UC Berkeley's Summer Programs for Middle School Students
If you are a middle school student planning your high school trajectory, you could benefit from participating in a program offered by a popular university like UC Berkeley!
Programs like these can complement your learning, giving you a better idea of what you will study in the years ahead. Such experiences will also allow you to explore new avenues in your field of interest and help you structure your extracurriculars in high school accordingly. Additionally, gaining practical experience as early as middle school can boost your profile for later college applications, set you apart from your peers, and provide opportunities for further programs with these institutions.
In this blog, we’ll review UC Berkeley’s summer programs for middle school students and weigh the pros and cons to help you decide whether to apply!
Subject Areas: Finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, and accounting
Location: UC Berkeley campus, Berkeley, CA. BBAY Middle School Program is a commuting-only program. Housing and meals are not provided.
Eligibility: All middle school students are eligible to apply.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in March.
Dates: The program is usually held in June. The 2024 program ran between June 10 and June 21.
Cost: California residents - $3,640 | Out-of-state students - $4,160. This amount covers the cost of tuition, materials, UC campus fees, bank/credit card fees, third-party systems, and administrative fees. There is also a $80 non-refundable application fee for the program.
At the Berkeley Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY), you’ll be guided by professors, mentors, and real entrepreneurs who will introduce you to business fundamentals such as finance, marketing, and accounting. You will get to learn about entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility.
During the program, you’ll get to hear corporate guest speakers share their insights and real-world experience, attend class sessions taught by professors, PhD candidates, and undergraduate students at Berkeley Haas, work individually and in teams on classroom projects, and receive a personalized, guided tour of the UC Berkeley campus.
Participating in this program will help you build confidence, learn business fundamentals and vocabulary, create a business and learn what it takes to survive against competition, learn to use computer software essential to business, and develop communication skills as you present what you have learned. You can check out the complete list of courses included in the program here.
If you already have summer plans and cannot attend the Middle School Entrepreneurship Program, you can check out the Berkeley Business Academy for Youth Middle School Afterschool Program! B-BAY Afterschool is a virtual experience offered to students currently in grades 6-8!
Subject Areas: Coding, biomedical research, engineering, solar energy, and computer programming.
Location: U.C. Berkeley Campus, CA
Eligibility: Rising 7th–9th graders can apply.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in May.
Dates: June 24–June 28, 2024
Cost: The tuition fee is $1,350 and the optional residential add-on cost is $1,150; the program offers a subsidized price for families in need with the tuition and residential fee reduced to $1,215 and $1,035 respectively. The tuition fee covers meals on campus; financial aid is also available.
The Lawrence Hall of Science at U.C. Berkeley is a unique research opportunity for middle school students looking to dive into the wonders of STEM firsthand! This one-week research program offers immersive experiences, hands-on experiments, and exciting campus tours designed to spark curiosity and ignite a passion for STEM. As a participant in this research program, you’ll get to experience engaging lab sessions, interactions with faculty and students, and exposure to diverse STEM career paths—the Lawrence program provides a dynamic learning environment for you to refine your technical skills.
There are four programs available for middle school students with all programs including a research component in the curriculum:
By participating in this program, you’ll not only acquire knowledge but also gain invaluable skills across a spectrum of STEM areas. Each of these programs can equip you with a deeper understanding of science and tangible experiences to enrich your future college and career journey significantly.
Subject Areas: Writing, literature, computer science, natural sciences, social sciences, mathematics, languages, and fine arts.
Location: UC Berkeley campus, CA. Virtual course options are also available.
Eligibility: For students currently in grades 7 through 11. Some courses have academic prerequisites. Current 6th graders who have attended ATDP previously and who submit a very strong application may apply for a small selection of Secondary Division courses.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in March and are accepted on a rolling basis till May.
Dates: June 17–July 26, 2024
Cost: Varies depending on the course selected but ranges from $710-$1,190. Financial aid is available. The application fee is $50 for domestic students. For students attending school outside the US, the fee is $80. This fee is non-refundable.
UC Berkeley’s ATDP Secondary Division offers courses that focus on the acquisition of deep knowledge in a single topic. During the program, you’ll get to delve into and gain expertise in a subject that interests you. Some courses will help you transition to high school topics while others are equivalent to full-year high school or Advanced Placement curricula, offering you the potential to accelerate through more advanced levels in a subject. Whether in-person or online, class sessions are highly interactive and aim to maximize the value of every minute. Online classes will include a mix of live ("synchronous") and self-directed ("asynchronous") instruction and activity.
With nearly 40 different courses to choose from, it can be difficult to find the one course that is just right for you! So make sure to read through the course descriptions carefully to identify a course that interests you and for which you are academically prepared. It is important to note course prerequisites and grade level requirements when you are selecting your course choices, as not all courses are open to all students. In addition to selecting one course that you are most interested in taking, you may select up to three other courses as alternatives.
Classes generally have around 20 to 24 students each. The low teacher-to-student ratio, as well as the academic and administrative staff support, ensure instruction of the highest quality.
Subject Areas: SAT preparation, writing, literature, math, coding, data visualization, and neurotechnology.
Location: UC Berkeley campus, CA. Virtual course options are also available.
Eligibility: For students currently in grades K through 11. Some courses have academic prerequisites.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in May for the Gold Session and in June for the Blue Session.
Dates: The program duration is split into two 3-week sessions. Each Exploration meets 1 time per week, for up to 3 weeks.
Gold Session: June 17–July 5, 2024
Blue Session: July 8–July 26, 2024
Cost: Varies depending on the course selected but ranges from $70-$250.
UC Berkeley’s ATDP Explorations Program courses are particularly designed to provide students with the opportunity to learn and interact with subject matter that they might not otherwise experience in a regular school year classroom. With no graded homework assignments or final evaluations, these workshops are an excellent opportunity to investigate and learn something new, just for the sake of learning.
You can pick and choose courses that interest you! Make sure to carefully read the prerequisites that the courses you are interested in may have. You can also choose to attend more than one Exploration course as long as you make sure you can manage each class’s schedule. Explorations generally have few expectations in terms of student participation and attendance. As the classes are so short, attendance at every class session is strongly encouraged. While some Exploration instructors may provide worksheets or homework assignments, these are only recommended for students to get the full benefit of the class.
Classes generally around 20 to 24 students each. However, the wide variety of potential topics may result in courses that have smaller or bigger size caps, depending on suitability.
Subject Areas: STEM fields
Location: UC Berkeley campus, Berkeley, CA
Eligibility: Students entering 6th, 7th, or 8th grade (or homeschool equivalent) in the fall and residing in the San Francisco Bay Area can apply.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in March.
Dates: Session 1: June 24 – June 28, 2024 | Session 2: July 8 – July 12, 2024
Cost: $600 (materials, lunch, and snacks included). Full and partial scholarships are available.
UC Berkeley’s Girls in Engineering (GiE) offers a week-long, introductory STEM summer camp for middle school students. During the camp, you will explore various STEM fields and careers in a small group setting, learn with like-minded peers, receive guidance from mentors, and get exposure to campus life. You’ll develop hard and soft skills, hone your critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills, and gain intuition, understanding, and confidence through practical application of concepts.
Through hands-on activities led by Berkeley faculty, engineers from industry, and student camp counselors, GiE will pique your curiosity and show you the different career paths that you can pursue with an engineering degree.
Subject Areas: Outdoor learning, sports, arts, science, group games, leadership, digital media, and more.
Location: Varies depending on the camp selected.
Eligibility: All middle school students
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all slots are filled.
Dates: One and two-week sessions between June 3 and August 9, 2024.
Cost: Varies depending on the camp but ranges between $63 and $920.
UC Berkeley offers diverse summer camps for middle school students spanning various fields from adventure sports and arts to science, digital media, video production, leadership programs, and esports. If you want to spend your summer developing new skills, mingling with peers, learning teamwork and leadership skills, exploring the Bay Area’s natural wonders, and participating in fun activities, you should consider participating in one or more of these camps.
The camps offered for middle schoolers during the year 2024 include University Village Albany (UVA) Summer Camp, Afternoon Adventures, Paddle Adventures, Blue Camp (Grizzlies), Esports Camp, Media Production Camp, Skateboarding Camp, Eco Adventures, and Teen Leadership Programs-Campers In Leadership Training (CILT). Every camp has distinct prerequisites for participants, so make sure to check them carefully before applying.
Subject Areas: AI, coding, deep learning, programming, and Python.
Location: Live sessions via Zoom
Cost: $2,695
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates: July 15–August 2, 2024
Eligibility: Students aged 12 to 18 are eligible to apply.
The Berkeley Coding Academy (BCA) offers the AI Applications program to students who want to explore how data is used in various areas, from social media trends to environmental changes. This program focuses on the Python code behind AI — You will learn to classify images, detect astronomical objects, recommend movies and music, generate text, and generate images to detect deep fakes. With a focus on Deep Learning, you’ll get to build CNNs, RNNs, LLMs, GANs, and more. During the program, you’ll also get to complete several mini-projects and a special final project of your choice.
Moreover, you will receive permanent access to the Berkeley Coding Academy suite which includes over 100 4K Data Science videos, over 100 Colab Notebooks, over 100 slides, and all additional materials that students and instructors create for this class. For the advanced cohort, proficiency in Python at the level of writing functions and accessing libraries via dot notation is required. However, the beginner cohort is for students who are new to coding/Python. You can select the cohort according to your preference on the application form.
Is it prestigious?
As of 2024, the University of California, Berkeley is ranked 15th out of 439 National Universities in the United States, boasting an acceptance rate of 11% for its undergraduate courses. This by itself gives the summer programs a relatively higher value in the academic sphere. Even otherwise, the summer programs are known to be selective and look for students who have taken high-level classes and engaged in challenging extracurricular activities.
Pros and cons of applying to UC Berkeley’s summer programs for middle school students
Pros:
You will engage in advanced academics: At a university like UC Berkeley, programs have a well-rounded curriculum that is taught by expert professionals including professors, PhD candidates, and undergraduate students. Exploring these topics can help shape what you study in high school and beyond.
You will boost your academic profile: The favorable reputation of the University of California, Berkeley coupled with the selectivity of its summer programs makes this a prestigious program to have on your academic profile. It will prove your caliber, help you structure your extracurriculars in high school, and improve your chances during the college application process.
You can engage in specialized, niche academic programs: The summer programs and camps offer an in-depth look at specific subjects, which means you would gain a significant amount of learning and level up in that field. It’s a good way to give you a leg up while entering college. Also, a few of the offered courses do stand apart from the others. For one, the university’s schools of business and engineering are well-reputed in their respective domains. If you’re interested in pursuing a future in one of these fields then this summer program will be a definite advantage.
You will have networking opportunities: Making connections with other faculty members and students at UC Berkeley is not just good for your social life but for your academic one as well. These connections could go on to give you long-term benefits like having mentors within reach or getting access to opportunities.
You will get exposure to college life: By physically studying on the UC Berkeley campus, you will get an early look at the life of an undergraduate student. This is even more so for the residential programs/camps, where you would be staying in the university’s dorms.
You will receive training on how to apply to more programs: Applying to any one of UC Berkeley’s programs will help you gain first-hand information about how to apply for other programs offered by the university. Also, you’ll have a higher chance of getting accepted the second time around if you’ve already attended one of the university’s programs.
You will have access to both in-person and virtual programs: Some of the programs/camps at UC Berkeley also offer virtual options so that you can easily attend them from the comfort of your home.
Cons:
Some UC Berkeley programs can be quite costly: Some of the summer programs offered by UC Berkeley are fairly expensive and could restrict your access. Even with the help of extra financial aid or scholarships, some programs would require a hefty investment.
You will have to engage in intensive, time-consuming coursework: Some of the programs offered by UC Berkeley, such as the ATDP, require a significant time commitment for advanced coursework. This may be challenging for you to juggle with your schoolwork and other commitments.
You will have limited options to explore new avenues: Some of UC Berkeley’s summer programs focus on one single course in a specific field. This makes the program suitable for students with a clear goal in mind, but if you want to explore your options it might be wise to look for programs that expose you to multiple fields.
Our Review – Should you apply?
UC Berkeley’s summer programs offer an excellent academic experience and would give your resume the benefit of a prestigious pre-college program. However, the high cost and the specialized nature of the curriculum for some programs can be deterrents.
If you have already decided to pursue a specific field in your career, then some of these summer programs will give you an in-depth look at the subjects and allow you to plan your activities in high school accordingly. Through theoretical and hands-on work, it will enhance your knowledge and give you a head start for university. If your field of interest happens to fall under the schools of computer science, business, or engineering, then studying at UC Berkeley— known to excel in these fields — is bound to give you an even better experience.
On the other hand, if you are still debating career pathways, UC Berkeley’s summer programs might be restrictive as they have few opportunities for middle schoolers to explore other fields. Other pre-college programs that expose you to a variety of topics could be a more worthwhile investment. Ultimately, you should decide by weighing your individual goals, interests, and resources.
One more option - The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is a program for middle school students to work one-on-one with a mentor to explore their academic interests and build a project they are passionate about. Our mentors are scholars from top research universities such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Duke, and LSE.
The program was founded by a Harvard & Oxford PhD who met as undergraduates at Harvard. The program is rigorous and fully virtual. We offer need-based financial aid for students who qualify. You can find the application in the brochure!
To learn more, you can reach out to Lumiere's Head of Partnerships, Maya Novak-Herzog, at maya.novak-herzog@lumiere.education or go to our website.
Multiple rolling deadlines for JEP cohorts across the year, you can apply using this application link! If you'd like to take a look at the cohorts + deadlines for 2024, you can refer to this page!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
Image Source: UC Berkeley logo
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