Health and Society Institute

The Barnard Health and Society Institute is a three-week summer pre-college program at Barnard College in New York City for rising high school juniors and seniors interested in medicine, public health, and the social side of health care. The 2026 session ran from July 20 to August 7, 2026. Students study how scientific and medical knowledge is produced, how diseases come to be defined, how the US health care system developed, and why health outcomes remain unequal. Alongside this coursework, students take a qualitative research course where they learn research methods, consider research ethics, and practice interviewing people about their experiences of health and wellness. Classes meet in both the morning and the afternoon. Students can attend as commuters or live on campus as residential students. In 2026, tuition was $8,160 for commuters and $10,771 for residential students, and Barnard offers a limited amount of need-based financial aid.

Open to current high school students who are rising juniors or seniors, at least 14 years old by the start of the program, and taking rigorous coursework with strong grades. The application includes an online form, an unofficial transcript, a list of extracurricular activities, teacher recommendations, and a 500-word statement of purpose, with a $75 fee after the priority deadline. Applications for summer 2027 open on December 1, 2026.