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Home • Berkeley Pre-College Scholars: Summer Non-Credit Track

Berkeley Changemaker®

The Berkeley Changemaker® track offers international and domestic high school students the opportunity to live on campus and enjoy the summer at Berkeley. Since its inception, UC Berkeley has always attracted changemakers whose vision challenges the status quo and whose contributions make our world a better, more equitable place. Our Pre-College Scholars Berkeley Changemaker track draws from, and builds on, elements that make Cal unique, including a singular history for leading inclusively and an agency for making society better. Our curriculum activates our students’ passions and helps them to develop a sharper sense of who they want to be and how to make that happen. Regardless of whether your interests lie in entrepreneurship, societal change, or you’d simply like to think more entrepreneurially, there is a place for you here in our learning community.

By taking advantage of the Berkeley Changemaker track, you will sharpen your skills in three key areas—critical thinking, communication, and collaboration—while exploring what changemaking looks like in a wide variety of disciplines across campus. You will also become part of the campuswide Berkeley Changemaker, which has already enrolled some 20% of Berkeley’s undergraduates since its launch in summer 2022. Through daily lectures, compelling faculty interviews, and interactive team assignments with your fellow changemakers, you will develop your own changemaking mindset and learn how to turn your ideas into action, experiencing first hand all that UC Berkeley has to offer.

Your summer residential experience begins with orientation sessions, a campus scavenger hunt, and opportunities to meet with program staff and other participants. Activities and excursions are planned by UC Berkeley undergraduate Resident Assistants and Mentors (RAMs) and the program staff to help you build community with other students in your program, make the most out of your time at Berkeley, and prepare for your future college experience.

The program will start on June 16, 2024 and conclude on June 28, 2024.

Program Benefits:

  • Chaperoned housing in campus residence halls along with a daily meal plan
  • A personal letter of commendation from the Dean of Extended Education for successfully completing the program
  • Welcome orientation, scavenger hunts, local excursions, social activities, and more!
  • Access to college preparation workshops
  • Support from designated program staff throughout the program
  • Work closely with some of UC Berkeley's highest rated faculty members
  • Become a Berkeley Changemaker skilled in critical thinking, communication, and collaboration

Important Dates

Application opens - Thursday, February 1, 2024

Application deadline - Monday, March 11, 2024

Program dates- June 16–June 28, 2024

Cancellation deadline - Thursday, April 11, 2024

BERKELEY CHANGEMAKER is a registered trademark of The Regents of the University of California through its Berkeley campus. It is not affiliated with any third parties using “changemaker” or similar terms.

"The Berkeley Changemaker Program was one of the best experiences of my life. I had the opportunity to learn from inspiring professors, befriend talented classmates, tour world-renowned buildings; and re-imagine Berkeley’s campus. This program helped equip me with the skills to make an impact and the confidence to do so. I am deeply grateful to be part of this shared experience"

–Summer 2022 Berkeley Changemaker Pre-College Scholar

Three students smiling

Have a question?

The Berkeley Changemaker® Pre-College track is open to both domestic and international high school students who will be 16–17 years old by the start of the program (June 16, 2024). All students must be at least 16 years of age by the time the program begins.

Students must be in good academic standing in their home institutions. International high school students must meet the Summer Sessions' English Language Requirements.

This track is ideal for U.S. based and international high school students who live locally or outside the San Francisco Bay Area. The residential component of the program is a requirement for all participants.

Please note that due to its short duration and non-credit status, this program does not issue a school-sponsored student visa. If you are looking for a credit-bearing, longer duration program that can issue a school-sponsored student visa, please visit the Summer Session Pre-College Scholars Residential track information page.

Domestic students must meet the following requirements to apply to this track:

  • Have completed the 10th or 11th grade by the start of summer classes and plan to continue their high school studies in the subsequent fall
  • Have an overall B average (3.0, weighted or unweighted) in all of their high school coursework
  • 16 years of age by June 16, 2024
  • Require residential housing

International students must meet the following requirements to apply to this track:

  • Have completed the 10th or 11th grade by the start of summer classes and plan to continue their high school in the subsequent fall
  • Have an overall B average (3.0, weighted or unweighted) in all of their high school coursework (or comparable qualitative evaluation)
  • Meet our minimum English Language Requirements, if applicable
  • Maintain their own health insurance coverage as outlined in our health insurance requirement*
  • 16 years of age by June 16, 2024
  • Require residential housing

High school graduates: Students who have graduated from high school before the start of summer classes are not eligible for the Berkeley Pre-College Scholars Summer Changemaker Track. High school graduates can attend Berkeley Summer Sessions as a visiting student and need to apply using the visiting student application.

*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 your arrival to Berkeley. For suggestions regarding health insurance options, please visit the University Health Services website.

The program provides an "Emergency Use Only" insurance plan that can be used locally. When using this plan for doctor's appointments, emergencies, prescriptions, or other health care visits, students might be asked to pay the healthcare provider out of pocket, and then submit a claim for reimbursement.

A variety of photos laid out on a table

The Berkeley Pre-College Scholars: Summer Changemaker® track is a program designed for domestic and visiting international students who may not be living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Students should not apply for housing, as room and board are provided by UC Berkeley, and all participants are required to live in assigned residential housing. Students will live with other Pre-College Scholars program participants in a residence hall within walking distance of the main campus. They will be under the full-time supervision of residential program staff Resident Assistant Mentors.

Students will be housed in Bowles Hall. Students will be sharing rooms (doubles) and will receive their housing assignments upon arrival. Rooms and roommate assignments are done at random. The assignments are not negotiable. Our beautiful residence hall includes a historic library, study rooms, high-speed wifi, game room, washers and dryers, and a large lounge. Rooms will have dressers, desks, mirrors, and closets. As Pre-College Scholars, students will be subjected to a daily curfew from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM. Click here for a video tour, but please note that some of the amenities featured in the video may not be available this summer.

Meals

Students will receive a meal plan that offers 3 meals per weekday and 2 meals per day on the weekend and on holidays. During weekdays, if you are rushing to class, unable to eat in the dining area, or simply would like to eat later, you can request your meal to be saved.

Bowles Hall on the UC Berkeley campus

The Berkeley Changemaker® Pre-College track will provide you with a robust curriculum that delivers a deeper understanding of what we value at UC Berkeley as you explore and develop key changemaking skills through academic workshops and co-curricular activities.

If you are interested in entrepreneurship, societal change, or simply want to think more entrepreneurially, this is the perfect summer program for you. It is designed for pre-college scholars interested in exploring campus life through the lens of making change at UC Berkeley. The two-week immersive program empowers you to become a Berkeley Changemaker. Throughout the program, you will have the opportunity to explore the three core pillars of Berkeley Changemaker: 1) critical thinking, 2) communication, and 3) collaboration as you work on a team changemaking project.

In this two-week program, you will work with the core Berkeley Changemaker faculty during the morning sessions. After lunch, you will reconvene with your peers to engage in activities designed to extend your learning from the morning sessions. Throughout the two weeks, you will be placed in a Changemaker Pod where you will work with other students to reimagine the university campus of the future.

Together, we will use the beautiful UC Berkeley campus as our sandbox to provide you with an opportunity to explore the three pillars of changemaking as you work with and through others in an experiential, hands-on format.

Learning Objectives:

The goal of this program is to set you apart as an innovative changemaker! After taking this course, you will:

  • discover what changemaking means to you
  • learn what changemaking means to UC Berkeley
  • better understand yourself and how to lead with and through others to impact change
  • explore different tools and techniques to support you in thinking critically, communicating your ideas, and collaborating with others
  • gain a better understanding-of, and familiarity with, the UC Berkeley campus and with the college experience in general

For any curriculum questions, please email the Berkeley Changemaker at changemaker@berkeley.edu

Berkeley Changemaker Track curriculum developed by:

Alex Budak, MPP, is a social entrepreneur, UC Berkeley-Haas faculty member, and author of the book Becoming a Changemaker. At Berkeley-Haas, he created and teaches the transformative course, “Becoming a Changemaker” to undergraduate and graduate students. He previously co‐founded StartSomeGood.com, and held leadership positions at Reach for Change and Change.org. Budak has given lectures on entrepreneurship, and leadership in venues from Ukraine to Cambodia, Los Angeles to the Arctic Circle, and at the White House and UN agencies. He is a graduate of UCLA and Georgetown University.

Laura Hassner, MBA, is the strategic advisor to UC Berkeley’s Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer. In this role, she leads the Berkeley Changemaker and received the 2022 Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff Award for her contributions to UC Berkeley. Laura is the spring faculty lead for “Course 12: The Berkeley Changemaker: and also developed and teaches “Berkeley Changemaker: Living with Agency” at Berkeley Haas. Previously, Laura was a Lecturer on Leadership at Berkeley Haas in the Executive MBA and Evening & Weekend MBA Programs. An expert in turnarounds, she is a former Big Five consultant and financial advisor. She has also taught in a highly-challenged urban school for a program that is now a part of Americorps and spent a decade innovating new products and programs for a national nonprofit. She holds a BA, with honors, from Stanford University and an MBA, with honors, from Berkeley Haas.

Brandi Pearce, Ph.D., is a collaborative boundary-spanner, UC Berkeley-Haas faculty member, coach, curriculum designer, and writer. She is the creator of Teams@Haas and designed and teaches "Leading High Impact Teams" to executives, graduate, and undergraduate students. Prior to earning her doctorate from Carnegie Mellon University, Pearce worked in the Silicon Valley leading alliance teams for Oracle Corporation, one of the world's most innovative global organizations in the management of strategic partnerships. Pearce's work has been published in journals and other outlets such as Academy of Management Discoveries, Journal of Management Information Systems, Harvard Business Review, and the Financial Times. She deeply values the intersection between evidence-based management and organizational practice, which is at the heart of her research, and the experiential design of her courses and is what she enjoys most about teaching. She admires those who can lead with and through others and hopes that students will leave UC Berkeley feeling inspired and confident about their potential to lead high-impact teams as they strive to create the change they want to see in our world.

A student looking at a museum exhibit with many branches

The following are Summer 2023 rates. Please check back for more information on Summer 2024.

Summer Sessions Application Fee:$25
Program Fee:$5,060

Pre-College Scholars Changemaker® track fee includes tuition & fees, housing, meals, orientation, excursions & activities, basic health insurance, and on-site support.

Please note that the cost of any necessary flights to and from the Bay Area and all other miscellaneous expenses are the responsibility of the student.

Please see What does the Program Fee Cover/not Cover? for more information.

Fees are subject to change.

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

Cancellation Deadline: April 11, 2024

All fees are non-refundable, and no partial refunds will be issued should a student withdraw from the program after this deadline.

Withdrawal Process

To withdraw from the program, you must submit the Withdrawal Request Form via your admissions portal. This form must be completed by any student admitted to the program who seeks to cancel their participation. Email and phone withdrawal requests will not be accepted.

The deadline to withdraw and receive a full refund (minus the application fee) is Friday, April 11, 2024. If you cancel or are dismissed from the program after April 11, you are still responsible for the full program fee.

Refund Policy

Refund of Credit Card Payments

If your fees have been paid with a credit card, and you are eligible to receive a refund, you will receive a refund to the original credit card used to pay the fees. Refunds from cancellations and withdrawals will be processed within 15 business days from the day of the cancellation/withdrawal.

Refund of Non-Credit Card Payments

If your fees have been paid with a method other than a credit card and you are eligible to receive a refund, you will receive an email notification within 15 business days that the refund is available either via Direct Deposit or as a paper check that will be mailed to you.

Refund Appeal

We understand that situations occur that may prevent you from attending or completing the Berkeley Changemaker Pre-College track. If you need to drop or withdraw from the Pre-College Scholars program after the deadline, you may request an appeal to the refund policy.

Do not hesitate to contact us at precollege@berkeley.edu if you have any questions or concerns about the withdrawal or refund process.

In addition to participating in the daily Berkeley Changemaker® curriculum, students will benefit from extracurricular activities, opportunities to connect them with the UC Berkeley campus, college preparatory workshops, and a program-related excursion. Some activities will be mandatory and all are designed to help you meet other students in your program, make the most of your Berkeley learning experience, and prepare for your university studies. Dates, times, and events are subject to change.

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 program curriculum, health and safety, health insurance, library resources, and much more will be discussed in detail.

College Exploration Workshops & Extra-Curricular Activities

We will offer 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."

Visit our Help Center for more information about the activities we offer.

Students looking at a screen in a museum

Application Opens: Thursday, February 1, 2024 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time)

Application Deadline: Monday, March 11, 2024 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time)

Cancellation Deadline: Thursday, April 11, 2024 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time)

Your Application: What to Expect

Before starting your application, please be sure to carefully read the Berkeley Pre-College Scholars: Summer Non-credit Track 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, contact our Pre-College team.

Complete the following steps to apply for the Berkeley Changemaker® Pre-College track

Your most recent high school transcript (PDF copy). Upload a PDF copy of your most recent high school transcript, showing all high school work through Fall 2023 (official or unofficial). The transcript must include the student's full name and cumulative GPA. Report cards are not acceptable. Please be sure to include an official translation of the document if it is in a language other than English. Must also include information for at least one full academic year.

  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 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 the denial of your application. If you have any questions or concerns, contact our Pre-College team.

  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:
    • What in your academic background prepares you to participate in this program?
    • 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. Your most recent high school transcript (PDF copy). Upload a PDF copy of your most recent high school transcript, showing all high school work through Fall 2021 (official or unofficial). The transcript must include the student's full name and cumulative GPA. Report cards are not acceptable. Please be sure to include an official translation of the document if it is in a language other than English. Must also include information for at least one full academic year.
  4. Review the Waiver of Liability & Authorization Form
  5. Review the Release of Authorization for Emergency Treatment Form
  6. Review the Consent to Release Student Information Form
  7. Review the Student Code of Conduct Agreement
  8. Review the Storage and Administration of Medications Form
  9. Review the COVID Community Compact
  10. Review the Program Travel During a Pandemic Notice Understanding Form
  11. 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. You will need to provide this documentation during the application process.

Complete applications are reviewed by program staff on a rolling basis. If your application is complete, you will be notified of your admissions decisions to the program via email. If you are admitted to the program, you will have 48 hours to accept your offer of admission on your student portal before the offer expires.

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed and will delay a student's admission to the Pre-College Scholars program. Please be sure to check your email regularly as staff may email you regarding incomplete application materials. Contact our Pre-College team if you have questions regarding the status of your application.

Admission Acceptance, Course Enrollment & Tuition and Fee Payment: What to Expect

To confirm your enrollment in the Pre-College Scholars program, you will need to:

  • Accept your offer of admission within 48 hours. You will receive an email about your admissions decision. You must accept your offer of admission in your application portal within 48 hours of receiving your offer. Failure to do so will result in your offer being withdrawn and your spot will be offered to another student.
  • Set up your UC Berkeley CalNet account within 48 hours. Within 48 hours of accepting your admission, you will receive an email with your student ID number and instructions for setting up your CalNet ID and passphrase. If you encounter any issues with receiving your CalNet information, please check your SPAM folder or contact summer@berkeley.edu
  • Log in to CalCentral & complete your required pre-enrollment tasks within 7 days. Once you create your CalNet ID and passphrase, you will be able to log in to the CalCentral to pay your fees, and access information about UC Berkeley. You will see an active hold "Visiting High School Student" under your Status and Hold section. This is normal.

Under Tasks, you will see several required action items including: Student Financial Agreement and COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement. You must complete these tasks as soon as possible. You will NOT be enrolled in the program until you complete these tasks.

Pay all tuition and fees within 7 days. The program fees will be assessed to your CalCentral account and must be paid in full within seven calendar days of admission to the program. Failure to pay on time will result in the cancellation of your admission. To withdraw from the program without the financial penalty, all applicants must submit a formal withdrawal request via their admissions portal before the Thursday, April 11, 2024 cancellation deadline.