Through content deep dives and continuous workshops, CCL scholars develop skills to thrive in college and post-secondary pathways while gaining experiences directly related to career readiness.
CCL scholars in the Immersive Stage will receive content-specific college-level courses, experiential learning opportunities, and a specialized curriculum for developing leadership, networking, and college and post-secondary preparation skills. Paid internship opportunities are available to rising 12th-grade and post-secondary students.
Students are expected to participate in one Practice Lab session in both the fall and spring semesters each year and should consider themselves a CCL scholar 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
Important Dates
Application Opens: February 1, 2025
Application Closes: March 31, 2025 @ 11:59 pm
Students are automatically admitted to the Immersive Stage based on continuous participation from the Exploratory Stage, including Practice Labs. Content area designation is sent in mid-May 2025.
Immersive Summer 2025 Orientation date forthcoming
All students will pick up their program materials on July 1, 2025 unless otherwise noted.
Scholars admitted to Wagner or Tandon programs will have two orientation commitments.
Immersive Summer 2025 Program dates forthcoming
Dates and times vary for content-specific programs and will run no more than 1 to 3 weeks during July and into August.
Date: August 1, 2025
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!
Application Information
To be considered for admission you must submit:
Students will rank their Immersive Stage course choice in order of preference. Every year you will have the opportunity to attend the CCL Immersive program—we will continue adding courses to our list!
Please note that space is limited in each Immersive course. If you do not get the program of your choice, CCL will prioritize you for your first choice the next summer.
Applications must be submitted by March 31, 2025 @ 11:59 pm.
Your contact and biographical information
You should submit your application using an email address that you can easily access.
We suggest you use an email address that you are currently using for school-related work. However, most school email addresses block NYU communications, so we encourage you to check your spam folder frequently to avoid missing an important email from us.
If you only have a school email account, we suggest you use a parent or guardian’s email address, or create an additional Gmail account for yourself. Email communications you may receive from the College & Career Lab include:
Short-answer question
We want to learn more about your current interests and future aspirations, and about how your experiences have shaped those interests. The required short-answer question listed below is designed to help you communicate these topics.
We highly recommend preparing your response to the short-answer question before opening the application. You can do this by typing it out with word-processing software or in an email, then copying and pasting your typed response into the application page.
If you are having difficulty with the short-answer question, we recommend reaching out to a counselor or teacher at your school. They can help you draft and revise your response before submission.
Choice ranking
Due to limited space in each Immersive course, students will be asked to rank their course preferences. We will try to match students to their top choice.
If students do not get their first choice, they have the opportunity to attend CCL’s Immersive program from now until after high school graduation, and will be able to choose another Immersive experience the following summer.
Citizenship information
Your citizenship status does not affect your admission to the College & Career Lab.
Need help?
If you are having problems filling out the application online, please email us so we can assist you.
Short-answer question: 100 words minimum (required)
Please describe your interest in your top choice. Why are you interested in this field of study? What do you hope to learn by spending the summer with your top-choice program?
Tandon: CS4CS-specific question
The Center for K12 is intended to lift up and give opportunities to communities underrepresented in STEM. How do you think you contribute to your STEM community?
Wagner: Democracy Scholars–specific question
What is an issue you have a burning desire to know more about? Why?
Admission to the College & Career Lab does not guarantee admission to New York University or any other university. For more information on how to apply to an undergraduate program at NYU, visit Undergraduate Admissions.
Course Content
SESSION 1 — July 9–19
2-week program (July 9–19)
The NYU Neuroscience Outreach Group (NOGN) content area will include a lecture and activity each day with a mini-presentation project focused on learning to navigate scientific research journals. CCL scholars will investigate concepts in neuroanatomy, learning, memory, diseases of the brain, the senses, and careers in neuroscience. Activities may include sheep brain dissection, drawing of the brain through an artist’s perspective, and more. This program seeks to engage students in the exciting field of neuroscience and understand how science can unlock the brain’s many mysteries.
2-week program (July 9–19)
The MCC Media Lab is a digital media incubator and learning space overseen by faculty and undergraduate students in the Department of Media, Culture, and Communication at NYU Steinhardt. CCL scholars will be introduced to the field and guiding concepts of media studies. There will be a focus on the intersection of social justice and media studies, where scholars will learn from visiting guests offering post-collegiate career options. Scholars will work in groups on a media-making sound project that engages in topic analysis and research. These soundscapes, podcasts, or sound experiments will be made available on a class WordPress blog that students create by authoring copy and providing images.
2-week program (July 9–19)
Introduction to XR (eXtended Reality), led by staff from NYU’s Center for Faculty Advancement iTLAB, will provide CCL scholars with an introduction to extended reality technologies, focusing on virtual reality, which is seeing the fastest growth in the early 2020s. iTLAB’s goal is to instruct scholars in the use of VR hardware, software, and immersive experiences, which students will use to create a project connecting virtual reality to their immediate area of interest—a design for a game or experience, a piece of art or engineering (created in VR or for VR), a short essay or story, or any idea that is feasible with the time and resources available.
Some users find virtual reality uncomfortable, particularly those with motion sensitivity, so students should take this into consideration. Additionally, there may be instances where a student wishes to explore a tool or software (e.g. Sketchfab) requiring the creation of an account, which may need the approval of a parent or guardian.
SESSION 2 — July 22 – August 2
2-week program (July 22 – August 2)
The Tisch School of the Arts: Interactive Telecommunications Program dives into two areas of exploration for CCL scholars.
Mobile App Development: What’s the most important device in your daily life? Your smartphone of course! CCL scholars will learn to create their very own smartphone apps that they can share with their friends and family. In this course, they’ll learn how to make web-based and mobile apps that leverage the unique capabilities of smartphones. Scholars will use the creative coding platform p5js to do rapid prototyping of graphics, animation, sound, and video. They will learn how to tap into the sensors in smartphones to develop a wide variety of apps for gaming, playing with photos and live video, and creating and manipulating other types of media. They’ll navigate other unique features of the smartphone such as its ability to recognize touch, gestures, motion, and more.
Reuse and Recycle: So you’re getting a new phone? STOP! Don’t throw that old one out! And save the box too! CCL scholars will innovate by using old things in new ways. They will keep electronic waste out of our environment by re-inventing old phones as single-use appliances. Scholars will unlock the unique smart features of older phones and turn themselves into smart environmental stewards.
No prior programming experience is required. Students will be provided with an Android smartphone and a laptop to experiment with during the class.
This program will run on Tandon’s campus. Students will be required to participate in designated CCL summer activities for check-ins with the program.
2-week program (July 22 – August 2)
The School of Global Public Health content area will provide a deep dive into the field of public health, exploring its many facets with an emphasis on community and environmental health. CCL scholars will use various tools and techniques to explore current challenges in public health and consider how social, environmental, and other factors shape the health of communities and neighborhoods. Scholars will evaluate data and trends to determine how and where environmental challenges are having a greater and lesser impact. A diverse group of faculty and global health professionals representing a wide range of health areas will interact with CCL scholars during the course.
2-week program (July 22 – August 2)
In this course CCL scholars will take a deep dive into Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Nutrition and Food Studies, and Communicative Sciences and Disorders.
Scholars will get an inside view of what it’s like to be an occupational therapist (OT), focusing on applied scientific inquiry and clinical areas such as pediatrics, developmental disabilities, mental health, physical disabilities, and assistive rehabilitation technologies. Next, they will become familiar with physical therapists (PT)—health care professionals who examine and provide interventions for people with health problems resulting from injury or disease. PTs work in a range of sectors such as private physical therapy offices, sports facilities, rehabilitation centers, schools and pediatric centers.
Students will gain practical insight focused on the relationships among human consumption, food systems, culture, and health by learning about nutritionists and registered dieticians. Finally, we’ll wrap the week with the communicative sciences and disorders profession, which aims to understand, assess, and treat disorders in speech, voice, language, and swallowing.
This week is all about moving, site visits, and exploring these careers in action!
Not running in Summer 2024
2-week program (July 15–26)
The Tisch School of the Arts: Film and Television content area is a filmmaking class focused on the art and craft of the personal video essay. Students will identify, research, and explore subject matter that has some biographical basis in their life. The program is taught by Rick Litvin, faculty at NYU Tisch’s undergraduate Department of Film and Television. Professor Litvin is a filmmaker, songwriter, photographer, and educator.
2-week program
The NYU Philosophy Outreach Group’s “Big Questions” content area will include lectures, workshops, and in-depth discussions with current philosophy faculty and students. CCL students will explore concepts focused on questions such as: What makes an action right or wrong? Do we really know the things we think we know? What makes a life good? These are questions that are central to all of our lives. Philosophers discuss them every day, but high school students don’t always get a chance to confront them head-on. “Big Questions” helps students explore ideas that have occupied thinkers for centuries, while simultaneously teaching them to articulate, defend, and adjust their ideas in rational and respectful debate. This program is a favorite of students in CCL’s Exploratory program and we are excited to offer an in-depth investigation into this subject.
2-week program
The NYU Center for Data Science will expose CCL scholars to the Center’s flagship undergraduate course, Data Science for Everyone. This course is truly for all students—the only prerequisite is high school algebra—and we especially welcome students with no prior coding or statistics experience. Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life as a data scientist!
Classes will take place Monday through Friday beginning in July at NYU’s Washington Square or Tandon campus, with additional coursework required outside of class.
Typical daily schedule
Meals, transportation (MTA card), materials, and advising support will be provided for the duration of the program.
Additional Offerings
3-week program (July 15 – August 9 • 9:00– 4:00)
Orientation: June 28 online
This content area is a partnership with the Center for K12 STEM at Tandon School of Engineering. The Cyber Security fo Computer Science (CS4CS) program provides an introduction to the fundamentals of cybersecurity and computer science. This program strives to educate and empower a new generation of engineers in an inclusive environment that breaks down barriers that have historically led to the underrepresentation of women and minorities in STEM.
CCL Students will attend CS4CS and not CCL content areas. They are required to participate in designated CCL summer activities for check-ins with the program.
5-week program (July 1 – August 2 • 9:00– 4:00)
Orientation: June 28 online
This content area is a partnership with the Center for K12 STEM at Tandon School of Engineering; students must attend all program days. ieSoSC focuses on advancing technology and engineering skills through design and prototyping, built around real-world “smart city” applications and research. Through lessons on deploying circuitry, electronics, coding, and cloud computing, and using microcontrollers, sensors, and other hardware for complex tasks, students learn how scientists and engineers apply fundamental knowledge to address challenges in the real world. Students will contribute to team projects that they will demonstrate during final presentations.
1-week program (July 14–19)
RESIDENTIAL — students live at NYU in dorms
Through a partnership with NYU College Access Leadership Institute (CALI), CCL scholars will navigate the college admissions process. Led by NYU admissions counselors, CALI is a series of intensive workshops and seminars that prepare students to apply for and succeed at college.
Scholars will dive into key aspects of the college application and transition process, such as essay writing, building college lists, and applying for financial aid and scholarships. They’ll complete the program empowered with the knowledge and new skills they need to confidently conquer college applications.
CCL Students will be required to participate in designated CCL summer activities for check-ins with the program.
3-week program (July 7–28)
RESIDENTIAL — students live at NYU in dorms
Through a partnership with NYU Democracy Scholars at the Wagner School of Public Service, CCL scholars will explore relevant topics in political philosophy and social justice, and develop confidence in their academic and leadership capabilities. Scholars will participate in small discussion-based seminars led by NYU professors and gain experience in college-level reading, writing and critical thinking. Additionally, students receive mentoring and support throughout the college application process from professors, Democracy Scholar mentors, and college application experts.
CCL scholars who are admitted to this content area must commit to:
CCL students will be required to participate in designated CCL summer activities for check-ins with the program.
2-week internship program (July 15–26)
CCL offers limited internships (with a $600 stipend) to students interested in gaining professional development and educational training skills by interning with CCL or a partner site for two weeks in the summer. Interns are compensated for up to 20 hours per week.
Interns will attend orientation on Thursday, July 11.
Students selecting the internship will upload a resume to the application. After April 1 students will be invited for a conversation (informal interview); internship placements will be sent by May.
Being selected as an intern will replace the Immersive experience this summer.
In addition to the Immersive content areas organized and managed by the College & Career Lab, CCL partners with NYU summer programs running concurrently to offer our Immersive students a robust selection of opportunities. Please note that the dates of these programs differ from those offered directly by CCL and are managed by the partner programs.
Meals, transportation (MTA card), and materials will still be provided to students prior to their participation in the programs, but CCL advisors will not be in these sessions with the students.
