; all courses conclude with a Final Capstone Project, which allows you to demonstrate what you’ve learned.. For example, in Becoming a Surgeon: Skills, Specialties, and Diseases, students review case studies on abdominal conditions and observe procedures before completing videos and models related to abdominal anatomy and conditions. They’ll also learn how to tie surgical knots (have string and/or dental floss available!). In Becoming an Entrepreneur: An Inside Look at Innovation, students have the opportunity to take a business idea from ideation to a launch plan.

To apply, you’ll just need to provide basic personal information as well as a brief personal statement that discusses why you wish to enroll in your program of choice. It’s also possible to take more than one course at a time. Moreover, you’ll receive a Certificate of Completion for your college applications at the culmination of each course.

2) Rice University Precollege Program

Location: Virtual
Residential?: All courses are fully online
Program Length: 1-week intensive, 2-week session, or 4-week session; availability depends on time of year
Cost: $1,495 per course
Eligibility: High school students aged 13 and older
Application Deadline: varies depending on course, but is typically rolling until approximately a week before the course’s start date

On the hunt for a program that you can dive into at any time during the year and complete at your own pace? Rice University’s Precollege Program, available to students aged 13 and up, is an excellent option. Given that Rice’s mission is to improve the world through unconventional thinking and doing, their eight current courses aim to capture that ethos with options in subject areas like medicine, STEM, business, law, government, psychology and even aerospace.

During your course, you’ll learn through a series of dynamic videos recorded by Rice professors, and engage in a variety of different activities along the way. Prepare for approximately 20-30 total hours of instruction, simulations, and assignments. Additionally, you’ll receive support from a mentor, who will provide direction and motivation along the way. All courses wrap with a capstone project, which allows you to demonstrate all that you’ve learned throughout the course.. Even in an online format, the curriculum has been curated to be engaging and hands-on; in Global Affairs: Exploring Changing Political Systems, students not only explore the factors that lead to democratic survival or decline but also complete a comparative project on two countries. In Genome Engineering: Changing the Future of Medicine, students tackle genome editing, study clinical trials, and explore ethical considerations before creating a project that involves identifying a gene-editing strategy for a blood disorder.

There is no limit to how many courses you can take at one time, a feature that allows you to explore your interests in great depth. You’ll receive a Certificate of Completion at the end of each program. Interested in applying? It’s a simple process—you’ll only need to provide basic personal information as well as a personal statement that discusses why you’re interested in your course of choice.

3) World Scholars Academy | Elite Summer Courses

Location: Virtual
Residential?: All courses are fully online.
Program Length: 2 weeks
Cost:$1,599-$2,999 per course
Eligibility: Students ages 12-18
Application Deadline: Rolling

World Scholars Academy offers elite summer courses and research internships taught live online by world-leading instructors from top research universities. Study for success with individual feedback and personalized academic guidance in our exclusive small-group classes (max 6 students), providing high-level instruction in the theory and practice of your chosen discipline. Secure a letter of recommendation from your instructor, and connect with other ambitious peers from around the world. Limited places are available for aspiring scholars ages 12-18.

All programs are taught by world-elite instructors from top universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard who are hand-selected for their intellectual leadership and ability to transmit high-level insights to their students.

The Business program has two options: World Business Academy (ages 15-18) and Discover Business Academy (ages 12-14). The World Business Academy covers topics including Game Theory, Microeconomic Price Theory, Macroeconomics & Investing, and Competitive Strategy. The Discover Business Academy introduces younger students to concepts such as Finance & Investing, Branding & Marketing, and How Businesses Compete.

4) Michigan Ross Summer Business Academy

Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Residential?: Yes
Program Length: 2 weeks
Cost: $3,250
Eligibility: Rising seniors
Application Deadline: January

At Ross, the University of Michigan’s acclaimed School of Business, students can explore the profession in a rigorous environment. Through group workshops, field trips, and guest speakers, they’ll learn more about the challenges that face high-performing businesses. Then, they’ll work in teams to develop solutions to those challenges, which they’ll present formally. Moreover, teams have the opportunity to meet with local companies. Along the way, they build leadership acumen, investigate potential career paths, and collaborate with other high-achieving students.

Although the Summer Business Academy was held online in 2022, it will be held in-person in 2023. As such, students live in a UMichigan residence hall for the duration of the program. This program is particularly valuable for students who are considering Ross, as they’ll receive exposure to Ross curriculum and faculty. To apply, students need to submit an essay, a recommendation, and their transcript.

5) Business Bootcamp at the University of Rochester

Location: Rochester, NY
Residential?: Yes
Program Length: 3 weeks
Cost: $8,505
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors
Application Deadline: February

At the core of Rochester’s summer program is “The Development of New Ideas” curriculum, an experiential deep dive into innovation. Given that all businesses thrive off of fresh ideas, students will have the chance to immerse themselves in the generation, prioritization, and development processes required to bring a selected concept to life. First, they’ll learn more about what makes a “good” concept, corporate marketing, product development, and design thinking. Then, they’ll prototype, demo, and present their ideas while collaborating in small teams. Furthermore, there are various simulations, field trips, and a club where students can take their learning to the next level.

As these business summer programs are highly selective, students will need to put serious effort into the application. For example, they need to submit an essay (prompt very similar to the undergraduate application), letters of recommendation, and transcripts. To have the best chance of acceptance, students should demonstrate a high level of involvement and be passionate about business as a field of study.

Business Summer Programs for High School Students – Continued

6) Babson College Summer Study for High School Students

Location: Babson Park, MA
Residential?: Online
Program Length: 3 weeks
Cost: $5,995
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors aged 16+
Application Deadline: March

Babson is all about providing their undergraduates with the skills to become entrepreneurial innovators and changemakers. Unsurprisingly, their business summer programs have an identical objective. Over the course of three weeks, students dive into Babson’s Entrepreneurial Thought and Action methodology through Introduction to the Entrepreneurial Experience, which covers topics in entrepreneurship, marketing, and finance, among others. Here, students learn how to turn ideas into action, how ideas gain traction, and how to handle difficult circumstances. Students work closely with faculty as well as Academic Mentors. Moreover, the online format allows students from all over the world to participate, exposing participants to diverse viewpoints. The icing on the cake is that students walk away from the program with four college credits under their belts.

Interested students should know that they’ll need to dedicate a significant amount of time to this program. For example, they’ll spend approximately three hours per day in live classes and five hours per day working on assignments. Furthermore, students choose cohorts based on time zone, which is important because a significant amount of collaborative teamwork is involved.

To apply, students need to submit three 250-word essays, a counselor or teacher recommendation, and their high school transcripts.

7) LaunchX Summer Programs

Location: Online and in-person (Ann Arbor, MI or Research Triangle, NC)
Residential?: Online Entrepreneurship Summer Program: No; Entrepreneurship Summer Program: Yes; Innovation Summer Program: Yes
Program Length: Online Entrepreneurship Summer Program: 5 weeks; Entrepreneurship Summer Program: 4 weeks; Innovation Summer Program: 2 weeks
Cost: Online Entrepreneurship Summer Program: $5,980; Entrepreneurship Summer Program: $9,450; Innovation Summer Program: $5,980
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, seniors, and college freshmen
Application Deadline: February

No simulations or mock startups here! The ultimate goal of LaunchX is for students to use their newfound knowledge and skills to create actual businesses. It’s a tall order, but the program is highly structured and has won numerous awards for business excellence.

LaunchX’s flagship offering–the Entrepreneurship Summer Program–is held both online and in-person. Regardless of format, all participants are expected to bring a product to market by the program’s culmination. (This is defined as minimum $250 in sales.) In addition, students participate in classes, mentor meetings, and significant collaboration with their cofounder teams. While doing so, they progress through seven stages–which include market research, prototyping, and pitching. Simultaneously, they apply their new knowledge to their startups via relevant, actionable tasks.

Not ready to launch a company yet? You might check out LaunchX’s Innovation Summer Program, which is a two week in-person experience. Here, students work with an established company. Through an experiential curriculum, students build the problem-solving skills they need to propose new solutions to the company’s current challenges. In addition, students work directly with corporate mentors to develop strategies and pitches.

Unlike other business summer programs, transcripts and recommendations are the least important part of the admissions process. Instead, the committee would like to see evidence that students are passionate self-starters and team players. They can display these qualities through their activities list, video, and optional portfolio.

8) Economics for Leaders

Location: Online and in-person (multiple site options available, including Yale, Duke, UT Austin, and UCLA)
Residential?: Yes (in-person programs)
Program Length: 1 week
Cost: Economics for Leaders (in-person): $2,100; Economics for Leaders (virtual): $800; Entrepreneurship and the Global Economy: $2,100
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors
Application Deadline: April (in-person); May (virtual)

For those interested in economics and leadership, Economics for Leaders is a stand-out, highly competitive option. There are multiple business summer programs available: the signature Economics for Leaders program or Entrepreneurship in the Global Economy. All applications involve letters of recommendation, transcripts, and a personal statement.

At Economics for Leaders, students learn about ten different topics, which include opportunity cost, labor markets, and property rights. Through simulations, discussions about current domestic and global issues, and hands-on learning opportunities, students learn how to apply economic analysis to a variety of concepts. In addition, they receive leadership training that emphasizes personal, relational, and contextual leadership skills. Moreover, students who elect to take Economics for Leaders virtually enjoy the same curriculum. It is delivered synchronously and students can expect to spend approximately five hours per day in class. College credit is available for both programs.

If entrepreneurship is more your speed, Entrepreneurship in the Global Economy could be the perfect fit. This program is only held in-person at either Yale or Columbia. In addition to honing their abilities to write a business plan, pitch ideas, and work in teams, students also familiarize themselves with the economic principles that underpin successful entrepreneurship. In addition to working closely with professors and peers, they also benefit from guest speakers and experiential learning.

Finally, it should be noted that the application gives students the opportunity to rank program sites in order of preference. Selecting multiple program sites (up to three) provides maximum chance of acceptance.

Final Thoughts – Business Summer Programs for High School Students

Students with entrepreneurial experience and students new to the profession will benefit greatly from structured opportunities. Whether you’re looking to launch your own startup, innovate fresh solutions to existing issues, or hone your problem-solving abilities, you’re sure to find business summer programs that will not only increase your experiential knowledge but also your confidence. The result? You’ll enter college with an increased sense of motivation and purpose that will benefit you immensely in the years to come.

Looking for more business summer programs for high school students in your area? Consider checking out the following:

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Kelsea Conlin

Kelsea holds a BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Tufts University, a graduate certificate in College Counseling from UCLA, and an MA in Teaching Writing from Johns Hopkins University. Her short fiction is forthcoming in Chautauqua.