Applying to Summer College for High School Students

The application for residential summer opportunities will open on December 1st, 2025. Apply by February 1st, 2026, for priority consideration!

Purdue's Summer College for High School Students has rapidly expanded from 79 students participating in one-week courses in Summer 2019 to more than 1,000 available spots for students in 31 different program options available in Summer 2026 - a percent increase of over 1000%!

To be considered for one of our 31 opportunities that will be available for Summer 2025, you must submit an application. Read below for what to expect during the application process!

Eligibility Criteria: 

• Decisions are made based on a holistic review process, and admission is competitive. All applications are reviewed. However, priority consideration is given to students who:
  • Have a high school GPA of 3.30 or higher on a 4.00 scale.
  • Have completed grade-level-appropriate college prep coursework that is included on the transcript.
  • Will be at least 16 years old and have completed the sophomore year of high school by the time Purdue coursework begins. Younger students may apply.
    • Please note: Due to youth protection guidelines, for residential experiences, students must be under the age of 18 for the duration of their residential experience. If your student will turn 18 before August 5th, 2026, please check their birthdate with the program dates you are applying to. Students who are 18 are welcome to apply to online courses through Purdue. 
• Students may enroll in a maximum of seven credit hours per academic term.
• International students must already possess a visa that allows study in the U.S. to complete residential classes. Purdue will not provide any documentation for visa applications for the high school residential programs. 
• Proof of English proficiency for citizens of non-English speaking countries.

Application Checklist:

Find the application at the bottom of the Purdue Admissions page. The application is labelled "Summer College for High School Students". A completed application for Summer College for High School Students includes:

• • General information, which includes biographic, demographic, and school information as well as your parent and guardian information.
  • Essay prompt: How would you benefit from completing summer courses at Purdue University? This essay is recommended to be about 3 paragraphs. 
  • A high school transcript with a list of completed classes and grades by semester or term
    • Please note: A report card is not sufficient for this step. All semesters with grades and a cumulative GPA must be present to be considered. If your school does not do traditional grading or GPA, please submit your transcript and explain the gradings in the supplementary section of your application. 
  • Select up to 3 short-term courses to list on the application. 
    • Only 1 course request is required to submit the application; however, selecting 3 is recommended to increase your chances of getting accepted into a program. You will be considered for your courses in the order you list them, so listing 3 does not make it any less likely that you will get into your first-choice course. Please note that for courses with two sessions, both are the same course, just different weeks. You can list session 1 and sessions 2 as your first and second (or second and third) choice. 
  • For international applicants, you must already possess a visa that allows study in the U.S. to complete residential classes and must provide proof of English proficiency for citizens of non-English speaking countries.
  • Ensure that you answer all questions to the best of your knowledge, as mistakes can result in additional charges that cannot be removed or changed.
    • Please verify your residency status here to determine if you may qualify for Indiana residency. If you have questions about your residency classification, please contact residency@purdue.edu. Please note that living in Indiana does not automatically mean you qualify for in-state tuition rates. There may not be enough time after being admitted to change your residency status, so please ensure you complete the application with the correct information. 
  • $60 non-refundable application fee. The application fee covers the cost of application processing.

PLEASE NOTE: Your application cannot be edited after submitting. The only update that can be made is attaching an updated transcript to your application portal. Course selections cannot be changed after submitting your applications. So please review your application carefully.