Pre-Collegiate Program

The Pre-Collegiate Program is a commuter program and designed for students who live in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Domestic students who live outside of the Bay Area may apply to Summer Sessions through our partner agency, Education Unlimited, which offers a residential program and course options through the same list of lower division, undergraduate Summer Sessions courses.

 

Visiting international students who live outside the United States may participate in Berkeley Summer Sessions through the following residential programs offered by our partner agencies Education Unlimited, Sesame Consulting, or UC Berkeley Extension:

Education Unlimited
Summer Focus at Berkeley through Education Unlimited offers a residential program and course options through the same list of lower division, undergraduate Summer Sessions courses.

Sesame Consulting
The International Pre-Collegiate through Sesame Consulting offers students the opportunity to earn College credits and join the community of high school students coming from all over the world to enjoy a summer at UC Berkeley and the San Francisco Bay Area.

UC Berkeley Extension College Foundations Program
Study abroad with UC Berkeley Extension’s College Foundations Program! Join other qualified international high school students for an introduction to university life, including college-level coursework and personal university admissions advising.

 

Local students who live in the Bay Area may apply to the Pre-Collegiate Program using the online application if they meet all of the following requirements:

1. Currently reside in the state of California
2. Have completed the 10th or 11th grade by the start of summer classes
3. Have an overall B average (3.0, weighted or unweighted) in all of their high school course work
4. Must be 16 years of age by June 19, 2017

If a student will have graduated from high school before the start of summer classes, they can attend Berkeley Summer Sessions as a visiting student; such students are NOT limited by either the eligibility requirements or course choices set for Pre-Collegiate students.

 

Application Components

Your application needs to include:

1. A completed online Pre-Collegiate form
2. An official or unofficial transcript that includes all grades earned from 9th grade through the fall semester preceding your application (Report cards are not acceptable)
3. A letter of interest, written by the student (See Application Process for more details)
4. A Release of Authorization for Medical Treatment
5. Full payment of fees at the time of application

 

The Pre-Collegiate Program is a commuter program and designed for students who live in the San Francisco Bay Area, so housing is not provided by UC Berkeley. It is not a residential program, thus students are required to find their own housing. Summer Sessions neither provides nor finds housing for students who are enrolled in the program.

 

Pre-Collegiate Program participants enroll in college-level courses offered in Session C (eight weeks: June 19 - August 11) and Session D (six weeks: July 3 - August 11). Pre-Collegiate students enroll in courses in which the majority of their classmates will be UC Berkeley students and visiting students from institutions around the United States and world. There are no courses designated specifically for high school students.

Typically, high school students take courses that are numbered between 1 and 99 (undergraduate, lower division), provided that academic departments deem the course available to high school students and students have met all course prerequisites. Because a Summer Sessions course is an accelerated version of a 16-week semester course, we advise that students take no more than two courses.

Some courses numbered between 1 and 99 are not available to Pre-Collegiate students. Academic departments have oversight regarding course availability to high school students. It is the your responsibility to make sure that the course is available for high school students. If you have any questions about pre-requisite verification and/or course availability, please contact the academic department directly. 

When choosing a course:

• Make sure the course is offered during Session C or D
• Make sure the course is numbered 1-99
• Check the course description and make sure the course/s you have chosen are open to you.
• Check course prerequisites to be sure that you have met the requirements listed. These can be found in the catalog description of the course. The Course Description link appears next to the title of the course in the schedule of classes.

Courses are offered for College credit but may not meet any high school unit or course requirements. Specific questions should be directed to the college/career counselor at your high school.

Once you have been accepted into the Pre-Collegiate Program and enrolled in your courses, go to the Cal Student Store and follow the appropriate links for the summer session and courses in which you are enrolled. There you can access a list of both required and recommended books for your class/es.

 

Tuition is based on the number of units you are taking. Visiting high school students pay $520 per unit with classes ranging from one to five units. Visiting student tuition applies to all students who are not currently enrolled in a degree program at a University of California campus. This includes all other US college students, international students, and high school students.

In addition, all visiting students are charged a registration fee of $380 and a document management fee of $55.

Pre-Collegiate tuition and fees must be paid within seven calendar days after enrollment or you may be dropped from your class(es). CalCentral includes a payment section, which will show the total of tuition (based on the courses for which you have applied) and program fees, if applicable, the registration fee, and the document management fee. This section also contains a section on payment details, including all necessary credit card information. Most major credit cards are accepted for payment. All charges must be paid at the time of enrollment.

For more information about fees and the Summer Sessions refund policy please go to our Fees and Refund Policy pages.

Fees are subject to change. Fees do NOT include housing. The Pre-Collegiate rogram does not have a residential component; there is no special supervision or programming in the residence halls for high school students.

Financial aid is only available for matriculating Berkeley students, thus Pre-Collegiate students are not eligible.

 

In addition to taking Berkeley Summer courses, Pre-Collegiate students have the opportunity to participate in various co-curricular activities. These optional activities allow students to get to know others in the Pre-Collegiate Program, as well as the Berkeley campus.

Dates, times, and locations are TBA.

Pre-Collegiate Activities

Pre-collegiate Orientation This is the only mandatory event for all Pre-Collegiate Program participants. Come and meet other students, the Summer Sessions staff, and learn what Berkeley has to offer. You will hear detailed information about the Pre-Collegiate Program, be able to ask questions of past Program participants, and learn what you can expect from your summer at Berkeley. A guided tour of campus will follow. Welcome Lunch Now that you've gotten an idea of what to expect for the summer, come hang out with other students from your program and have a free lunch, compliments of the Summer Sessions staff. Prepping for and Writing College Applications Completing college applications can be a very stressful process. Come get tips and practical advice about the best way to go about this process, including how to write the all-important personal statement, from an experienced representative from Berkeley's Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Treasures of UC Berkeley: Library Online The library is probably the most important resource on campus, yet most people don't know how to use it properly and aren't aware of its many hidden treasures. Take advantage of the resources right in front of you! Find out about much of what the Berkeley library has to offer and how to take advantage of it. Choosing a College That Best Suits You Don't know where you want to go to college? Do you know the resources available for making such an important decision? Come get tips and ideas on the best ways to pick a college that works best for you and your needs.

 

 

Complete the following steps to apply for the Pre-Collegiate Program:

1. Complete the online application Gather all of the following information before you begin:
   • Basic biographical and contact information
   • Emergency contact information
   • Course control number/s for the chosen course(s)



2. Upload 200-500 word letter of interest (must be a PDF). The letter for the Pre-Collegiate Program should answer the following questions:
   • What in your academic background (AP classes, test results, classroom participation, study habits, etc.) prepares you to participate in this program?
   • How will you benefit from this program (i.e. How will it prepare you for future courses, career plans, leadership opportunities, etc.)?
   • Please tell us about a facet of your personality that helps you move through your academic life.



3. Upload a copy of your most recent high school transcript, showing all high school work through Fall 2016 (must be a PDF). Report cards are not acceptable.



4. Upload a signed Waiver of Liability form (must be a PDF).



5. Pay all tuition and fees. Tuition and fees must be paid in full with credit card only (Summer Sessions accepts most major credit cards).

Applications are not considered complete until all required materials are submitted and all tuition and fees are paid.

Once your application has been processed, you will receive an e-mail with instructions for setting up your CalNet ID and passphrase. Please check your spam folder if you do not receive the email within a day of submitting your application.

Once you have created your CalNet ID and passphrase, you will be able to log in to the Cal Central system and enroll in courses, pay your fees, and access information about UC Berkeley.