High school program
Program at a glance
Explore the details of the 2027 program, including dates, location, course offerings, residential and commuter options and additional academic and extracurricular experiences. Designed for current high school students, the program offers a firsthand look at business education at Cornell.
Applications for summer 2027 open in November.
Dates:
July 12–24, 2027
Location:
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Format:
Residential (on-campus housing) or commuter
Who can apply:
Current high school students
Courses:
Economics, Global Strategy & Sustainable Business (required) plus one elective: Big Data & Business Analytics, or Behavioral & Environmental Economics
Also included:
Faculty research seminars (AI in business, real estate, finance), business analysis simulation, business pitch competition, Cornell admissions information session, trip to Niagara Falls (residential students)
Program highlights
Students take real Cornell courses with Cornell SC Johnson College of Business faculty and researchers, the same people who teach Cornell students. Additional faculty seminars take students to the frontier of current research, from AI in business to real estate and finance. Learning is hands-on and in teams, with real decisions and real judges. For two weeks, students live as Cornell students, not visitors.
- Graded end-of-program exam
- Courses and academic seminars taught by Cornell faculty and researchers. See the main summer programs page for faculty who have taught in the program.
- 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
In their words
Students from recent Summer Programs in Business and Economics.
This program has reshaped my perspective on what college life truly means. I learned how to express myself more and to be more comfortable in an uncomfortable environment.
— Vincent H., Oklahoma
I really liked interacting with the students, and the professors really made class fun and informative.
—Shirley L., Hong Kong
I couldn’t have asked for a better two weeks! I’ve grown not only as a student, but also as a global citizen!
— Adam S., New York
I had a great time meeting many new people. I hope that one day I meet all you guys again and that I can one day call Cornell my home.
— Vivaan D., Singapore
I had such a great time here! I made a lot of new friends and learned so much. I feel more well equipped for my future business classes.
— Juliet O., Pennsylvania
This was a great, informative experience. The counselors and professors were always willing to share their insights and advice.
— Utsaah P., United Arab Emirates
My experience in this summer program was amazing! I gained so much valuable insight and knowledge about not only economics but also the experience of college students.
— Lauren S., California
I really enjoyed this program! The courses were fun, people were welcoming and supportive.
— Kelly N., Canada
Foundation courses: Building knowledge and skills
All students take one required course and one elective (chosen during application).
Course offerings are tentative and may change depending on faculty availability. Students may not change their elective 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.
A day in the life
Classes in the morning, team work in the afternoon and campus life in the evening.
8:00
Breakfast
9:30
Morning class
12:30
Lunch
2:00
Team work: business simulation
6:00
Dinner
7:30
Sports and campus walks
Weekend
Trip to Niagara Falls
Week two: elective course and pitch competition
Program fee
The program fee ($5,850) includes meals and accommodation, class materials, entrance fees to places of interest and transportation fees for program-organized events. The fee does not include your costs for traveling to participate in the program.
Students who live within daily commuting distance of Ithaca may attend as commuters at a reduced rate of $1,300. Commuter students join all lectures and program activities and return home each evening; lunch is 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 scjohnson-summerprogram@cornell.edu.