Carnegie Mellon University Summer Program For High School Students

Last Updated on December 20, 2022

The Pre-College Summer Session provides high school students with the unique opportunity to take summer courses offered by Carnegie Mellon for credit.

Students earn college credit while working in an academic setting that mirrors the supportive, rigorous environment of the first year of college. Every summer, Summer Session offers approximately thirty courses from academic disciplines across the university, including in science, humanities, social science, engineering, computer science, and technology applied to the arts. Successful Summer Session students leverage their experiences to demonstrate their ability to succeed in college. Upon successful completion of a course, they receive college credit at Carnegie Mellon, which is transferable to other institutions that accept CMU college courses for credit.

Please note that admittance into the Pre-College Summer Session does not guarantee admittance to Carnegie Mellon within the Undergraduate Admission process.

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Curriculum Overview

The Summer Session curriculum is comprised of undergraduate-level Carnegie Mellon courses. The courses are the same ones taken during the fall and spring by Carnegie Mellon students, usually in their first year or as sophomores. Students will receive the same rigorous, college-level work as an undergraduate student studying at Carnegie Mellon. All of the Summer Session instructors are vetted by their respective academic departments, and the majority of them are Carnegie Mellon professors who teach these courses during the academic year. 

Students request their courses after admission to the program, as part of the enrollment process. Students living on campus must remain enrolled in two courses throughout the entire summer. Students living at home (who must have a permanent local address) may enroll in one or two courses. Two courses completed in six weeks is as academically demanding as a full-time undergraduate course schedule.

The 2022 Summer Session course listing will be available late February / early March. As a point of reference, please view our 2021 Summer Session course list.*

*Note: all Summer Session courses for the 2022 Pre-College Program will be held in-person without an online option.

Program Options: 
6-week*Residential OR Commuter** *For specific program dates see, the home page.**In order to be eligible as a commuter student, the parent or legal guardian must have a permanent residence within approximately 30 miles of campus or within Allegheny County. Families who relocate temporarily to the Pittsburgh area are not eligible for commuter status. There are no exceptions to this policy.

Carnegie Mellon Summer Program Computer Science

The Computer Science Scholars (CSS) program provides students who have historically been excluded in the field of computer science an opportunity to explore the field of computer science with full-time faculty, staff and researchers who are leaders in the field.  


As Computer Science Scholars, students will take a deep dive into the field of Computer Science through a combination of classroom instruction, hands-on research projects, seminars, and industry engagement with leading tech companies in the country. In addition to their academic experiences, students will have the opportunity to develop meaningful connections with peers and mentors and establish a life-long love for computer science.

Academic Information:

Carnegie Mellon’s Computer Science Scholars program gives rising high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to learn the foundations of computer programming from world renowned CMU faculty and staff. Students will learn the core elements of programming and problem solving in Python. This will include algorithmic components (variables, functions, conditionals, and loops), basic data structures (lists and dictionaries), and problem-solving techniques (algorithmic thinking, top-down design, testing, and debugging). By the end of the program, students will be able to code an interactive application in the Python programming language. Students will attend academic seminars focused on the math and computational skills necessary for computer programming. They will also participate in hands-on projects in which they can apply their classroom learning to real-world challenges that leverage computer science for good. 

In addition, students will engage with industry leaders to learn about the vast and exciting opportunities in the field of computer science. At the conclusion of the program, students will receive a comprehensive evaluation which can be integrated into their academic portfolios as supplemental material for college admission purposes. 

The 2022 summer program is a four-week residential experience on the Carnegie Mellon campus in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Students should be available to participate for the full length of the four-week program dates. You will need to use a computer during this program. If you do not have your own, please contact us and we will make arrangements to provide one to you for the duration of the program. For specific questions related to the program dates, curriculum, or student experience, please email Natalie Hatcher.

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