Academic Year Weekend

Columbia Academic Year Weekend is an online, non-credit pre-college program from Columbia University for high school students in grades 9 through 12. Classes meet live on Columbia's online learning platform on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays. Each term lasts seven weekends. The fall 2026 term runs October 9 to November 22, 2026, and the spring 2027 term runs January 15 to March 21, 2027. Students may take up to four courses per term, and Columbia suggests taking one to three. Most classes last three hours and are offered in morning, afternoon, or evening time slots in Eastern Time. Weekend activities include college prep and career workshops, leadership seminars, virtual clubs, and small peer groups with a student mentor. Students who complete the program receive a Columbia University Certification of Participation and an evaluation letter from their instructor. Columbia currently lists the cost as $2,868 for one course, with each extra course costing $2,700.

Open to domestic and international students who are in grades 9-12 while the program runs. Apply online with an $80 application fee, an unofficial transcript, a teacher recommendation, and answers to two short response questions. Applications for spring 2027 opened October 7, 2026. The early registration deadline is October 25, 2026, and the general application deadline is December 21, 2026.