Business has always been one of the "hottest" majors in American college applications every year. Among these students who have successfully received offers, many have participated in summer school programs at top business universities during high school, where they received difficult, high-quality business theory and practical training.

This not only deepened their personal understanding of business and improved their related skills, but also allowed them to gain more expectations from admissions officers when applying to prestigious universities. So, which business summer schools are worth going to?

1. Economics for Leaders

EFL aims to equip promising students with leadership skills and the ability to apply economic analysis to public policy decisions. This course introduces economic concepts, reasoning, and leadership theories. In a world of complex public policy challenges, developing the next generation of leaders is critical to future prosperity.

EFL offers unparalleled learning opportunities with a 90% recommendation rate for 2023 participants. The program is highly competitive, with approximately two applicants per spot. College admissions officers recognize that students who take selective college preparatory courses such as EFL are more competitive applicants

Knowledge/Abilities: Students will learn basic economic concepts and leadership skills and apply this knowledge through simulations and team projects.

Cost: Approximately $1,500, including tuition, room and board.

Location: Multiple locations, including UC Berkeley and Yale University.

Application Deadline: Typically late March.

Duration: 1 week.

Qualifications: High school students with an interest in economics and leadership.

Official website link: Economics for Leaders

2. Wharton Sports Business Academy

Sponsored by the Wharton Sports Business Initiative (WSBI), the Wharton Sports Business Academy (WSBA) is a summer program that provides talented high school juniors and seniors with the opportunity to study sports business leadership at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The Wharton Sports Business Program will examine how various disciplines such as management, law, negotiation, marketing, and leadership apply to the sports industry, and provide an overview of the business and legal aspects of various intercollegiate, Olympic, and professional sports enterprises.

WSBA students will meet with leaders in the sports business community and learn about ownership, sports agents, and celebrity endorsements. Students will visit some of the most important sports facilities in the region and ultimately gain a deep understanding of the leadership, management, and increasingly global nature of the sports business. Through academic and extracurricular activities, WSBA students will have the opportunity to test their potential as future sports business leaders.

Knowledge/Abilities: Students will learn about sports marketing, financial management, and sports law, and participate in real-life projects.

Cost: Approximately $8,000, including tuition, room and board.

Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Application Deadline: Usually in early April.

Duration: 4 weeks.

Eligibility: High school student with an interest in sports business management.

Website link: Wharton Sports Business Academy

3. UC Berkeley Haas: High School Entrepreneurship

The Berkeley Haas Entrepreneurship Program is a two-week course designed to teach students the basic concepts and skills of entrepreneurship.

Knowledge/Abilities: Students will learn about business planning, marketing, financial management, and entrepreneurship, and participate in real-world projects.

Cost: Approximately $5,000, including tuition, room and board.

Location: University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California.

Application Deadline: Usually in late March.

Duration: 2 weeks.

Eligibility: High school student with an interest in entrepreneurship.

Official website link: UC Berkeley Haas: High School Entrepreneurship

4. Iacocca Global Entrepreneurship Intensive at Lehigh University

IGEI is an immersive, hands-on program that combines experiential learning with cross-cultural connections. Here, students will work with multicultural teams of high school students (ages 15-17) from around the world and build lifelong friendships. The rich curriculum will cultivate and test students' design thinking, entrepreneurship, and global leadership skills. Under the guidance of mentors, students will design, improve, and propose solutions to real problems faced by U.S. or international client companies. At the same time, students can also visit local companies, learn from entrepreneurs and CEOs, and share real-life success stories and lessons learned.

Knowledge/Abilities: After completing the program, IGEI graduates can:

(1) Evaluate the potential of ideas to become successful innovations

(2) Develop practical business/marketing plans and compelling publicity

(3) Overcome cultural differences and achieve success through teamwork

Cost: Approximately $4,500, including tuition, accommodation, and meals.

Location: Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Application Deadline: Usually in early March.

Duration: 4 weeks.

Eligibility: High school students with an interest in global business and entrepreneurship.

Official Website: Iacocca Global Entrepreneurship Intensive

5. Leadership in the Business World

Leadership in the Business World (LBW) is an intensive summer program for a group of outstanding seniors who want to obtain a first-class undergraduate business education and have the opportunity to hone their leadership, teamwork, and communication skills. Since 1999, LBW has brought students from six continents and nearly every state to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Designed to give students an introduction to Wharton's undergraduate curriculum, LBW provides opportunities to learn 21st-century organizational leadership through a dynamic and rigorous combination of courses taught by Wharton professors and business leaders, real-time business simulations, and team-building activities.

Knowledge/Abilities: Each summer, LBW students:

(1) Attend lectures and presentations by distinguished Wharton faculty and guest speakers

(2) Participate in class discussions on core business topics, including research-based theories of leadership and teamwork

(3) Apply real-world business practices through Wharton Interactive’s digital simulations and case competitions

(4) Research business enterprises and talk with successful leaders in finance, entrepreneurship, entertainment, real estate, retail, and other industries

Cost: Approximately $7,000, including tuition, room and board.

Location: Philadelphia, USA (on-campus)

Application deadline: Usually in early April.

Duration: 3 weeks.

Eligibility: High school students with an interest in data science.

Official link: Leadership in the Business World

6. Redefining Creativity-Stanford

With the recent development of generative artificial intelligence, the value of human creativity has received increasing attention. Drawing on lessons from artistic creativity, the course teaches engineering students how musicians and artists create creativity. To allow our engineering students to learn creativity as a skill distinct from generative AI, this course explores the processes behind the anatomy of Hollywood hits and the creation of globally influential art. Students learn how to translate these skills into creating engaging entrepreneurial solutions, engaging in effective storytelling, and developing their unique personal and professional stories. Students learn skills to unleash creativity, which they will apply in the course as a design tool for a wide range of applications in engineering, self-expression, technological exploration, and solution development centered on human connection and emotional interaction with users. The course is highly practical, drawing tools and experiences from interdisciplinary people with a wide range of careers. No artistic or entrepreneurial experience is required.

Knowledge/Abilities: Students will work on real-world projects.

Cost: Approximately $5,000, including tuition, housing, and meals.

Location: Stanford University, Stanford, California.

Application Deadline: Varies

Duration: 8 weeks.

Eligibility: High school students with an interest in entrepreneurship.

Official Website Link: 2024 Courses

7. MIT Launch X

MIT Launch X is a high-quality business summer school recommended by MIT, dedicated to cultivating the entrepreneurial spirit of high school students. Before 2016, the program was held at MIT and later expanded to other universities. After 2019, the online program began.

In the MIT Launch X program, each student will join a global team of 4-5 people to learn from startup founders and industry experts about how to build a viable company.

There are 4 optional programs in 2025:

(1) Online Entrepreneurship

(2) Online Innovation

(3) Bay Area Entrepreneurship

(4) Ann Arbor Entrepreneurship

Knowledge/Abilities: Start an actual company as a high school student

Cost: About $5,000, including tuition, room and board.

Location: The program is divided into online and offline

Application Deadline: The application deadline for the 2025 summer program is usually announced in the fall

Duration: 4 weeks.

Qualification Requirements: High school students, interested in entrepreneurship

Official website link: MIT Launch X

8. Babson Summer Study for High School Students

Babson Summer Study for High School Students is an experiential online course lasting more than 3 weeks, designed to develop entrepreneurial thinking for high school juniors and seniors to become innovators and change makers. By strengthening your understanding of the United Nations Global Goals, you will develop the ability and confidence to solve real-world problems, seize opportunities, make an impact, and create change to achieve your ideal future. While working with peers from all over the world, you will develop strong skills that allow you to engage others in your vision, confidently master difficult topics, and accept other perspectives, while earning 4 college credits from Babson College, which is ranked first in the field of entrepreneurship.

Knowledge/Abilities: Students will learn innovation theories and participate in real projects.

Cost: $6,500

Location: Online courses

Application deadline: Usually in March

Duration: 3 weeks

Qualification requirements: High school students, interested in innovation and entrepreneurship.

Official website link: Babson Summer Study

9. Brown Leadership Institute (BLI)

The Brown University Leadership Summer Program is a summer program open to students who make creative contributions to social issues. It aims to cultivate students' social responsibility and leadership skills. The program always believes that as long as students participate and everyone makes a little change, it can affect the transformation of world problems and social change.

The Brown University Leadership Summer Program lasts for two weeks and revolves around three parts: academic research, leadership building, and the creation of implementable plans to help students realize their constructive opinions on social issues.

At the same time, the summer program will also help students practice and develop a variety of leadership skills such as public speaking, interpersonal communication, problem-conflict resolution, and teamwork through thematic courses such as seminars, simulation experiments, group projects, reflection activities, field trips, and outdoor challenges, and enable them to have a deep understanding of complex global issues.

Knowledge/Skills: leadership development, teamwork

Cost: about $5,000, different courses have different fees

Location: both online and offline

Application deadline: usually in May

Duration: one month

Eligibility requirements: high school students

Official website link: Brown Leadership Institute (BLI)

Another option-Embark Exploration Program

Embark was founded in 2016 and is an educational institution focusing on customized scientific research training for teenagers. The core team members are master's and doctoral graduates from prestigious American universities. There are currently over 3,000 mentors from world-renowned schools such as the Ivy League, MIT, California Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, Carnegie Mellon University, and others.

Embark provides one-on-one academic research guidance, customizing research topics based on students' interests. Embark helps them systematically develop research skills, establish correct research thinking frameworks, connect research to real-world applications, appreciate the charm of research, and improve their problem-solving abilities, thereby supporting their college applications.

For more information, please visit the Embark Exploration Program. If you have any questions or need further information, feel free to contact us. We will be happy to assist and discuss possible collaboration opportunities.