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.
Summer 2025 dates: July 14–August 1
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 (required—100 words minimum)
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?
CALI-specific question (300 words or less)
Why are you interested in participating in NYU CALI? Please share your motivations, experiences, or goals that align with what the program has to offer.
Tandon: CS4CS-specific question (100 words or less)
This program is an introduction to the fundamentals of cybersecurity and computer science for high school students. Tell us about your interest or previous experience in cybersecurity.
Tandon: ieSoSC-specific question (250 words or less)
What’s a big idea you’ve had that you wish you could bring to life? What inspired it, and how would it make a difference?
Wagner: Democracy Scholars–specific question (200–500 words)
Choose one of the following texts and reflect on the extent to which you agree or disagree:
“Where there is no common power, there is no law, where no law, no injustice. Force, and fraud, are in war the cardinal virtues. No arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death: and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.” — Hobbes, 1651
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead, 1978
Internships-specific requirement
Must upload a current resume.
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
CCL Content Week: July 14–18, 2025
10th-grade CCL students will engage in researching various post-secondary pathways, such as two and four-year colleges, vocational and trade programs, and career opportunities. Additionally, students will develop presentation skills covering design, accessibility, and public speaking. The week will conclude with students presenting on a post-secondary path that reflects their interests and immersive content area.
11th-grade CCL students will engage in a comprehensive exploration of the employment process. This journey encompasses networking, informational interviews, crafting resumes and cover letters, and honing interview techniques to excel in job interviews. By the end of the week, students will be equipped with polished application materials and refined interviewing skills to enhance their prospects in future applications.
12th-grade CCL students will sharpen their writing skills to craft compelling applications for post-secondary opportunities. By the end of the course, students will showcase their progress through the development of their personal statement and supplementary essays.
CCL Immersive Programs: July 21 – August 1, 2025
In this course, CCL scholars will take a deep dive into Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Nutrition and Food Studies, Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Music Therapy, Drama Therapy, and Art Therapy.
In this program, scholars will gain access to key information and skills needed to start their careers in rehabilitation-related health professions (RHP). Scholars will get an inside view of a wide range of health, rehabilitation & creative arts therapy professions: physical therapists, occupational therapists, nutritionists, dietitians, music therapists, art therapists, drama therapists, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists. We will visit private practices and specialized clinics so that scholars will gain hands-on experience with RHP skills and research in different professions. We will also visit state-of-the-art labs and meet researchers and students who will share their current work and stories, giving students networking opportunities. Scholars will then learn about coursework and additional resources that can help support these career choices.
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.
What makes our actions right or wrong? How should you choose when helping one person will harm another person? Is making people happy all that matters, or do we need to respect people’s rights too? And what is happiness, and what are rights? And what role should governments play in these decisions? These are questions that are central to all of our lives. Philosophers debate them every day, but high school students don’t always get a chance to discuss them head-on. This class helps students explore ideas that have occupied thinkers for centuries, while simultaneously teaching them to articulate, defend, and develop their ideas in rational and respectful debate.
Building on the week of philosophy, students will explore how some of these ideas play out in a real world context. Students will engage in a simulated public health crisis simulation where they get to experience how some of the normative conflicts and trade-offs discussed in the philosophy component of the immersion manifest in addressing real world situations. The simulation will enable students to experience how policymakers have to act in situations of uncertainty, make decisions with incomplete or conflicting data, and manage conflicting values and goals.
1-week program (July 21–25, 2025)
Introduction to XR (eXtended Reality), led by staff from NYU’s Center for Faculty Advancement iTLAB, is a one-week program that introduces students to XR technologies with a focus on virtual and mixed reality. The iTLAB aims to guide students in using XR hardware and software while demonstrating how immersive experiences may align with their professional interests.
Prospective participants should keep in mind XR involves using head-mounted equipment, which may not suit students with sensitive eyes, motion sensitivity, or hesitations about wearing such gear. Contact lenses are recommended for glasses wearers. Some software may require account creation and parental approval.
CCL scholars in the Media Studies program will be introduced to the field and guiding concepts in media studies. There will be a focus on the intersection of cultural studies, social justice, and media studies, wherein scholars will learn from current advanced MCC undergraduates about study in media and media industries. Scholars will work in groups on a media-making sound project that engages in topic analysis and research. Students will produce soundscapes, podcasts, or sound experiments that will be made available on a class WordPress blog. Students will create this blog by authoring copy and providing images as well. Sessions will be led by the MCC MediaLab, the digital media incubator and learning space overseen by faculty, staff, and undergraduate students in the Department of Media, Culture, and Communication at NYU Steinhardt.
From AI to physical computing, fabrication to rapid web development and more, what we can promise you is two weeks of fun and exploration of recently emerging technologies. The core curriculum will center around mobile app development using creative code.
Mobile App Development: What’s the most important device in your daily life? Your smartphone of course! How would you like to learn to create your very own smartphone apps that you can share with your friends and family? In this course, we’ll learn how to make web based and mobile apps that leverage the unique capabilities of smartphones. We’ll use the creative coding platform p5js to do rapid prototyping of graphics, animation, sound and video. We 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. We’ll tap into other unique features of the smartphone such as its ability to recognize touch, gestures, motion, and more.
No prior programming experience is required. Participants 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.
Not running in Summer 2025
The Immersive Stage is split into two parts: One week of grade-specific CCL content, followed by a one- to two-week Immersive program. Classes will take place Monday through Friday beginning in July at NYU’s Washington Square or Tandon campus, with additional coursework potentially required outside of class.
Typical daily schedule
Additional Offerings
We recognize that, as our students advance in their school careers, they start to form a better sense of what they want in their futures. We understand that there are programs outside of CCL that better serve these students and their interests, and do not want to prevent students from taking advantage of these opportunities or remove them from access to CCL resources and support. The Equal Educational Experience (E3) agreement allows students to maintain their spot in CCL while participating in an external program, as long as the following requirements are met:
Please be aware that choosing to take advantage of the E3 agreement and failing to commit to the requirements above could jeopardize your spot in the NYU CCL Program.
1-week program (July 13–18)
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, in collaboration with NYU campus partners, prepare scholars 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 attend CALI and not CCL content areas. CCL students will be required to participate in designated CCL check-ins with the program.
3-week program (M–F, July 14 – Aug 8)
This content area is a partnership with the Center for K12 STEM at Tandon School of Engineering. The Cyber Security for 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.
CCL Students will attend CS4CS and not CCL content areas. CCL students will be required to participate in designated CCL check-ins with the program.
5-week program (M–F, July 7 – August 8)
This content area is a partnership with the Center for K12 STEM at Tandon School of Engineering; students must attend all program days. The ieSoSC program stands at the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship, equipping students with both technical skills and business acumen. Through hands-on projects, participants will construct prototypes while delving into critical aspects of business strategy, including market positioning, customer segmentation, and financial modeling. The program culminates in a “Shark Tank” showcase, where students will articulate their entrepreneurial visions and receive feedback from seasoned professionals, preparing them for future challenges in the innovation landscape.
CCL Students will attend ieSoSC and not CCL content areas. CCL students will be required to participate in designated CCL check-ins with the program.
3-week program (July 6–26)
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 attend Democracy Scholars and not CCL content areas. CCL students will be required to participate in designated CCL check-ins with the program.
Professional Development Week + 2-week Internship (July 7–25)
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 at the internship sites.
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.
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.
