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Berkeley Pre-College Scholars: Summer 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. Get involved in 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.

Important Dates:

Application opens - Thursday, February 18, 2025, 9:00am (PST)

Application deadline - Monday, June 2, 2025, 11:59pm (PST)

2024 Session Dates:

  • Session A - Six Weeks: May 27–July3
  • Session B - Ten Weeks: June 9–August 15
  • Session C - Eight Weeks: June 23–August 15
  • Session D - Six Weeks: July 7–August 15
  • Session E - Three Weeks: July 28–August 15
  • Session F - Three Weeks: July 7–July 25

Watch our program overview on YouTube

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Frequently Asked Questions

Image of students hanging out with quote from Helen, a 2023 Precollege Scholar that reads: The best part of my Berkeley summer has to be meeting many amazing people from different backgrounds around the globe, going on adventures throughout the city, and simply creating fun and hilarious memories that will last forever.

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Have a question?

The Berkeley Pre-College Scholars: Summer Commuter track is open to both domestic high school students who are 16-18 years old and is designed for students who are within commuting distance of UC Berkeley. All students must be at least 16 years of age by June 22, 2025.

Domestic students who live outside the local Bay Area, do not require a visa/I-20 or accommodation support, and plan to stay with a parent or extended family in the area, may apply to Pre-College Scholars: Commuter track. Students must plan to stay with a family member to participate in our program. Please note: Pre-College Scholars are not permitted to stay in co-ops, homestays, or other housing arrangements that are with non-family members. Students found to be in violation will be dismissed from the program and face serious consequences.

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

Domestic & 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.

Local students who live in the Bay Area may apply to the Commuter program using the online application if they meet all of the following requirements:

  • 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*

**Minors that will not be 16 years of age by June 22, 2025, are not eligible to apply for the Berkeley Pre-College Scholars Commuter track. Students planning to enroll in course(s) in sessions A and/or B starting before June 22, 2025, must be 16 years of age by the start of their course(s). No exceptions will be granted for these program policies. Any student found in violation of these program policies will be removed from their course(s) and will have jeopardized their current and/or future participation in the Pre-College Scholars Program.

**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.

High school graduates: High school graduates who will be 16 or 17 years old during the summer may apply for the Pre-College Scholars program. Students who have graduated from high school and will be over the age of 18 years old before the start of summer classes are not eligible for the Pre-College Scholars program. High school graduates who will be over the age of 18 years old can attend Berkeley Summer Sessions as a visiting student and must apply using the Summer Sessions visiting student application.

Please NOTE: 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.

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.

"My favorite part would be just the experience of doing a college course and accomplishing a lot within the span of just 8 weeks. I felt so proud and satisfied with my work, and I really liked the support from the TAs." -Pre-College Scholars Program Participant

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The Berkeley Pre-College Scholars: Summer Commuter track is a commuter program designed for students who live in the San Francisco Bay Area, so housing is not provided by UC Berkeley. Students in need of housing may apply to the Residential track.

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 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 accommodation or visa/I-20 support are not eligible for the Commuter Track, and must apply to the Berkeley Pre-College Scholars Residential Track.

Bowles Hall on the UC Berkeley campus

Berkeley Pre-College Scholars: Summer 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.

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. 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, or one course in Sessions E and F.

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.

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.

Please note, course enrollment may be impacted by class schedule, availability, and academic department's discretion. It is crucial to come up with alternative course options (just like any college student would) in the event we are unable to process first-choice selections.

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

Student walking on the UC Berkeley campus

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

The following are Summer 2024 rates.

 Per Unit ChargeRegistration FeeDocument Management Fee
Domestic Visitor$595$550$68

Program Application Fee: $25

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

Fees are subject to change.

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.

*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 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 by 16 years of age by the start of the program.

Online Orientation & Activities

Pre-College Orientation

To ensure your smooth transition to UC Berkeley, your orientation will be a three-step process beginning with a video recording, a pre-arrival live webinar, and finally an in-person session. 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, and much more will be discussed in detail.

College Exploration Workshops & Extra-Curricular Activities

Typically, on Tuesdays between 4:00pm and 6:00pm, 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."

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!

 

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2024 applications are now closed.

Applications open: Thursday, February 18, 2025, 9:00am (PST)

Application deadline: Monday, June 2, 2025, 11:59pm (PST)

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:

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

Complete the following steps to apply:

  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**

    **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 Help Center.

  2. 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?
  3. 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.
  4. Review the UC Berkeley Pre-College Scholars Summer Commuter Program Code of Conduct & Agreement Form.
  5. Review the Waiver of Liability & Authorization Form.
  6. Review the Release of Authorization for Emergency Treatment Form.
  7. Review the Consent to Release Student Information Form.
  8. Review the COVID Community Compact.
  9. Review the Program Participants Staying with Relatives in the Bay Area Form (if applicable).
  10. English Proficiency Requirement (if applicable): 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 country is exempt from the requirement, OR they will enroll only in English as a Second Language course.