Apply today! Admissions decisions are made by accepting qualified students on a first come, first served application process. Each year, we have a limited number of spaces in courses and programs. Prospective students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, as popular programs and specific classes can fill up.

Step 1

Visit apply.summerdiscovery.com and submit an application for your program of choice with your $100 non-refundable application fee (not applicable towards tuition).

Step 2

Fill out the application section by section, paying careful attention to the information you provide.

See the Institute for the Gifted eligibility requirements

Note: When asked for your GPA (high school students only), you will self-report and type in your current GPA. When asked for your counselor/advisor’s contact information (all applicants), be sure to include their first and last name and an exact email address. Summer Discovery will contact them on your behalf.

Step 3

Pay your $100 application fee and submit your application. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, typically within 3-5 business days. Some programs have specific application deadlines and review dates.    

Step 4

If you are accepted, we will email you your official acceptance and information on how to enroll. The enrollment deposit ($1,500) is then required to save your spot in the program.

The following programs have a separate application process and you may apply directly through their websites:

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

UC Santa Barbara Research Mentorship Program

UC Santa Barbara Science Research Academies

After you have applied and enrolled, you will receive an email instructing you to complete your pre-summer forms, including class registration, travel information, medical paperwork, and more. Note that if your program is an academy, you do not need to register for courses. Academies are chosen at the time of application and you are directly registered when you enroll with the deposit. If you choose a program with courses, you will choose two courses, "One morning and one afternoon course," and will receive the course registration email with the link to do so within 24 hours of paying the deposit enrollment.

Institute for the Gifted students will choose one AM and one PM course, both included in tuition. Summer Discovery middle school students will choose one AM and one PM course and two workshops, one for Monday/Wednesday and one for Tuesday/Thursday. Summer Discovery high school students will choose one all-day academy OR one AM and one PM course. All academies, courses, and workshops are included in tuition.

Summer Discovery provides scholarship assistance to students and their families, primarily through mentoring organizations. As our individual scholarships are limited, we encourage you to reach out to your school counselor and community for academic fundraising and scholarship opportunities. If needed, we can always provide paperwork detailing the academic value of our programs. We also suggest visiting Fund My Travel, an online fundraising website. If you are not selected for one of our scholarship opportunities, we will refund the application fee. This does not apply to our programs at Penn, Wharton, and the UC Santa Barbara RMP and SRA programs.

Yes, as long as space is available to accommodate the request. Courses may be changed through the second day of the session, and after a student has attended both courses on the first day, with the approval of the Academic Dean/Leader on campus and the student’s parents. Contact us for more information at +1 (516) 447-4907 or info@summerdiscovery.com.

The International Registration Fee is a surcharge for all International Students (based on residency — primary address outside the US) attending a program in the US. This fee is for additional expenses to ensure that our International students are set up for success when they arrive on campus.

The International REGISTRATION Fee covers:

• Visa support/communications ahead of the program.
• Transportation to/from campus.
• 24/7 Arrival/Departure support from campus.
• Medical/Health Insurance for international students on domestic programs.
• Support with securing a US cell phone number (SIM card) and setting up a calling plan for use while on campus.

All students (domestic and International, except UK residents attending the program in Cambridge and Spain residents attending the program in Madrid) attending a Summer Discovery program outside the US (Cambridge and Madrid) will incur an International Program Fee of $379 to ensure success traveling abroad and on campus.

The International PROGRAM Fee covers:

• Visa support/communications ahead of the program.
• Transportation to/from campus.
• 24/7 Arrival/Departure support from campus.
• International Medical/Health Insurance for all students while on an International campus.
• Support with securing a local telephone number for communication on campus, if needed.

*Please note that these fees are mandatory and all-inclusive. Should a student not need one of the services required, there will not be a refund for a portion of the fee.

Visit apply.summerdiscovery.com to start an application or access an existing application. If you have forgotten your password, click “forgot password” on apply.summerdiscovery.com and follow the instructions.

In most circumstances, Summer Discovery may not make age exceptions for programs. Please contact us at  info@summerdiscovery.com or +1 (516) 447-4907 for information.

All students must demonstrate eligibility by providing one of the following options. This documentation is required when completing an Institute for the Gifted application.

• Test Scores: Nationally normed testing scores at the 95th percentile on intellectual, achievement, or creativity within the last 5 school years.
• Gifted Program Participation: Documentation of acceptance into a gifted program or gifted school or participation in a talent search or comparable alternative gifted summer enrichment program in the last 5 years.
• SIG Recommendation: Request a SIG recommendation from one core subject educator (English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, or Social Studies).