Through classes and workshops, students gain inspiration and insight into academic and career pathways and interact with university faculty, students, alumni, and industry professionals.
Participants in the Exploratory Stage will gain valuable skills such as identity development, self-advocacy, and networking that will help them thrive in their academic and career pursuits.
Students are expected to participate in at least four Practice Lab sessions each year of their enrollment, two in the fall semester and two in the spring semester. They should consider themselves enrolled until they complete the program in the summer after high school graduation. All students will receive a completion certificate and NYU transcript with the non-credit program listed, and will be invited to participate in all future College & Career Lab programming.
Eligibility
Students of all backgrounds who meet the following criteria are eligible to apply to the Exploratory Stage:
Students attending home schools, parochial schools, or independent schools with unique circumstances or scholarships are welcome to apply and should note this in the additional information section on the application.
Economically disadvantaged students, first-generation college-going students, and students of color are encouraged to apply.
Important Dates
The Summer 2026 info session was held on February 3, 2026. View the recording here.
Opens: January 15, 2026
Closes: March 31, 2026 @ 11:59 pm
Admissions Notifications: Mid-May 2026
Date: June 30, 2026
Time: 5:00–6:30 pm
Location: NYU Washington Square
Students are required to attend orientation. Families are encouraged to join!
Dates: July 6–31, 2026 (Mon–Fri)
Time: 8:00 am – 2:30 pm
Location: NYU Washington Square
Date: July 31, 2026
Time: 5:00–6:45 pm
Location: NYU Washington Square
All stages and content areas will be celebrated on this date. Students and families are encouraged to join!
The College & Career Lab will run in-person at NYU’s Washington Square campus. The program does not have an online or hybrid option.
Course Content
TRACK 1 — for Rising 8th Graders
The Tisch School of the Arts will enable students to experience a range of artistic disciplines that support the fundamental premise that studying the arts is central to becoming an educated citizen of the world.
Students will have the opportunity this week to visit two of NYU’s schools, the Leonard Stern School of Business and the School of Law.
Leonard Stern School of Business is one of the world’s most recognized leaders and innovators in business education. Students will be introduced to a set of core subjects at the heart of business—economics, accounting, marketing, technology, and entrepreneurship—taught by some of the School’s leading faculty. Working professionals will also share their first-hand experiences of pursuing a business education and then forging careers using their skills and networks.
In the second half of the week, students will take classes with NYU School of Law professors and learn about important and timely issues that affect New Yorkers. Students will attend lectures and participate in small group discussions and exercises related to topics such as free speech, criminal law, and immigration.
Students will participate in a week-long program led by the Brain & Spine Scholars Program that explores how the brain works and how it shapes who we are. Through interactive lessons and hands-on activities, students will explore diverse careers in neuroscience, from medicine to basic and wet-lab research. The program aims to ignite curiosity about the mind and behavior while introducing students to the wide range of career pathways in neuroscience and medicine.
Students will begin their week with Dr. Emily Balcetis from the NYU Department of Psychology, which is one of the most popular majors at NYU. Research in the department spans a broad range of topics from the neural bases of perception and cognition to how goals, plans and motivations affect cognition and social interactions.
Students will also visit Tisch ITP at the NYU Tandon campus in Brooklyn, where they will explore the imaginative use of communications technologies—how they might augment, improve, and bring delight, utility and meaning into people’s lives.
TRACK 2 — for Rising 9th Graders
NYU Steinhardt faculty will introduce students to the variety of academic programs and career paths the School has to offer. Students will learn about jobs in occupational and physical therapy, higher education, media studies, sustainability, music, and food studies, and will combine inquiry into liberal arts and sciences with hands-on activities.
This week, students will get to work with the Department of Neuroscience, presenters from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and faculty from the Silver School of Social Work.
With the Department of Neuroscience, students will complete a circuit exploring five different types of neuroscience research through a sheep brain dissection, optical illusions, and more, designed to pique their interest in the inner workings of the mind.
The week will continue on Tuesday with a look at the specialty of Orthopedic surgery from a top surgeon in NYC, and students will get hands-on practice drilling ‘bones’ together in a surgery simulation and casting a finger. Later in the day, researchers from the Office of Science and Research will engage students with hands-on science demonstrations and interactive discussions that showcase real-world medical and health science research.
On Wednesday, students will be introduced to the growing field of media studies, including potential career paths and job opportunities. Additionally, students will engage in a group activity to create a news report on a specified topic.
Finally, students will hear from faculty of the Silver School of Social Work. NYU Silver is renowned for our strong tradition of clinical excellence, dedication to social justice, and innovative teaching, which prepare our graduates for careers of meaningful impact. The School has provided rigorous training to over 20,000 social work practitioners and leaders in every area of the field. NYU Silver’s faculty are on the leading edge of scholarly research and address society’s most intractable problems with a focus on proactive approaches and preventive interventions that transform lives.
This week will be geared towards professions concerned with how we improve and maintain the well-being of our neighbors.
Students will take classes with Wagner Graduate School of Public Service professors and learn about the many ways in which people can change and improve their communities—be it through advocacy, policy and legislation, nonprofit leadership, or elected office. Students will attend lectures, participate in small group discussions, and explore through hands-on activities.
Track 2 will conclude with visits to our partners at NYU’s Med Block.
The NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing will introduce students to nursing and discuss pathways to nursing school with hands-on activities to explore what it’s like to be a nurse.
In the two allotted dates, students will get didactic and exciting hands on instruction on dentistry careers at NYU Dentistry, focusing on the various specialties of dentistry, the important of oral health care in various populations, and what it looks like to actually work like a dental student in the preclinical lab setting.
CCL is a six-year program. After completing both tracks in the Exploratory Stage, students choose course offerings matching their interests in the Immersive Stage.
Daily Schedule
Meals, transportation (MTA card), materials, and advising support will be provided for the duration of the program.
Thinking about applying?
Get more info on the application process …
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Once you start the application, you must finish it in one session.
THERE IS NO OPTION TO SAVE YOUR WORK AND RETURN TO THE APPLICATION LATER.
