Learn what you love and immerse yourself in vibrant residential experience.
Just because school is out for summer doesn’t mean the learning stops. The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth’s residential experiences offer opportunities for students to tackle challenging subjects in dynamic, hands-on classrooms while forming lifelong friendships with other advanced students.
CTY’s residential sites offer an immersive campus life experience, encompassing three weeks of living, learning, and making friends in an active, diverse, and inclusive on-campus community. At our residential sites, you will eat, sleep, and attend classes in campus buildings and residence halls.
Beyond the classroom, you will participate in a variety of fun, safe, and supervised afternoon and weekend activities, including talent shows, dances, and more. Through these residential experiences, you will forge lifelong friendships as you learn with—and from—other students.
Our residential options are available at select sites for students in grades 5-12 and at all sites for students in grades 7-12. Our residential sites for 2026 include:
- Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Md.)
- Roger Williams University (Bristol, R.I.)
- Dickinson College (Carlisle, Pa.)
- Ursinus College (Collegeville, Pa.)
- Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles, Calif.)
- UC-Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, Calif.)
Now Enrolling!
Registration is now open for CTY's summer courses!
- Enroll by June 8 to start courses as early as the week of July 19
Explore CTY’s Residential Courses
CTY residential courses provide a community for all advanced learners to thrive both academically and socially.
Requirements for CTY courses vary. No matter which course advanced learners pursue, our in-person residential experiences will set them up for success—both now and long into the future.
Residential Site Schedule
Life on campus for residential students offers an intellectually challenging curriculum and an exciting recreational program. While daily schedules may differ slightly from site to site, the campus experience is highly structured, and you will have plenty of fun in and out of the classroom.
Explore a typical day in the life of a residential student using the interactive schedule below.
Wake up early, get ready, and have breakfast in the campus dining hall.
Arrive to class, lab, or the lecture room by 9 am. Morning class sessions are 3 hours with breaks built in. Instructors use a variety of engaging activities and teaching strategies, so the time flies!
Eat lunch and catch up with friends.
Back to class for more learning and activities! After class, RAs put together a variety of activities for athletes, artists, boardgame fanatics, and quirky fun lovers. At Young Students sites, activities may be held after dinner instead.
Evenings include dinner with friends in the dining hall, a final class session, supervised free time, and a hall meeting to close out the day.
All students participate in a full schedule of on-campus recreational and social activities on weekends. Activities are planned and supervised by staff, and include sports, games, and special events. Look forward to weekends filled with events like dances, talent shows, carnivals, and movie nights. You also have downtime in the mornings to catch up on laundry or just relax and talk with friends. Religious services will also be held for those who choose to attend.
Daily Care and Supervision
While students are ultimately responsible for their own conduct, members of the administrative, instructional, and residential staff work together to provide clear guidelines and careful close supervision. Outside class, staff provide supervision, support, and encouragement; enforce rules; foster a safe and inclusive community; and are prepared to help students adjust to being away from home and the academic demands of CTY.
Students attending in-person courses are expected to adhere to the Student Code of Conduct. If you have a special case you would like to discuss, contact our support team.
A Note to High School Students
Most of the students coming to our residential sites are between the ages of 12-15; however, every summer we have students at each site who are almost 17 years old.
Designed with the academic and recreational interests of all age groups in mind, our program is highly structured and operates with only one set of rules. Most older students find they can succeed with these rules (e.g., 10:30 p.m. lights-out, strict campus boundaries, and close supervision), but a few students may find them too restrictive.
We encourage all students to decide whether the program is appropriate for them. Students who will have completed 9th grade by the summer, especially those attending CTY for the first time, may consider enrolling at the Johns Hopkins University site, which has classes designed specifically for high school-aged students.
Requesting Special Accommodations
We are committed to providing appropriate accommodations and support for students throughout their CTY experience. Learn more about requesting accommodations for CTY courses.
Meet our instructors
Your CTY expert instructors hail from cities and universities around the world, but they all have one thing in common: a dedication to helping our students engage and connect with advanced concepts.
CTY is one of the highlights of my year. Even though it’s the summer, the immersive learning in a subject where these students truly excel and shine is invigorating for me as a teacher.
Lauren LaPorta
CTY Instructor
CTY students have a contagious energy combined with a thirst for knowledge that I look forward to each summer. They remind me of why I became a teacher.
Antonia Richards
CTY Instructor
Being in a fast-paced environment where I can be my dorky self and teach and learn from the students I work with, are a couple of reasons why I am drawn to CTY and keep coming back.
Angel Huerta
CTY Instructor
This was my fifth summer working at CTY. I love the culture of CTY. For three weeks, students and staff from all over the world create their own special community unlike anywhere else. I love getting to be a part of that.
Amanda Mastronardi
CTY Instructor
When I was a student at CTY, I was excited to be in a place where all of the instructors and program assistants loved learning as much as I did. It wasn't until I came back as a PA that I realized CTY instructors feel just as excited to work with such dedicated and curious students.
Nick Smith
CTY Instructor
The students are so bright, interesting, and often willing to try some of the most silly and unique activities that the RAs create.
Rebecca Somer
CTY Instructor
I love that students are not here for the grade; they're here to learn. At the end of the course, I get to write about each students' progress and capture the essence of each student's performance, which I love.
Jethro Antoine
Biology Instructor
My favorite thing about teaching at CTY is watching the students' curiosity and excitement lead their learning. It's exciting as an instructor to witness their confidence increase and watch as their 'aha' moments manifest into increased knowledge and mastery of the content.
Laya Theberge
CTY Instructor