Summer 2025 Pre-College Program Impact

Preparing the Future of Technology Leadership

High school students from across the country — and the globe — spent Summer 2025 challenging themselves through Stevens’ immersive, residential Pre-College Programs. These talented students dove into topics ranging from Artificial Intelligence in Modern Society and Electronic Music production to Medicinal Chemistry: Discovering Molecules that Cure and Civil Engineering Design. Through the generosity of alumni and friends, scholarships supported more than 140 eager participants, with over half joining from our Accessing Careers in Engineering and Science (ACES) initiative partner schools.

Student Reflections

As participants’ knowledge and skills grew, so did their confidence and, in many cases, their passion for STEM.

I hoped to get some experience with engineering as a whole but did not think it would be so captivating. The instructors were able to make the lessons fun and interesting, genuinely making me want to know more. It opened my mind to different sectors of engineering and solidified my wanting to do chemical engineering. Previously I had no experience with chemical engineering, but through this program, I was able to get to know what work is put into it, and it made me fall in love with it.

— Bryan C. Engineering Boot Camp

Stevens gave me the opportunity to make use of my time and effort for the sake of a better chance at a good college. The program revealed to me the different career opportunities available and also helped me understand what it means to be a college student living on campus, having to get ready for class and finding time to make friends.

— Falaki M. Biology: Genetics & Medicine

I never expected to be able to dissect a brain in this program, since I thought that we were only going to use virtual reality. I had the most wonderful time looking at the ventricles in the sheep brain, the tapetum lucidum in a cow eye, and even looking at a fatty spinal cord. It was a great experience! I was debating whether to pursue neuroscience in college, and now that I got a deeper understanding of the field, I'm more confident about going into it!

— Olivia M. Exploring the Human Brain with Virtual Reality: An Introduction to Neuroscience

I came from Chicago expecting not to make friends or to like the college experience, but I made friends on the first day. I enjoyed the freedom we had. [The program] showed me that I have to learn lots of things but also to enjoy my time.

— Estela G. Business Explorer

I would say that walking into the dorm and meeting my roommate, learning his interests and ambitions, was a story of its own due to the fact that it broadened my world and also made me realize that there might be thousands of people in the world who could be just like me. My pre-college experience impacted my plans for college because it made me aware of the countless opportunities that college has to offer.

— Gilbert N. Exploring Career Options in Engineering and Science (ECOES)

Enhanced Experiences

The 2025 Pre-College Program summer residential courses balanced immersion in campus life with site visits to enhance experiential learning. Highlights include:

• Students in Electronic Music Production visited Enamoured Sound Studios in Brooklyn, NY

• The Medicinal Chemistry group toured facilities of the global biotechnology company, Regeneron® Pharmaceuticals

• Artificial Intelligence in Modern Society students visited Inter AIA, an AI-powered football and career management platform company

• The Biology: Genetics & Medicine group visited Jersey City’s Liberty Science Center

• Students in the Business Explorer group visited the global digital sports platform Fanatics

• Indoor skydiving company iFly welcomed students from ECOES and the Engineering Bootcamp

• Civil Engineering Design students visited New York City’s One World Observatory

• SpyScape was the site visit destination for students in the Cybersecurity and Introduction to Programming tracks

• Students studying Data Science for Social Policy visited the United Nations

• The Introduction to Game Design group visited Mission Escape Games, the company behind Mission Escape rooms

• Hackensack University Medical Center welcomed students in the Pre-Med Biomedical Engineering course