Commuter Track

The Berkeley Pre-College Scholars Summer Commuter track provides you with a community of hundreds of high school, other UC Berkeley, and visiting college students who spend their time enjoying summer at Berkeley. For students within commuter distance to the campus, you can enjoy becoming  involved with Berkeley campus-based courses, extracurricular activities, and college exploration workshops planned just for you. Take advantage of everything the campus has to offer while earning college credit and saving money by living at home.

Find courses to meet and ignite your desire to learn. Whether you are looking to challenge yourself by taking courses beyond your high school offerings, exploring a possible college major, or trying classes in an area of special interest, you can find it all at Berkeley in the summer! Be prepared to learn from and with the best.

Program Benefits

• Learn and engage with UC Berkeley faculty and students, as well as other visiting summer students
• The experience of attending Berkeley Summer Sessions, which you can add to your college application
• A Berkeley transcript that can be requested from the UC Berkeley's Office of the Registrar
• College credit may be transferable to another College program*
• Receive a letter of commendation from the Dean of Extended Education for passing grades
• Orientation for accepted students and parents to introduce you to the campus and its services
• Workshops on college exploration, writing a successful college application, virtual mentorship opportunities, and more
• Receive support from designated program staff throughout the program
• Gain firsthand experience on a major university campus, informing your upcoming college decision

*Acceptance of transfer credit is always at the discretion of the accepting institution.

The Berkeley Pre-College Scholars Summer Commuter track is open to  domestic high school students in good academic standing in their home institutions and who do not require a visa/I-20 or accommodation support. Commuter students must plan to stay with a parent or extended family in the area. Students who live outside of the Bay Area may apply to the Virtual track. 

Requirements

Students who live in the Bay Area must meet the following requirements to apply to the summer commuter track:

• Currently reside in the state of California
• Have completed 10th or 11th grade by the start of summer classes
• Have an overall B average (3.0, weighted or unweighted) in all of their high school course work
• Must be 16 years of age on or before June 22, 2025
• Do not require residential housing and visa/I-20 support*

High School Students

High school graduates who will be 16 or 17 during the summer may apply for the Pre-College Scholars Program. Minors who will not be 16 years old by the start of the program are not eligible for the Berkeley Pre-College Scholars Summer Commuter track. Students enrolling in courses during sessions A and/or B must be 16 by the start of their course(s). No exceptions will be made to this policy. Students who violate this policy will be removed from their course(s) and may lose eligibility for the Pre-College Scholars Program.

Students over 18 before the start of summer classes are not eligible. Those over 18 can attend Berkeley Summer Sessions as visiting students by applying through the Summer Sessions visiting student application.

Please note: Our Commuter Track is designed for students who live within a commuting distance from the campus. The campus is located in the heart of Berkeley, California, so our commuter students come from different parts of the Bay Area to study alongside UC Berkeley matriculated students and go home at the end of the instruction day. Students, therefore, must stay with adult (aged 18 years +)  family members residing in the San Francisco Bay Area while attending this track who are able to provide care, shelter, meals, and supervision to the student for the full duration of the track. Please note Pre-College Scholars are not permitted to stay in co-ops, homestays, Airbnb or other housing arrangements. Students found to be in violation will be dismissed from the program and face serious consequences. Read further about housing restrictions for the Commuter Track under our Housing information.

International Students 

All students who attend high schools outside of the United States are required to provide documentation of meeting the English Language Proficiency Requirement unless their school or country is exempt from the requirement, OR they will enroll only in English as a Second Language course.

Domestic and visiting international high school students who live outside the Bay Area and require a visa/I-20 or accommodation support can apply to participate in Summer Sessions through our Pre-College Scholars Residential track.

*International students who apply for this program under an existing visa are not eligible for any immigration support or advising and are responsible for being in compliance with their visa status. All Summer Sessions deadlines apply. Please visit the Summer Sessions deadline page for more information.

Insurance

All students are required to have valid health insurance coverage for the duration of the program. If you do not have health insurance, you should purchase coverage before the start of the program. For suggestions regarding health insurance options, please visit the University Health Services website.

The Berkeley Pre-College Scholars Summer Commuter track is a program designed for students who live in the San Francisco Bay Area, so housing is not provided by UC Berkeley.

Please note Pre-College Scholars are not permitted to stay in co-ops, homestays, or other housing arrangements that are with a non-family member.

Students are allowed to stay with an adult family member residing in the San Francisco Bay Area while attending the UC Berkeley Pre-College Scholars Commuter Track.

Students can only stay with responsible adult relatives that are able to provide care, shelter, meals, and supervision to the student for the duration of the program. Students found in violation of this policy will be immediately dismissed from the program.

Domestic and International students who live outside the local Bay Area that need housing accommodation or visa/I-20 support are not eligible for the Commuter Track, and must apply to the Berkeley Pre-College Scholars Residential Track.

Berkeley Pre-College Scholars Commuter track participants enroll in college-level courses offered during summer sessions. Study alongside UC Berkeley students and visiting students from institutions around the United States and the world.

Available Courses

Pre-College Scholars can take courses 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. 

Participants can choose from a wide range of academic disciplines, including Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences, STEM, and much more! Pay special attention to the mode of instruction, which will be indicated on the course description. 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 in Sessions A, B, C, and D or one course in Sessions E and F.

View the full list of summer session courses.

To view a sample of courses completed by past Pre-College Scholars participants, see the UC Berkeley Pre-College Previous Student Course List.

It is your responsibility to make sure that the course is available for high school students. If you have any questions about prerequisite verification or course availability, please contact the academic department directly.

When choosing a course

• Check course prerequisites to be sure that you have met the requirements listed. These can be found in the catalog description of the course in the Berkeley Academic Guide.
• 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.

Please note, course enrollment may be impacted by class schedule, availability, and academic department's discretion. It is crucial to find alternative course options (just like any college student would).

Once you have been accepted into the Commuter Track, enrolled in your courses, and paid your tuition and fees, go to the Cal Student Store, and follow the appropriate links for the Summer Sessions and courses in which you are enrolled. There you can access a list of both required and recommended books for your class(es).

Interested in studying law? We invite you to explore the new Legal Studies course options and supplemental events and programming offered by Berkeley Law — Legal Studies: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Domestic/International visitor fees apply to those who are not currently enrolled in a degree program at a University of California campus. 

Summer 2025 Rates

Fees are subject to change.

*International Visitors must also pay an International Service Fee of $500.

**Please note that this cost is per unit. Courses at UC Berkeley consist of a number of units. Your tuition charge will be determined by the total number of units you are enrolled in. Your total cost of attendance will be determined by your tuition and fees.

For more information on Domestic/International Visitors' fees, visit our Summer Fees section.

For more information regarding our refund policy, visit our Summer Sessions Refund Policy section.

For information on how to pay the charges on your account, visit the Student Billing Payments and Refunds webpage. Fee Payment Plan and Third Party Contracts are not accepted payment options for Pre-College Scholars students.

Scholarships

Destination College Advising Corps (DCAC) offers financial assistance to students at certain schools across the U.S. Students are admitted to the DCAC Pre-College Summer Session via a nomination process by our college advisers at our partner schools and programs. Students interested in participating in the Pre-College Summer Session must reach out to their school's DCAC College Adviser Fellow.

To be considered for the program, students must be enrolled in DCAC, going into the senior year the following fall (current 11th grader), and have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 (weighted) in their A-G coursework. The application will be made available to students in March. Students must complete the application in its entirety to be considered for admission to Summer Sessions. Priority consideration will be given to students who have been active in DCAC throughout high school. Students must also be 16 years of age by the start of the program.

Online Orientation & Activities

Your summer experience begins with an engaging orientation session and a virtual introduction to Cub Hub. Cub Hub is a student portal that features interactive UC Berkeley themed challenges and campus resource videos, and serves as an opportunity to meet with program staff and other participants.

1. Commuter social with Oski the Bear

College exploration workshops, community-building socials, and interactive extracurricular activities are planned by UC Berkeley Pre-College Scholars student assistants and program staff to help you meet other students, make the most out of your time at Berkeley, and prepare you for your future college experience.

Read more about orientation and activities on our Help Center's Orientation and Activities page.

Follow us on Instagram for student stories, program's highlights, and much more!

Pre-College Scholars Orientation

To ensure your smooth transition to UC Berkeley, our team offers a live pre-arrival webinar and an orientation session before summer begins. All Pre-College Scholars participants will be required to attend their orientation to the program. Important topics include academic success and integrity, health/safety and wellness, on-campus resources, and much more will be discussed in detail.

College Exploration Workshops & Extra-Curricular Activities

Typically, on Tuesdays between 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM, we will offer virtual academic enrichment and college exploration workshops designed to help students prepare for the college admission process and beyond. Past workshops have included: "College in Perspective," "The Best College for You," and "What Admissions Officers Look For."

Before starting your application, please be sure to carefully review the information in our Help Center starting with What Important Considerations Should I Keep in Mind when Completing the Program Application?, which contains information to answer your most frequently asked questions. Pay special attention to:

• Admissions and Enrollment
• Eligibility Requirements
• Finances, Billing, and Payment
• Academics and Coursework
• Important Dates and Deadlines
• Program Policies

If you need more information or didn't find the answers you were looking for, please contact our Pre-College Scholars team.

Complete the following steps to apply for the Berkeley Pre-College Scholars: Summer Commuter track:

1. Application: Gather all of the following information before you begin:
   • Basic biographical (name, birth date, gender, citizenship, etc.) and contact information
   • Emergency contact information
2. The Pre-College application account must be associated with the student's email address. If you do not have an email account, please create your own unique email account before starting your application. Make sure that you will continue to have access to this account after the conclusion of the program for future communication about alums' support and involvement opportunities. Parents/guardians must provide their own unique email address different from the student's email address. If your parent/guardian does not have an email account, please have them create their own unique email account before starting your application.
   The student email address and parent/guardian email address must be different. Failure to comply with this policy will result in a significant processing delay and/or denial of your application. If you have any questions or concerns, visit our Pre-College Scholars Help Center.
3. Complete the personal insight questions: When completing the online application, all students are required to submit two short answers (100 words each) to the following questions.
   • Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
   • The UC Berkeley Pre-College Scholars Program seeks to create an engaged and inclusive community that is welcoming to students from various backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for the Pre-College Scholars program?
4. Upload a PDF copy of your most recent high school transcript, showing all high school work through Fall 2024 (official or unofficial). The transcript must include the student's full name and cumulative GPA. Report cards are not acceptable.
5. Review the UC Berkeley Pre-College Scholars Summer Commuter Program Code of Conduct and Agreement Form.
6. Review the Waiver of Liability and Authorization Form.
7. Review the Release of Authorization for Emergency Treatment Form.
8. Review the Consent to Release Student Information Form.
9. Review the Program Participants Staying with Relatives in the Bay Area Form (if applicable).
10. Review the Pre-College Scholars Terms and Conditions
11. English Proficiency Requirement (if applicable): Students attending high school outside of the United States must provide documentation that shows they meet the English Language Proficiency. This can be waived if:
    • The high school is in a country that is on our exempt list.
    • The student will only be taking English as a Second Language courses.