FAQs: Answers to the questions we often hear from prospective parents
Student safety is our top priority! Throughout the day, students are offered a variety of supervised activities tailored to their interests and energy levels. Residence halls are staffed with live-in staff including the Program Director, the Program Health Director, and Resident Assistants who provide 24-hour supervision. Staff members are also always present on off-campus excursions. With an experienced, highly trained staff and the support if needed from on-campus college security, we provide the necessary supervision to ensure the safety and well-being of all students.
Think you might have a passion for creating things to make the world a better place? That's great! If you want to become an engineer, you will have to study engineering in college and earn your degree. It is also great to get a head start and start experiencing what engineers do before you even enter college. But you do not have to want to be an engineer to attend this program. All you have to have is a desire to check out something new, make new friends, and explore life on a college campus.
Because ages and grades can vary by geography and nationality, we list both eligible ages and grades. We accept students who will be 13-17 years old and/or students entering grades 9-12 in the coming school year (after the Summer Institute) into the program. Occassional exceptions have been made for smart, responsibl e, mature 12-year olds; we cannot accept anone over the age of 18.
Yes! We work very hard to make the experience safe, fun, and a wonderful learning and growth opportunity. Learn what it takes to become an engineer! Living on a college campus is awesome. This applies to every student, regardless of how much experience they have at camp or in another sleepaway program!
Yes! Students applying do not need to have any engineering experience. Not every high school student has had a solid engineering class or a formal background in this discipline. That is not required on the road to become an engineer. Our summer engineering camp for high school students will introduce everyone to the principal areas of study within engineering.
Yes! The TryEngineering Summer Institute curriculum is specially designed just for this program by IEEE STEM curriculum specialists for students with lots of experience, as well as those new to engineering. In addition to technical knowledge, there is a strong emphasis on communication and working in teams on engineering projects, which are essential skills for every engineer. No matter what ability level or experience you have, this program is for you!
Yes! We train our staff to work with students who are having their first sleepaway experience. Also, you are not alone! There will be many other students who will be sleeping away from home for the first time, some traveling from other states and countries. We are here to help with any homesickness, and make sure you have a great first experience.
Yes! There is an IEEE discount for members who would like to send family members or friends to the program and see if they might like to become an engineer. All that is needed is an IEEE member number to take advantage of the discount. The tuition fees are listed on our enrollment page. Please call or email us with any questions: +1 315-816-4023 / info@tryengineeringinstitute.org
A $500 deposit is due at the time of registration and is included in the total tuition.
Final payment is due May 15th, 2024. Join us to see if you would like to become an engineer! Registrations after this date must be paid in full.
Yes; payments of any amount can be made at any time between registration (where a deposit is required) and final payment through our online registration system. There is no additional fee for making online payments.
Yes! There are a limited number of need-based scholarships available to legal residents of the USA. This is a great way to get on a path become an engineer. To see the full list of information and to apply, please visit our scholarship page.
Roommates are matched by age and by using the information provided in the roommate section of the application. Students are housed in residence halls, and organized and separated by self-described gender and age. Staff members will live on each floor to provide constant supervision and direction. Explore each program location to read more about each venue.
Yes; we offer drivers and vans to pick-up and drop-off students. Please contact our office for details. For those who choose this service, full payment and travel information must be submitted by June 1, 2024. The price for this service is $250 for both ways or $195 for one-way. The airport codes for airports closest to each camp include:
- University of San Diego: San Diego International Airport (SAN)
- University Of Pennsylvania: Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
- Rice University: George Bush International (IAH) or Houston-Hobby Airport (HOU)
Booking the flight:
- Arrival: On the first day of the session, anytime before noon is preferred.
- Departure: On the last day of the session, anytime from Noon – 5pm is preferred.
If you cannot find flights at these times, please try to find one as close as possible, so we can group the pick ups and drop offs together. Once you have booked your flight, please forward the entire itinerary to us at info@tryengineeringinstitute.org. Please make sure the itinerary has the student name, date, time, and flight numbers included.
Is your student flying as an unaccompanied minor? You will need the name, address, and phone number of the staff member that will be picking up or dropping off your student. We do not assign the staff members until camp begins, so in the meantime, you will need a placeholder. Please contact us, and we will provide the contact info for the director on-site. Then when camp begins, you will be able to call the airline and change it to the person who will be there.
The day before the flight, the director will be in contact with you to confirm all of the flight info, and assign the staff member that will be in charge of the pick up or drop off. Then the staff member will text a photo of themselves to your student and make sure they have each other saved in their phones.
Upon arrival, the assigned staff member will be waiting at baggage claim with a camp T-shirt and their cell phone in hand. Once your student exits the plane they can call the staff member (and you!) to meet up, grab their bags, and head back to campus in a cab or shuttle.
Staff members will also drop off students at the airport. Students are transported by cab or airport shuttle. The staff member will help them get checked in, and check baggage. (Note: If your student is checking a bag, please be sure to send along cash for any fees that might need to be paid on the return flight for luggage. This will vary from airline to airline.)
If your teen is flying as an unaccompanied minor, our staff member will escort them through security and wait with them until the plane takes off. If your student doesn’t need an escort, then our staff member will remain at the airport until the plane takes off. If you have any questions regarding this procedure please feel free to give us a call anytime. (315) 816-4023
We prefer that you arrive between 1pm-3pm on start days and leave after 12:00 p.m. on departure days. We cannot accept students a day early or keep students a day late as we do not have access to the residence halls and rooms at that time. For students flying in, we will pick-up at any time on those days, however to ensure the best experience we urge all families to have their student arrive during those times. We do know that international or cross-country flights may make that impossible and we will work with you individually to determine what is best for you and your student. Call us!
Some of our students fly in on their quest to become an engineer. If you require airport pick-up/drop-off service, please let us know as soon as you arrange your flights. Email the student’s itinerary and receipt from the airline to info@tryengineeringinstitute.org
Pickup: Parents will receive a phone call the night before the student’s flight to confirm all information. Parents will also receive an email with the name and photo of the person conducting the pick-up, so students will know who to look for. Staff members will be waiting just past security in a TryEngineering Summer Institute t-shirt with a sign containing the student’s name and the Summer Institute logo. Parents will receive a call as soon as the student pick-up is complete. Assistance is provided with baggage pick-up and loading items into a professionally driven transport. Students are then personally escorted directly to the residence hall.
Drop off: Students are transported from the dorm with ample time before their flight departure. Students will receive assistance with check-in and baggage drop-off, and are escorted to security. Please ensure any baggage fees are prepaid prior to check-in. One staff member remains at the airport until all flights have departed, so if a flight is cancelled, someone is available to offer students assistance with re-booking or even returning to the dorm as necessary.
Please call +1 315-816-4023 with any questions about the flight pick-up and drop-off service. International students may find it easier to email us at info@tryengineeringinstitute.org
Yes! International students visiting the United States to attend the TryEngineering Summer Institute do not need anything other than a tourist visa. Neither an F-1 nor an M-1 visa is required. Visas can be obtained from the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the student’s home country. We do not offer assistance in obtaining the visa or with entry into the United States. We can however provide a letter confirming a student’s participation in the program if needed. Students can be picked up at the airport using our optional drop-off/pick-up service. Please call or email us with any questions: +1 315-816-4023 / info@tryengineeringinstitute.org
We understand that the age differences create variations in experience, academic backgrounds and other areas. There are times when everyone is together and other times when smaller groups gather. Our instructors have flexibility in adjusting the level of complexity, so everyone is challenged. And in the dorms, students are placed in rooms by age so that each roommate is the same or close to the same age as their roommate. We work very hard to ensure that everyone feels safe and has a great time.
Yes! We accept both commuter students and residential students. Commuter/day students have the convenience of living at home while residential students enjoy the complete university experience. Either way you are on the road to become an engineer!
Yes! Commuter students should check-in on opening day between 2:00-3:00 p.m. to meet the staff, go over the rules and begin the process of creating a community. Commuter students will have dinner with us on opening day as well. Commuter students and their parents are part of the closing ceremony on the last day of the TryEngineering Summer Institute. If you have any questions or for some reason cannot make one or either of these sessions, please call us and we will work it out. However the program is designed such that all students are there on the opening day for the start of the session and are present for the closing ceremony on the last day until 12PM.
Commuter students should be on campus for first day from 2:00 - 7:00 p.m. They also attend classes daily. Daily drop off is between 8:00-8:45 a.m. and pick up is between 4:00-4:30 p.m. The closing ceremony on the last day is at 10AM.
We will allow students to have their cell phones at all times to be able to stay in contact with you and for safety. We will encourage students to put them away during class and social activities to lessen distractions. If there is an emergency, you will also be able to contact the camp Director 24/7. The phone number will be provided when camp begins.
Please call us if you have any questions regarding this. We understand this is a sensitive subject for many students and parents. What we want is students who are engaged and learning, and parents who feel their children are safe and can be easily contacted if the need arises.
The focus of the TryEngineering Summer Institute is on student achievement, personal growth, academic enrichment and social and personal development bundled into an amazing collegiate experience. The curriculum has been developed specifically for this program by engineers and educators from IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional association with 130 years of rich history and expertise. The academic program is aimed at providing students with engineering foundations, skills and tips on preparing for academic and career paths in engineering. The Summer Institute program is coordinated and delivered by Summer Squares, a provider run by folks with over 20 years of experience implementing premier academic summer learning camps for students. Each Summer Institute will also leverage the amazing resources provided by the host university. In concert, these resources create a unique summer academic experience that will make a profound and lasting difference with the students; and will ultimately help to shape their future.
No. Academically, the programs are the same and mirror one another. Students who choose to attend a second session during the summer will be immersed in the same work, and given the opportunity to explore it in new ways. So no, there is no difference between the sessions, and you don’t have to attend the first session to attend another one. They are both stand-alone programs.
Yes. All of our host sites are familiar with students who have food allergies and can make arrangements for this. We take this very seriously. Please let us know in advance if students have any food allergies or restrictions and we will work with you and dining services to make arrangements based on your needs. Vegetarian options will also be available at every meal.
Absolutely! We welcome people with disabilities and are committed to providing all students with equal access to the educational experience on the way become an engineer. Please contact us to let us know and we will make arrangements based on your needs.
We are committed to offering the TryEngineering Summer Institute community with an educational experience of the highest quality, while maintaining a safe, healthy and respectful environment. Conduct that threatens the health or safety of any person, or that poses a threat of causing damage to the Institute, campus or community, will not be excused from the program if need be. The Institute has a “Zero Tolerance” policy with regard to alcohol, illegal drugs, theft, lewd or indecent behavior, sexual, racial or personal harassment or intolerance, or causing damage to the facilities, tools, rooms etc.. Participants are subject to discipline, up to and including dismissal, for conduct in violation of these terms.
We do have a limited number of positions open. If showing students a path to a new future now and when and how they can become an engineer resonates with you, please email us a cover letter and resume, let us know where you see yourself in the camp structure, we have positions like:
- Program,
- Academic Director,
- Res life Director,
- Nurse/EMT,
- and the important RAs, Resident Assistants who live in the dorm with the students), and most importantly why do you want to work at camp? Did you go to camp as a youth? Are you a camp person (if you know you know). If you answered yes to at least some of these questions, and especially if you are mad smart, fun, spontaneous, nimble, and have the kids safety and happiness be foremost in your mind naturally, then yes, email us your info!
If that is you, then email us at info@tryengineeringinstitute.org
We are more than happy to answer all of your questions! There are several ways to reach us.
Contact us via our online form, email info@tryengineeringinstitute.org or call +1 315-816-4023.
Think you might have a passion for creating things to make the world a better place? That's great! If you want to become an engineer, you will have to study engineering in college and earn your degree. It is also great to get a head start and start experiencing what engineers do before you even enter college. But you do not have to want to be an engineer to attend this program. All you have to have is a desire to check out something new, make new friends, and explore life on a college campus.
Yes we sure do! Sign up on our mailing list HERE and we will send you the link on the day of each Zoom.
Scenes From Last Summer
With nonstop sunshine and the beaches, strands, shopping and more just a stone’s throw from campus, our USD TESI students will really have a wonderful summer. With such beautiful surroundings, we get the chance to explore and maybe even find the legendary fish taco truck!
The University of Pennsylvania is a fabulous, safe urban campus located in the heart of Philadelphia. This allows us easy access to many of the local sights, sounds and flavors available to us!
The entrance is staffed by Penn Security 24/7. Inside is our air-conditioned wonderland, packed with the same fabulous amenities the Penn students enjoy. We also have our own outdoor area, inside the secure walls, where we have patio seating, tables, a grassy area, and more. It is quite lovely.
Past students have had the opportunity to discover on-campus engineering tools, equipment and technology that will be available to them as future engineering students. In previous summers we have toured the engineering departments at our host venues to meet and greet and see what are the latest aspects and cutting edge work that is being done.
Get a peek at the inner workings of top engineering companies and centers and discover the world inside your dream career! In previous years, our students:
Students will gain valuable knowledge from engineering professionals on how to succeed in college and in an engineering career.
TryEngineering Summer Institute students explore engineering design challenges through hands-on teamwork. Previous students participated in projects such as:
