Summer pre-college programs are a great way for aspiring architects and designers to build a portfolio and get some hands-on experience before applying to college. Pre-college programs also offer a taste of college life and independence—you can live away from home and meet students from all over the world.
Many of these programs are offered online or in-person; you can choose to work from home or live on campus. Remember that the pandemic can change even the best-prepared plans though—these programs could all become online-only if Covid cases rise again.
Applications vary widely across the different programs, but most will ask you for a personal statement or sample of your work, a copy of your transcripts, and a letter of recommendation from a teacher. Many of these programs are designed for rising juniors and seniors, but some are open to all high schoolers.
Let’s look at the top-ten programs offered for summer 2022.
CMU Precollege Architecture
Location: Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Overview: Carnegie-Mellon University offers both four and six-week architecture programs for high school students. Attendees will focus on architecture fundamentals during the beginning of the course, and then switch to hands-on design practice in the back-half of the course. The course will be offered in-person this summer, but CMU has advised that they may change it to online if the pandemic worsens.
Age: Juniors and Seniors, 16+
Application Deadline: March 16th, 2022.
Dates: Varies, four- or six-week options available
Tuition: $8,644.00 (four week) or $9,950.00 (six week)
Cornell Precollege Studies Architecture Program
Location: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Overview: Cornell’s Precollege Studies features an Architecture program that combines lectures focused on architectural theory and history and a design studio program where students can develop a portfolio. Cornell will be hosting the program in-person and on-campus, but also offers online courses through the precollege program.
Age: Juniors and Seniors, 16+
Application Deadline: May 6, 2022.
Dates: June 18th-July 30th, 2022
Tuition: $14,550
Fallingwater Virtual Summer Camp
Location: Online
Overview: The Fallingwater Institute offers a two separate week-long online summer program focused on Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture and design philosophy. Students attend virtual sessions where they learn about architectural theory and history, and work to create a portfolio of their own. The program is open to high schoolers of all ages.
Age: All high school students
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates: June 20th – June 24th and July 18th – July 22nd, 2022
Tuition: $250 per course
Fallingwater High School Residencies
Location: Mill Run, PA
Overview: The Fallingwater Institute also offers multiple week-long summer residencies that offer high-school students the opportunity to examine Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture in person. The residencies offered focus on various aspects of architecture and design, and allow students to build portfolios or study theory.
Age: All high school students
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates: Three week-long sessions
Tuition: $1,200 per session
Drexel Discovering Architecture
Location: Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
Overview: Drexel University’s Westphal College of Architecture offers a two-week immersive architecture program for summer learners. The program features lectures on theory from prominent architecture professors, and a design-oriented studio component where students are able to develop a portfolio.
Age: Rising Seniors, 16+
Application Deadline: May 1st
Dates: July 10th – July 23rd, 2022
Tuition: $3,450
Columbia Summer Immersion Program
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Overview: Columbia University’s Summer Immersion Program offers two three-week courses that focus on architecture and urban planning. Students can choose between Introduction to Architectural Design and Theory and New York Experienced: An Urban Case Study. Students can also choose to stay for six weeks and take both courses. Columbia offers these two courses in-person, but there are other courses tangential to architecture that they offer online.
Age: All HS Students
Application Deadline: March 3rd, 2022
Dates: Various dates depending on course selection.
Tuition: $12,449.00 per course
Harvard Summer School
Location: Cambridge, MA, Online
Overview: Harvard’s Summer School offers full-summer courses and shorter intensive programs that focus on architecture and art history. The six-week course The Architecture of Boston is probably the best fit for aspiring architects. The course details the history and practice of architecture by exploring and studying various buildings in and around the city. This course is offered in-person, but other courses are also available online.
Age: 16 or older by June 18th, 2022
Application Deadline: March 2nd, 2022 (regular decision), May 11th, 2022 (Late Decision)
Dates: June 18th-August 6th, 2022
Tuition: $13,200
Yale Summer Sessions
Location: New Haven, CT, Online
Overview: Yale’s Summer Sessions feature a couple of courses that focus on the history and theory of architecture. Students can choose between options such as Classical Architecture (in-person) and Post-Colonial Modern Architecture in South Asia (online). Yale’s program is probably best for students who aren’t looking for time in the studio—none of their architecture courses have a design component.
Age: Seniors
Application Deadline: April 30th, 2022 (Session A), June 3rd, 2022 (Session B)
Dates: May 30th-July 1st, 2022 (Session A), July 4th-August 5th, 2022 (Session B)
Tuition: $4,650 (1 credit), $3,630 (residential fee)
UChicago Summer Immersion Programs
Location: Chicago, IL, Online
Overview: UChicago offers a number of online and in-person courses that examine art history and architecture. UChicago’s program is open to high school juniors and seniors, and it’s probably a better fit for students who aren’t looking for studio time—their architecture courses aren’t focused on practice.
Age: Juniors and Seniors
Application Deadline: March 9th, 2022 (regular decision), April 7th, 2022 (Extended Decision), May 1st (Rolling)
Dates: July 5th-July 22nd, 2022
Tuition: $4,500
Advanced Studies Programme at Brasenose College, Oxford
Location: Oxford, United Kingdom
Overview: Campus Oxford’s Advanced Studies Program allows students to study the theory, history, and practice of architecture at one of the oldest universities in the world. Architecture students will also get the opportunity to visit various historical buildings in the U.K. over a number of excursions and site-visits. Students will visit and explore sites like Blenheim Palace, Ely Cathedral, and Warwick Castle.
Age: 16-18
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates: June 5th - August 16th, 2022
Tuition: $3,030 per week
If you’re hoping to attend one of these programs, the best time to start applying is now. Many of the deadlines are approaching, and you’ll want to notify a teacher as soon as possible to get your letter of recommendation. Depending on your intended program, you may also want to create a basic portfolio—some of the schools will ask to see samples of your work.
Remember that summer programs aren’t the only way to demonstrate an interest in architecture—you can always reach out to local firms and see if you can get an internship or summer job in the field.
If you have any further questions, or if you’d like to discuss your upcoming summer plans, feel free to reach out to us here.