| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $7,401; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $635–$15,987; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $6,700–$10,050; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 residential media scholarship: $15,987. One Session C award covered tuition and room and board in exchange for documenting the experience; the 2026 scholarship is closed and 2027 availability is unknown.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Philadelphia student Summer Academy scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited to qualifying Philadelphia School District public/charter students; not offered to other domestic or international students.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 application fee: $85. Nonrefundable.; Enrollment deposit: $1,000. Nonrefundable and applied to the total.; Course materials and academic field trips: $300. Required 2026 fee.; Program and health-center fees: $429. $325 program fee plus $104 health-center fee.; Residential room and board: $3,440. Shared room and specified meals; not available as an option to international students because they must reside.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 commuter or virtual application fee: $25. Residential pages refer to an application fee in refund terms but do not state its amount on the official page.; 2026 commuter or virtual registration and document fees: $658. $585 registration plus $73 document-management fee.; 2026 international visitor service fee: $500. Applies to international visitors under the published fee table; track and immigration restrictions still control eligibility.; 2026 residential media scholarship: $15,987. One Session C award covered tuition and room and board in exchange for documenting the experience; the 2026 scholarship is closed and 2027 availability is unknown.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 nonrefundable application fee: $100. Waived for eligible Philadelphia public/charter applicants.; 2026 nonrefundable enrollment deposit: $1,500. Part of, not additional to, total tuition.; Philadelphia student Summer Academy scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited to qualifying Philadelphia School District public/charter students; not offered to other domestic or international students.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grades 10–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 10–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–11 when applying; summer rising grade is one higher |
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| Additional eligibility | Residency: Domestic and international high-school students; Requirement: Complete at least grade 9 before the program; Requirement: Pursue a rigorous high-school curriculum; Requirement: Attend every class from the first day with no late arrival; Requirement: International participants must obtain required immigration documents and meet health-insurance requirements; Exclusion: Late arrival or partial attendance was not allowed; Exclusion: International applicants could not choose commuter status; Exclusion: Admission to the summer program does not constitute or guarantee USC undergraduate admission | Ages 16–18; Residency: Residential and virtual tracks accepted qualifying domestic and international students in 2026; Residency: Commuter applicants generally had to reside in California, commute locally, and stay with an adult relative in the Bay Area; Residency: International applicants had track-specific English-language, insurance, and visa requirements; Requirement: Have completed grade 10 or 11 by the start of summer classes under 2026 rules; Requirement: Hold at least a B average or 3.0 GPA; Requirement: Be age 16 by the applicable 2026 start date; Requirement: Meet course prerequisites and select courses available to high-school students; Requirement: Meet English-language requirements when applicable; Requirement: Meet housing, health-insurance, immigration, and track-specific location rules; Exclusion: Students under 16 by the applicable start date were not eligible in 2026; Exclusion: Students over 18 before summer classes were directed to the visiting-student application rather than Pre-College Scholars; Exclusion: Residential students could not take online courses and had to live in assigned housing; Exclusion: Commuter students could not use non-family homestays, co-ops, Airbnb, or program housing; Exclusion: Course availability and prerequisites are controlled by academic departments | Requirement: Current grade 9–11 during the application year; Requirement: Competitive applicants generally have at least a 3.5 high-school GPA; Requirement: Some academies require specific prior coursework and a syllabus; Requirement: International applicants meet English-proficiency requirements or qualify for a waiver; Exclusion: The academies are non-credit; do not confuse them with Penn's credit-bearing Pre-College programs; Exclusion: Scholarships are limited to eligible Philadelphia public/charter students; Exclusion: Admission to a summer academy is not admission to Penn |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 6–8 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts July 11, 2026; Ends August 1, 2026; 2–3 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person / Online | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Los Angeles, California | Berkeley, California | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania campus |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Rolling admission based on academic preparation, essay, recommendation, transcript, and course capacity; popular classes can fill early. Application materials: Applicant-written 300-500 word essay; One online recommendation from a teacher, counselor, or mentor | Selection: Complete applications were reviewed on a rolling basis, with course enrollment subject to capacity, prerequisites, and academic-department discretion. The program does not publish a current acceptance rate. | Selection: Rolling holistic admission until individual academies fill; Penn publishes no acceptance rate. Application materials: Three numbered essays, each no more than 400 words; One program-specific recommendation on organizational/institutional letterhead |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-21 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-21Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22 |
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