Michigan Ross to Offer New Hands-On, Immersive Summer Business Academy For High School Students

The University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business is launching a new pre-college program called the Summer Business Academy to provide high school students with a unique opportunity to learn about and explore their interests in business. The first SBA will take place June 19-July 3, 2020, and participants will reside in residence halls at U-M. 

Through a combination of classroom and hands-on learning activities, team projects, and offsite company visits, participating students will learn business principles and what makes companies successful, along with building their leadership skills. Additionally, they will attend lectures with Ross faculty members and a variety of business industry leaders.

“The SBA will offer a fun and challenging way for high school students to get a realistic Ross educational experience by immersing them for two weeks in what business is all about,” said Norm Bishara, associate dean of Undergraduate Programs at Michigan Ross. “In doing this, students will be able to come away with a sense of what it means to be a future business leader and if studying business is a possible path for them when they begin applying to college.” 

The SBA is open to rising high school seniors and select rising juniors with outstanding academic records (minimum 3.0 GPA). Students from underrepresented backgrounds and students who have overcome social or economic hardship are strongly encouraged to apply, though all eligible applicants are welcome. 

Michigan Ross received funding from the U-M Office of the Provost to launch the SBA, which has allowed the school to hire Mary Hinesly, a Ross Executive Education professor, as faculty director and a full-time staff member. 

This new pre-college SBA is the latest way Michigan Ross is seeking to recruit a diverse set of talented students from across the state of Michigan and beyond. In October, Ross announced its involvement in the new U.P. Scholars Program at U-M, which, in partnership with the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, will provide financial, academic, professional, and social support for students from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

In addition, Michigan Ross has hosted students for All-Access Weekend, an event geared toward rising high school juniors from historically underrepresented groups, since 2018. 

Applications are now open for SBA, and students have until January 31, 2020, to apply. The cost of the program is $2,950, which includes housing, meals, and transportation to and from program events. The Summer Business Academy will provide a number of full and partial, need-based scholarships for students accepted to this program.

For more information on SBA, and to apply

About Michigan Ross

The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is a vibrant and distinctive learning community grounded in the principle that business can be an extraordinary vehicle for positive change in today's dynamic global economy. The Ross School of Business' mission is to develop leaders who make a positive difference in the world. Through thought and action, members of the Ross community drive change and innovation that improves business and society.

Ross is consistently ranked among the world's leading business schools. Academic degree programs include the BBA, MBA, Part-time MBA (Evening, Online, and Weekend formats), Executive MBA, Global MBA, Master of Accounting, Master of Supply Chain Management, Master of Management, and PhD. In addition, the school delivers open-enrollment and custom executive education programs targeting general management, leadership development, and strategic human resource management.