The Office of Summer and Pre-College Programs offers four programs: Pre-College Workshops (2 weeks, non-credit), Summer Institutes and Intensives (2 weeks, non-credit), Summer Academy (4 weeks, earn college credit), and Pre-College Study Abroad: Rome (2 weeks, non-credit). Other parts of Temple University offer pre-college programs as well, including during the school year. View the full list. 

Most programs are open to students who will enter grades 10, 11, or 12 in the fall. Summer Academy offers college credit and is therefore only open to students entering grades 11 or 12 in the fall. If you will graduate from high school in spring/summer of the current school year and want to know what your options are for getting a head start on college, please contact precollege@temple.edu. 

All programs will generally keep you busy throughout the day from Monday through Friday, including breaks. Schedules may vary and are published on each program's page. Most programs begin at 10 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. The Pre-College Workshops program has a half-day option.

Our Pre-College programs are a mix of interactive class sessions with your instructors, as well as time to work at your own pace on a group or individual project. Depending on your course or workshop, there will also be opportunities to go on field trips, talk with guest speakers, or participate in lab experiences. In addition, you will be invited to participate in regularly scheduled social activities on evenings and weekends. Schedules will be provided in advance so you can choose activities that appeal to you. Learn more about a typical day in our programs.

Generally, no more than 22 students will be enrolled in a single workshop or course, but some workshops may have as few as seven or eight students enrolled. We want you to be in a small environment where you'll have plenty of opportunities to interact with other students and your instructor.

All Pre-College programs for 2025 will take place in person on Temple University's Main Campus. There are opportunities to take college courses online as an individual student that is not part of a cohorted Pre-College program. If you are interested in this option, please reach out to precollege@temple.edu.

Evening and weekend activities will be hosted on and off campus several times a week. These activities are optional, but are great opportunities to meet other students outside of class. You can expect activities like community service events, game nights, yoga nights, scavenger hunts, movie nights, field trips to various sites around Philadelphia, and more. When you apply to a pre-college program, you can also share with us the kinds of social activities you'd like to participate in. Non-residential students are also welcome to participate in evening and weekend activities.

Costs vary depending on which program you choose to attend and whether you live on campus or not. A full list of costs is available here.

Throughout your program, you will be guided by a dedicated staff of Temple undergraduate students who will serve as Pre-college Mentors (PCMs). In addition to your instructors, these PCMs will be there to help facilitate your experience in the classroom, brainstorm how to successfully complete your projects, and just generally be there to answer your questions. They'll also be the ones running the evening/weekend activities.

Applications for most programs are due by February 14, 2025 (early deadline) and by March 14, 2025 (regular deadline). You will be notified no later than two weeks after the deadline whether or not you are accepted, and will be given instructions at that time on how to claim your space in your program. We recommend applying early for the best chance to get the courses or workshops you want. Please be sure to review all important dates and deadlines.

Most programs require an application to allow Temple to learn more about you and your interests. Summer Academy is more academically competitive and selective than the other three programs. There are no application fees for any Pre-College program.

Limited need-based financial aid is available! You can choose to be considered for financial aid when you apply by providing some additional information about you and your family on the application. Visit our Financial Aid & Scholarships page to learn more.

Yes. At the time of acceptance, you must hold your space in your program with a 10% deposit, but you can pay the remaining balance in any installments that work for you and your family. All program fees must be paid in full by June 13, 2025.

Yes! You can choose to live on campus for the duration of your program (or for part of your program, if you are enrolled for four weeks). You will live in university housing typically open to first-year students (but designated as minors-only for the summer) with your peers and Pre-College staff.

No. Living on campus is an optional part of the Pre-College experience, but approximately 50% of our Pre-College students have historically been day students who commute back and forth from campus each day. Temple University's Main Campus is easily accessible by car, bus, subway, and train. 

Pre-College students live in a traditional co-ed residence hall. This means that you will share a bedroom with another student of the same gender identity. Students on the same floor share a communal bathroom for students of the same gender, which has stall toilets and showers.  Each student gets a twin XL bed, desk, wardrobe and/or a closet. Floors are organized according to gender identity, with girls towards one side of the building and boys towards the other.

Roommates will be paired based on gender identity, and on the results of a roommate preference survey, which will be sent to all students in the spring. We regret that we cannot accommodate roommate requests in advance.

If you need accommodations for housing due to a disability, medical need, gender identity, need for a service animal, or any other reason, please contact precollege@temple.edu as soon as possible. 

Check back in the spring for a full list of what to bring/not bring. Students commonly forget to bring a bedding, pillows, towels, laundry detergent, trashcan, hangers, cleaning supplies, plates, and eating utensils. The packing list will be published on the Next Steps page in the spring.

Yes. Pre-College housing has a 1:10 ratio of staff to students. Pre-college mentors (PCMs) and a resident manager will live in the residence hall with students. There will be an on-call staff member available 24/7 to assist students in off hours, and the building is monitored 24/7 by security staff posted at the front desk.

Temple University has dozens of eating options on campus that are accessible for our students to utilize, including dining halls, quick-service restaurants, food trucks, and more. The program fee, which all students pay, includes lunch. The housing fee, for residential students only, includes breakfast, dinner, and snacks. 

Only residence hall staff, Pre-College staff, and enrolled students are able to enter the residence halls. Doors will not unlock for anyone without an OWLcard to access the residence hall. Security guards are at the entrance of the building 24/7 to ensure everyone scans their OWLcard at the entrance. 

Guests, including parents, are not permitted in the residence halls except in the lobby area during move-in and move-out. This is in accordance with Temple's policies for the safety of minors on campus.

Temple University no longer requires COVID-19 vaccination for students, faculty, or staff. Temple strongly recommends that students, faculty and staff stay current on all age-appropriate vaccinations, including for COVID-19, as vaccination continues to prevent severe disease. For more information about Temple's response to COVID-19, please visit https://www.temple.edu/coronavirus. 

The safety and wellbeing of students is important at Temple. Students will have access to around-the-clock campus and housing security, the Temple University police, and an alert system to notify students of potential emergencies. Temple Pre-College also prioritizes student safety through the use of buddy systems, curfews, and 24/7 supervision. Learn more about Temple's campus safety measures.

In addition to general campus safety policies for all Temple students, pre-college students are also subject to the following additional safety policies and procedures:

• Dorm Access – The residence hall is limited to minors only. A security guard is posted in the lobby 24/7. The only people able to swipe into the building are residents and specific Temple staff. No guests allowed.

• Check-Ins – Your PCM will text you several times throughout the day.

• Buddy System – You must have a buddy while exploring campus!

• Curfew – Report back to your residence hall by curfew.

• Campus Boundaries – All campus activities and exploration happens within specific boundaries. You’ll get a campus tour on the first day.

• Leaving Campus – You are not allowed to leave campus without a pre-college mentor or without being signed out by a parent or guardian.

• On-Call PCMs – A PCM is on-call 24/7 for any student concerns.

Pre-College is designed for you to learn what college is and what it means to be a college student in a safe way. You will be given the freedom to learn skills for college life under the supervision of Pre-College staff. You will get to explore campus with other students using a buddy system and set campus boundaries, and when you travel off-campus to explore the city of Philadelphia, you will always be with at least one Pre-College Mentor (PCM). Leaving campus without an adult is not permitted.