The Pacific Summer High School Institute is a two-week residential pre-college summer program designed for curious high school students to live, learn and grow at one of America’s top universities. During the program, summer institute students will become immersed in cutting-edge topics and issues through learning environments focused on real-world, hands-on experiences in our labs, studios, fields and makerspaces.
Experiential learning at their fingertips
Students can choose from a wide variety of topics, from video game design, filmmaking and esports to stock investments, entrepreneurship and much more. This year, new offerings include programs in dentistry, law, health professions, astronomy, biology and many more.
Competitive Debate
Students will learn about competitive debate while becoming more well-rounded in relevant and important topics such as race, climate, privacy and the role of government. Debaters learn superior research techniques and strategies, and are taught how to assess, connect, and persuade an audience.
Future Dentists
Gain insight and explore a rewarding career in dentistry. Learn from dentists, alumni, and staff from the world-renowned Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. During your Stockton residency and excursions to the Dugoni School on the San Francisco Campus, you’ll participate in team-building exercises, clinical shadowing experiences, hands-on clinical simulations, presentations about oral health and overall health, and interactive non-academic workshops to gain confidence and tools to prepare for college and applying to dental school.
Music camps
Musically interested students can choose between programs in band, choir, orchestra, piano, and Jazz. Students work with the Conservatory’s nationally recognized artist-faculty and, in addition to rehearsals, sectionals, and master classes, will have the opportunity to take basic musicianship, music electives, and optional private lessons. The five programs will each conclude with final concerts for friends and family to enjoy.
Two 2-week sessions in the summer of 2023
30+ academic courses taught by Pacific faculty
93% of students said they wanted to return.
Living at Pacific
Pacific Institute students will stay on our beautiful Northern California campus in the same residential halls where our college students live during the academic year. They will have an all-inclusive dining experience at the DeRosa University Center Marketplace, exercise in the state-of-the-art Baun Fitness Center and study in our newly reimagined library designed for 21st century learning and collaboration.
Activities
After classes have wrapped each day, students can participate in a wide range of planned activities, from outdoor movie nights and karaoke to arts and crafts. Students can relax in hammocks or around a firepit and play games on the DeRosa Lawn, including chess on a giant chess board, bocce, badminton and frisbee golf.
Building and cultivating strong ties with the Pacific community is one of the central goals of the Pacific Summer High School Institute and in its inaugural year, the Institute partnered with Lodi Unified School District to provide this unique academic opportunity and life-changing summer experience to 240 high-schoolers from northern Stockton and Lodi.
The district covered the tuition for programming, food, housing and activities through COVID-relief funds. The comprehensive program offered a way to re-engage students impacted by the pandemic and gave them a leg up in college preparation.
“Students and parents expressed gratitude for this life-changing experience. We appreciate the high-quality instruction provided by the professors and the care and attention the program advisors gave to our students.”
Cathy Nichols-Washer
Superintendent of Lodi Unified School District
Student Testimonials
"This summer institute really helped me become more independent and learn how to take responsibility for myself. I made some lifelong friends and am very happy I attended. I also learned how to become a better person in general through meeting so many new people."
– Ileana, Competitive Debate
"It was a wonderful experience as a upcoming high school freshman makes and me want to do my best so I can be a UOP student in the near future. My uncles have both attended this same university I want to follow in their steps. The whole entire experience was wonderful. Made new friends, learned so much in the programs."
– Mariana, Future Pharmacists
"I was part of the Curing Cancer cohort, and I really loved how Dr. Pantouris, TAs Chris, Jasmine and Andrew made sure to give students hands-on experience of working in a biochemistry lab. I loved how this allowed us to actually take a part in culturing and killing cancer cells, make protein crystals, and extract DNA. Thank you for the wonderful program."
– Jeonghyun, Finding a Cure for Cancer
"The summer institute was a really fun experience that you can't get anywhere else. It is good to have an idea of how college life will be a little early so you won't have to be nervous about how it will be when you actually go to college."
- Alexis, Finding a Cure for Cancer
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Learn more about the Institute
Enrich your students' summer with a one-of-a-kind summer camp experience. Set up a meeting with Dr. Balint Sztaray, director of the Pacific Summer High School Institute, for more information.
University of the Pacific is California’s first and oldest university, founded in 1851, less than a year after statehood. With campuses across Northern California in Stockton, Sacramento and San Francisco, the university places a premium on personalized learning and experiential opportunities for students. It is ranked in the top 100 national universities by the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education and top 20 in the West.
