Summer Springboard invites ambitious high school students to join us for a two-week SUMMER program IN San Diego, HOSTED on the campus of UCSD.

Students will dive deep into a specific subject area with creative, dynamic instructors, engaging professors and professional experts.

The University of California, San Diego, one of the world’s leading public research universities, is located on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. UC San Diego’s schools of Medicine and Engineering are among the most highly ranked in the nation. Come explore the university’s aquarium and beautiful beaches.

We’ll also soak up the summer sunshine of San Diego with numerous outdoor activities. We’ll step off-campus to explore a variety of what “America’s Finest City” has to offer! That includes excursions to Little Italy, Belmont Park, Seaport Village, and the world-famous San Diego Zoo.

No matter whether you’re local to the city or elsewhere in Southern California, or San Diego is far away from where you live, you’ll experience the city through the eyes of a college student for the first time, even though you’re still in high school!

Choose from one of these sessions to attend at the UCSD campus this summer for high schoolers:

Session 1:
June 29, 2025 – July 11, 2025

Session 2:
July 13, 2025 – July 25, 2025

Session 3:
July 27, 2025 – August 08, 2025

Choose from one of these sessions to attend at the UCSD campus this summer for middle schoolers:

Session 1:
July 06, 2025 – July 11, 2025

Session 2:
July 13, 2025 – July 18, 2025


OUR PROGRAM COURSES + ACADEMIC TRACKS

At the heart of your Summer Springboard program is the academic track you choose. Depending on your field of interest, you will take a course, led by an expert instructor, that is designed to give you a taste of the real-world college experience at a competitive university.

Each course is designed by educators and real world experts to allow high school students to quickly grasp core concepts in an easy and enjoyable way.

You can choose from these Academic Tracks when you attend our program on the campus of the UC San Diego this summer:

• Business & Law
• Engineering & Science
• Media & Design
• Medicine & Healthcare

You can choose from these Courses when you attend our program on the campus of the UC San Diego this summer:

• Biotechnology
• Business & Entrepreneurship
• Filmmaking & Drone Cinematography
• Emergency Medicine
• Fundamentals of Engineering
• Kinesiology & Physical Therapy
• Marine Biology
• Psychology & Neuroscience
• Spatial Computing


Why Choose SSB This Summer?

On a Summer Springboard pre-college academic program, teens are invited to explore a major and find a future career path, on elite university campuses in the United States and abroad.

We are proud to host our programs at some of the nation’s – and world’s – leading colleges and universities to offer students a rich taste of life on a major campus.

Each campus has been selected for our programs based on outstanding academic excellence and rigor, reputation for safety and comfort, and capacity to inspire students to reach their full potential. With an outstanding university as your home and real-world classroom for two weeks, you’ll experience a true taste of college student life.

Each instructor has been chosen for their expertise in their field of study, their academic achievement, and their exceptional ability to teach and connect with high-achieving, college-bound high school students. Whether you’re working with a professor from the university, a scientist who runs their own lab, or any other number of extremely qualified instructors, this is a learning experience not to be missed.

Summer Springboard hosts summer programs on the campuses of the following locations:


Yale University, Berkeley, UCLA, Georgetown University, UC San Diego, Cal Poly SLO, Duke University, Georgia Tech, University of Michigan, University of Washington, New York School of Interior Design, Oxford, Boston, Barnard College and Columbia University. More campus locations are also on their way!


THE SUMMER SPRINGBOARD EXPERIENCE

Hands-on Learning

Dive deep into our academic immersion courses taught by industry professionals. Imagine learning Law from someone who argued before the Supreme Court or writing under the guidance of a published author.

College Prep

Through campus visits and enrichment electives, we provide a deeper understanding of the college admissions process. Students also make new friends from across the United States and around the world and learn to live as a college student.

Career Exploration

Beyond theory, there will be excursions and guest speakers for students to hear firsthand from experts in their field of interest. Past company visits included NewBee Drones, Sports Performance Physical Therapy, UCSD Simulation Center, The Brain Observatory, and various others.

Weekend Excursions

Whether it’s the San Diego Zoo, the Seaport Village, or Belmont Park, students visit the must-see sites of the region. Also, students will have a fun day with friends at an amusement park, National Park or other nearby attraction.

Summer Springboard

Request a Program Catalog

Explore A Major. Discover a Career Path. Enjoy College Life.


Testimonial

“I learned so much and had a wonderful time immersing myself in the academic program. I was presented with many amazing opportunities that I never would have been exposed to had it not been for Summer Springboard. Last but not least, I made lifelong friends. I owe so much to this program. Thank you for these extraordinary opportunities.”

-Summer Springboard Alum

Summer Springboard programs are not run by our campus partners. Universities and their affiliated departments are not responsible for the Summer Springboard program in any way.