Exceptional Pre-College Engineering Program for High Schoolers at Cambridge University
Ta_engineering_2
University of Cambridge Campus, UK

Exceptional Summer Pre-College Engineering Program for High Schoolers at Cambridge University Campus

age icon 16-18 years old

time icon 2 weeks

book icon Weekly hours: 20

See Dates

Session Dates

Choose your preferred session from the options below and submit your details in order to complete your booking.

June - Day

Start 6/28/2026
End 7/11/2026
Duration 2 Weeks
Price £5,995

June - Boarding

Start 6/28/2026
End 7/11/2026
Duration 2 Weeks
Price £7,495

July - Boarding

Start 7/12/2026
End 7/25/2026
Duration 2 Weeks
Price £7,495

July - Day

Start 7/12/2026
End 7/25/2026
Duration 2 Weeks
Price £5,995

July - Day

Start 7/26/2026
End 8/8/2026
Duration 2 Weeks
Price £5,995

July - Boarding

Start 7/26/2026
End 8/8/2026
Duration 2 Weeks
Price £7,495

Course Description: Exceptional Summer Pre-College Engineering Program for High Schoolers at Cambridge University Campus

🛠️ Pre-College Engineering Summer Program

📍 Cambridge & Oxford Colleges | Ages 16–18

This award-winning academic summer school offers ambitious students aged 16–18 the chance to dive into Engineering at university level. Through 30 hours of rigorous academic sessions, personal projects, and hands-on modules, you’ll expand your knowledge, problem-solving skills, and understanding of what it’s like to study engineering at some of the world’s most prestigious institutions.

***

📚 Course Description

  • Designed to build on the science, math, and problem-solving skills you already have and apply them to real-world challenges.

  • Encourages independent thinking, research, and the development of your own ideas.

  • By the end of the programme, you’ll gain insight into both university-level content and the wide variety of engineering-related degree pathways.

  • Includes a Personal Project: an essay or presentation given at the end of the programme, with tutor feedback included in your final assessment.

***

🔑 Sample Modules

  1. Electrical Engineering
  • Apply electromagnetism principles to understand circuits and sensors.

  • Explore digital circuits in laptops and smartphones, including their limitations.

  • Build your own radio receiver.

  1. Mechanical Engineering ⚙️
  • Review kinematics and Newton’s laws of motion.

  • Explore rigid body dynamics in 2D and 3D.

  • Design earthquake-resistant buildings and pitch your own ideas.

  1. Material Engineering 🔬
  • Investigate nanoscience and nanotechnology.

  • Evaluate and test existing and emerging materials.

  • Learn how new materials are developed for cutting-edge research.

  1. Engineering a Solution 🛠️
  • Work in pairs to solve a real-world engineering problem.

  • Present and demonstrate a working prototype.

  • Defend your design in a peer Q&A session.

***

🏛 Accommodation & Dining

  • 13 nights in a central Cambridge or Oxford college.

  • 🏰 Historic colleges with unique character (many over 500 years old, no air conditioning).

  • 🛏 Bedrooms:

  • Single occupancy.

  • Shared bathrooms (1 per 4 students), gender-separated corridors.

  • Limited ensuite facilities prioritised for students with additional needs (ensuite corridors may be mixed-gender).

  • 🍴 Breakfast & dinner included daily in historic dining halls.

  • 👫 Requests for siblings/friends to stay near each other considered where possible.

  • 📶 Wi-Fi available throughout.

  • 🔒 Rooms secured with locks; housekeeping for maintenance access.

  • Dietary needs, including medical and religious observances, fully accommodated (inform staff in advance).

***

🍽 Formal Hall Tradition

  • Experience Formal Hall twice during your stay — a traditional Cambridge/Oxford dinner by candlelight.

  • 👔 So remember to bring smart clothes for these occasions!

***

🎉 Social & Cultural Activities

  • A vibrant programme led by friendly mentors:

  • 🚣 Punting on the River Cam

  • ⚽ Zorb football

  • 🎲 Games night

  • 🎥 Movie night

  • ❓ Quiz night

  • 🎤 Talent show

  • 🕵️ Murder mystery night

  • 🏏 Croquet on college lawns

  • Activities help you bond with peers from around the world.

***

🚌 Excursions

  • 🌟 Day trip to Oxford and its colleges.

  • 🏙 Optional day trip to London to explore landmarks & shop.

  • 🍰 Students who opt out of London enjoy afternoon tea in Cambridge.

***

✈️ Travel & Arrival Details

  • 🕑 Arrival: Sunday between 2–5 pm (rooms ready by 3 pm). Registration & orientation included.

  • 🚐 Heathrow Transfers: Shared, chaperoned service (£180 each way):

  • Sunday arrivals: 11:00, 14:00, 17:00.

  • Final Saturday returns: 07:00 & 12:00.

  • Pastoral team available at all Heathrow terminals.

  • 📦 Alternative arrival options supported (details in Welcome Pack).

***

✅ What’s Included

  • 🏛 13 nights in a Cambridge/Oxford college.

  • 🍴 Breakfast & dinner daily (lunch included for ages 13–15).

  • 📚 30 hours of academic sessions with expert tutors.

  • 📖 Carefully designed lecture & study materials.

  • 👩‍🏫 Mentor programme with personal support.

  • 🎉 Full social activities programme.

  • 🚌 2 coach excursions (Oxford + London/afternoon tea).

  • 🍽 2 Formal Dinners (bring smart clothes!).

  • 🧾 Comprehensive summer school insurance.

  • 🎓 Graduation ceremony + certificate.

  • 📝 Detailed evaluation from tutor.

  • 📔 Notebook & pen.

  • 📸 Mentor family photograph.

***

💰 Pocket Money Advice

We recommend ~£80 per week for lunches (for students 16+), souvenirs, and personal spending. ATMs and banks are available throughout Cambridge, and Visa/Mastercard widely accepted.

Activities

  • Outside of lessons, enjoy a busy and diverse social program including punting on the River Cam, zorb football, games night, movie night, quiz night, talent show and a murder mystery night at the college.
  • All activities and excursions are led by our team of friendly mentors, dedicated to maximizing your enjoyment.

Accommodations

  • College allocation based on dates and subject choice, assigned a few weeks before arrival.

  • All colleges are central, historical, with unique culture and character.

  • Accommodations designed for study, not luxury; many buildings over 500 years old, no air conditioning.

  • Accommodation requests for friends/siblings considered where possible.

  • Separate male and female accommodations in each college; wi-fi available throughout.

  • Single occupancy rooms with shared bathrooms (one per four participants); some ensuite facilities available, prioritized for additional needs.

  • Mixed-gender corridors for ensuite facilities; gender-separated corridors for shared bathrooms.

  • Welcome Pack includes possible college details for program dates.

  • Rooms secured with locks, housekeeping access for maintenance.

  • Breakfast and dinner included on campus

  • Host venues accommodate all dietary requirements, special attention to religious observances and medical needs (Please let us know if you need to follow any particular religious observances or have any medical requirements that we need to know about.)

  • As a student, you will experience formal dinner three times during your stay: once per week in Cambridge and at an Oxford University college on the excursion day, making formal hall a memorable occasion, so remember to bring some smart clothes!

Excursions

  • Two excursions offered: a day trip to visit Oxford and its colleges, and an optional day out in London to see famous landmarks and enjoy shopping.
  • If you opt out of the London trip, you're invited to afternoon tea in Cambridge.

Transportation

  • Arrival Time: Participants should arrive between 2 pm and 5 pm on the first Sunday of the program, with registration and accommodation showings upon arrival (accommodation ready by 3 pm).

  • London Heathrow Airport Transfers: Shared airport transfer service available from Heathrow Terminal 3 directly to Cambridge/Oxford colleges. Pastoral team to meet participants at any Heathrow terminal and escort to Terminal 3.

  • Transfer departures at 11:00, 14:00, and 17:00 on arrival Sunday; return transfers to London Heathrow Airport depart at 07:00 and 12:00 on the final Saturday.

  • Transfer Fee: Available for booking post-enrollment at £180 each way.

  • Detailed information is provided closer to the program date, including contact numbers.

  • Alternative Arrivals: For those arriving at different airports or by other means, details are in the Welcome Pack sent after enrolment confirmation.

Lesson Plan

  • 40 hours of academic sessions from Oxford University and Cambridge University tutors
  • Carefully designed study and lecture materials
  • Mentor program and access to support material

Academic Skills Workshops:

  • Unlock participants’ potential, giving them the tools to prepare for the next steps of their education and future goals.
  • Focus on enhancing study skills
  • Support for university-level learning
  • Diverse and enriching range of topics – past examples have ranged from ‘Productivity tips’ to ’21st Century Technology Skills’.
  • Unique learning experience outside traditional schools

Sample Modules:

Module 1: Electrical Engineering

  • Apply electromagnetism principles to understand electrical components like circuits and sensors
  • Explore digital circuits in modern technology, construct a radio receiver

Module 2: Mechanical Engineering

  • Review kinematics, Newtonian laws of motion
  • Explore rigid body dynamics, design earthquake-resistant buildings, pitch ideas

Module 3: Material Engineering

  • Dive into nanoscience and nanotechnology
  • Evaluate and consider new materials in current research
  • Learn about development and testing of new materials

Module 4: Engineering A Solution

  • Solve a real-world problem in pairs using engineering principles
  • Present and demonstrate a working prototype, answer peer questions

Sample timetable Academic insights 2024

Sample Tutors

Mudassar A:

  • PhD scholar at the University of Cambridge, and is a a trained engineering supervisor with industrial experience at a Fortune 100 company.

  • Regularly teaches Engineering undergraduates, and has previously won Cambridge University's prestigious Trinity Bradfield prize for a 3D-printed tool he created.

Guest Speakers from Previous Summers:

  • Abi Oyepitan - Former Olympian: A two-time Olympian and Commonwealth Gold and Silver winning track and field athlete.

  • Dr Lynda Shaw - Neuroscientist & entrepreneur: A journey in personal development - how to create your own set of tools to fast track success

  • Dr Nigel Warburton - Philosopher, author & journalist: How do great people find answers to deep and meaningful questions?​​

Extras

  • Transfer Fee: £180 each way.

  • Pocket Money Advice: Money we recommend that participants bring £80 per week to cover lunch each day, plus any souvenirs that they may wish to purchase. Various banks and ATMs are available throughout Cambridge, and Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted.

Security

  • This program is accredited by British Accreditation Council (BAC)

  • Meets global standards for academic provision and student welfare

  • Top priority for participant safety

  • Staff undergo enhanced background checks and safeguarding training

  • Participants assigned to a “Mentor Family” of 10 students

  • Mentors offer support, advice, and share their experiences

  • School management and supervision is managed by senior, experienced College Managers in Cambridge, Oxford, London, and Sydney

  • College Managers trained to Level 3 Safeguarding standards

  • Resident summer team and college personnel supervise sites 24/7

  • Encourage student independence within safe boundaries

  • Team supervision ensures safe and rewarding experience

Requirements

  • This program is designed for students with at least an upper-intermediate level of English (B2). If you are unsure if you meet this requirement, please contact with our advisor.

Video

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