Discover a vibrant campus life experience where bright young students thrive.
The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth’s On-Campus Summer Programs offer exciting opportunities for students in grades 2-12 to tackle challenging subjects in dynamic, hands-on classrooms.
In addition to fresh, fun, and rigorous coursework, our On-Campus Summer programs provide a variety of supervised activities. These on-campus experiences foster lasting friendships and mutual learning among academically talented students.
Our students come from many different backgrounds and hold a wide variety of perspectives and beliefs. This diversity is a core part of the CTY campus life experience and encourages students to learn from others who are different from them.
Information for International Students
We understand the excitement and challenges of studying abroad, which is why we offer information for international students — including visa guidance and what to expect as a non-native English speaker—to ensure a smooth transition into your on-campus experience.
Residential Sites
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 on-campus 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 2025 include:
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.
Rise & Shine
Wake up early, get ready, and have breakfast in the campus dining hall.
Class / Lab
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!
Lunch Break
Eat lunch and catch up with friends.
Afternoon Class & Activities
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.
Dinner, Evening Session & Social Time
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.
Weekends
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.
Day Sites
Young students at our day sites spend three weeks challenging themselves academically, engaging in hands-on learning, and having fun while forming friendships with other kids who love to learn. Students arrive in the morning each weekday during their session to attend class, have lunch, participate in activities, and then go home every evening. Aftercare is available until 6 p.m. each day.
Our day programs are open to students in grades 2-6. Sites for 2025 include:
Day Site Schedule
Our day sites offer a structured yet flexible schedule that allows students to balance rigorous learning with social interaction. While daily schedules are shorter than our residential options, students still have ample time to connect with peers through fun and engaging coursework, and activities outside of class such as sports and creative arts.
Explore a typical day in the life of a day site student using the interactive schedule below.
Arrival & Morning Class
Arrive by 8:45 a.m. and prepare for a 9 a.m. class. Morning class lasts about 2 hours, with a break to go outside if weather permits.
Lunch Break
Eat lunch and chat with your classmates in the cafeteria.
Afternoon & Recreation
After lunch, there is another 2-hour class session (with a break!). Then participate in a variety of activities planned and supervised by the program assistants. They range from the standard fare of board games, athletics, and arts and crafts to unique favorites like Pirate Olympics and Dinosaur Dig.
Weekends & Nights
Spend your evenings and weekends at home during the program. Plan to spend 30 to 60 minutes on homework each night.
Requesting Special Accommodations
If special accommodations are needed for a physical, medical, mental health, or other disability, parents/guardians should submit a request for accommodations by May 15. Learn more about requesting accommodations for CTY courses.
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 on-campus programs 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.