What ages does Penn Pre-College Residential Program accept?

Penn Pre-College Residential Program is open to children ages 15–18. Camps publish their own age cutoffs, and some run mixed-age groups internally; check the registration page for that summer's grouping if your child sits at a boundary.

How much does Penn Pre-College Residential Program cost?

Penn Pre-College Residential Program publishes $2,532/week for the standard session. USD Final cost depends on session length, sibling discounts, and whether extended care is added on.

What are Penn Pre-College Residential Program's hours?

Penn Pre-College Residential Program runs 24-hour residential. If those hours don't quite cover your work day, check whether extended care or early drop-off is offered separately.

Who runs Penn Pre-College Residential Program?

Penn Pre-College Residential Program is operated by a university program. The operator type matters for tuition policy (refunds, financial aid eligibility) and for what kind of staff training pipeline the camp uses.

Does Penn Pre-College Residential Program provide lunch?

Yes — Penn Pre-College Residential Program includes lunch in the program. Confirm whether it's a hot lunch, cold lunch, or a snack-plus-bring-your-own setup, and ask about allergy accommodations if relevant.

How does Penn Pre-College Residential Program compare to other academic camps in Philadelphia?

Penn Pre-College Residential Program is one of 10 academic camps in Philadelphia that overlap its age range. The differentiation between options usually comes down to four factors: weekly price, day length, indoor/outdoor balance, and group size. Browse same-city alternatives in the directory to compare side by side.

▌ Academic · Ages 15–18

Penn Pre-College Residential Program

Philadelphia · $2,532/week

A residential program for high school students to experience college life and academics at the University of

▌ Editor's read The Penn Pre-College Residential Program is an overnight academic program for high school students, owned and operated by the University of Pennsylvania. The website clearly outlines a credit-bearing curriculum taught by Penn faculty, with students residing in university dormitories. While specific staff-to-student ratios are not published, the program emphasizes a supportive environment with residential staff. The website states that all staff undergo background checks. Google reviews for 'University of Pennsylvania Summer Programs' generally show a positive sentiment, with an average rating of 4.5 stars from over 100 reviews, often praising the academic rigor and campus experience. The program is not listed as ACA accredited, which is common for university-run pre-college programs. Social media handles for the School of Arts and Sciences, @upennsas on Instagram and UPennSAS on Facebook, are linked from the main university summer programs page.

⌬

University programRun by an academic institution

Shortlist in planner → Visit website

Who thrives here Ages 15–18

Penn Pre-College Residential Program serves high-school campers, which means the program is competing against summer jobs, college visits, internships, and residential overnight options. The case for a day camp at this age is usually a CIT (counselor-in-training) track, deep specialization in academic, or a portfolio item parents and kids both value. Programs that don't articulate one of those three usually lose this age band by 9th grade.

Facts & Credentials

Program type: Overnight camp
ACA accredited: Not verified
Established: Not listed
Operator: University program
Staff-to-camper ratio: Not listed

How we verify these →

Details

Category: Academic
Ages: 15–18
Hours: 24-hour residential
Address: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: (215) 746-6900
Email: [email protected]
Cost notes: USD

Logistics

Lunch provided: Yes
Transportation: No
Financial aid: No
Setting: mixed

Frequently asked about Penn Pre-College Residential Program

What ages does Penn Pre-College Residential Program accept?: Penn Pre-College Residential Program is open to children ages 15–18. Camps publish their own age cutoffs, and some run mixed-age groups internally; check the registration page for that summer's grouping if your child sits at a boundary.
How much does Penn Pre-College Residential Program cost?: Penn Pre-College Residential Program publishes $2,532/week for the standard session. USD Final cost depends on session length, sibling discounts, and whether extended care is added on.
What are Penn Pre-College Residential Program's hours?: Penn Pre-College Residential Program runs 24-hour residential. If those hours don't quite cover your work day, check whether extended care or early drop-off is offered separately.
Who runs Penn Pre-College Residential Program?: Penn Pre-College Residential Program is operated by a university program. The operator type matters for tuition policy (refunds, financial aid eligibility) and for what kind of staff training pipeline the camp uses.
Does Penn Pre-College Residential Program provide lunch?: Yes — Penn Pre-College Residential Program includes lunch in the program. Confirm whether it's a hot lunch, cold lunch, or a snack-plus-bring-your-own setup, and ask about allergy accommodations if relevant.
How does Penn Pre-College Residential Program compare to other academic camps in Philadelphia?: Penn Pre-College Residential Program is one of 10 academic camps in Philadelphia that overlap its age range. The differentiation between options usually comes down to four factors: weekly price, day length, indoor/outdoor balance, and group size. Browse same-city alternatives in the directory to compare side by side.

Planning guides

Editorial checklists to use before you compare Penn Pre-College Residential Program with other camps.

How to choose a summer camp · Use the decision checklist before you compare finalists.
STEM summer camps guide · Compare projects, staff fit, and age-readiness signals.
Financial aid and scholarship camps · Compare aid policies, discounts, and application timing.
Summer camp pricing in 2026 · Benchmark weekly cost before you commit a deposit.

Browse similar camps

Indexable directory cuts for families comparing Penn Pre-College Residential Program against nearby options.

Camps near here

Same city, with age-overlapping options first. Other camps to consider alongside Penn Pre-College Residential Program.

Drexel University LeBow College of Business Camp Business · Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA · Ages 15–18 · $2,000/week
Drexel University LeBow College of Business Camp Business - Commuter Session · Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA · Ages 15–18 · $1,000/week
Drexel University LeBow College of Business Camp Business - Residential Blue Session · Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA · Ages 15–18 · $1,500/week
Philadelphia School of Circus Arts · Germantown · Ages 5–17 · $500/week
Wharton Global Youth Program · Ages 14–18
ALICE IN WONDERLAND: An Original Musical · Walnut Street Theatre · Ages 12–18 · $325/week
Asian Americans United Youth Summer Programs · Chinatown · Ages 10–18
Beetlejuice JR. · Walnut Street Theatre · Ages 10–18 · $425/week