Summer@Brown is Brown University's pre-college program, offering students in grades 9–12 the chance to experience Ivy League academics on Brown's campus in Providence, Rhode Island (or online). With more than 230 courses drawn from Brown's Open Curriculum, students can choose from a wide range of subject areas regardless of prior background.
Program formats and 2026 costs: | Format | Length | Residential | Commuter/Online | |---|---|---|---| | On-campus | 1 week | $3,748 | $3,096 | | On-campus | 2 weeks | $5,786 | $4,482 | | On-campus | 3 weeks | $8,372 | $6,416 | | Hybrid (2 wks online + 3 wks on-campus) | 5 weeks | $10,858 | $8,902 | | Online | 2 weeks | — | $3,364 | | Online | 3 weeks | — | $4,656 | | Online | 4 weeks | — | $5,554 | | Online | 6 weeks | — | $6,520 |
Academic areas:
- Biological & Natural Sciences
- Business, Economics & Legal Studies
- Course-Based Research Experiences (CREs)
- Engineering & Technology
- Literature, Writing & Communications
- Medical & Health Sciences
- Physical Sciences & Math
- Political Science, Philosophy & History
- Psychology & Social Sciences
- Visual, Creative & Performing Arts
What makes Summer@Brown distinctive:
- No formal grades — students receive a Digital Certificate of Completion; 2-week+ courses also receive a Course Performance Report
- Brown's Open Curriculum philosophy: students choose any course from the full catalog regardless of background
- Daily schedule includes 3 hours of class + 2–3 hours of independent study, plus workshops, activities, and events morning to night
- Students learn time management and independence in a setting that mirrors first-year college life
Financial aid:
- Sibley Scholarships — need-based awards available to qualified admitted students who are US citizens, dual citizens, permanent residents, refugees/asylees, DACA recipients, or undocumented full-time US residents (international students are not eligible), awarded on a first-applied, first-awarded basis until funds are exhausted; apply for aid as soon as the admission application is submitted, since funds can run out before the scholarship's own annual deadline
- Additional employee-dependent scholarships available for Brown University staff families
Annual timeline: | Milestone | Date | |---|---| | Sibley Scholarship | Apply as soon as admitted — first-applied, first-awarded until funds exhausted | | Application deadline | May 15, 2026 (final decisions by May 22, 2026) | | Program begins | June 15, 2026 | | Program ends | July 24, 2026 |