High school program

The dates for the 2026 summer program are 13 July – 25 July 2026. We hope to see you on the beautiful Cornell campus.

Program highlights

Pre-college programs boost college readiness by building academic and personal skills. Through our interactive courses in economics, big data and business analytics, academic seminars, discussion-based activities and interactions with Cornell faculty and students, current high school students have the unique opportunity to experience the Ivy League academic environment.

  • Graded end-of-program exam
  • Courses and academic seminars by elite faculty and researchers. Review the main summer programs page for a list of this year’s instructors and guest speakers.
  • Business analysis team competition (certificates awarded to top teams)
  • Business pitch competition (certificates awarded to top teams)
  • Information session on Cornell undergraduate admissions
  • Academic consultations with Cornell faculty, staff and students
  • Visitation to places of interest (residence campers only), including Niagara Falls, Cornell’s Johnson Museum of Art, Botanic Gardens, Fall Creek’s Gorge, etc.
  • Certificate issued upon satisfactory completion of the program
Headshot of Vincent Huang.

“This program has…reshaped my perspective on what college life truly means. The teachers took the time to (share) insights into their respective fields. I learned how to express myself more and to be more comfortable in an uncomfortable environment.”

Vincent Huang

Headshot of Shirley Li.

“I really liked interacting with all the students, and the professors really made class fun and informative.”

Shirley Li

Headshot of Rayan Almony.

“I had a really good time! All the classes were really fun and engaging; as a result, I learned a lot. Overall, I had a very positive experience.”

Rayan Almony

Foundation courses: Building knowledge and skills

Students will gain a strong foundation in economics, global strategy and business tools. All students will take two courses and an elective course (chosen during application).

Elective offerings may change based on enrollment. Students may not change their option after the program has started.

Business competitions: From theory to practice

Students will step into real-world roles by engaging in two exciting experiential learning challenges.

Program fee

The program fee ($5,700) includes meals and accommodation, class materials, entrance fees to places of interest and transportation fees for CICER-organized events. The fee does not include your costs for traveling to participate in the program. To make your arrival and departure easier, we offer an optional charter bus service between JFK Airport (in New York City) and Cornell’s Ithaca campus, which is about 4.5 hour’s drive away. The cost is $60 each way; seats are limited. This service is offered as a courtesy for travel convenience, but families are welcome to make their own travel arrangements.

For students who currently reside in Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Cortland, Onondaga, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins or Yates County and live within a reasonable daily commute to Cornell University, we offer a reduced commuter rate of $1,300. Students report to the camp for lectures and other program activities and then go home each day. Daily lunch will be provided.

The program fee is non-refundable, except in exceptional cases such as visa denial or a medical emergency. In such cases students must provide proper documentation by emailing the refund request to cicer@cornell.edu.