Michigan Ross Business building

The Michigan Ross Summer Business Academy

June 14 - 28, 2024

The Michigan Ross Summer Business Academy gives rising high school seniors the opportunity to discover business from the inside out. Explore how companies run, understand how leaders solve problems, and experience what it’s like to be a business student at Michigan Ross. 

The 2024 Summer Business Academy application window has closed. 

The application for the 2025 Summer Business Academy will open in Nov. 2024.

Introduce Yourself to Business

This two-week pre-college program is designed for highly motivated students from various backgrounds who want to explore their interest in business.

See what business is all about.

Gain a deeper understanding of how businesses work and explore potential career paths.

Get an authentic college experience.

Learn alongside a cohort of high-achieving peers.

Learn by doing.

Experience the collaborative, action-based learning environment at Michigan Ross.

Connect with faculty and experts.

Interact with Ross faculty, company partners, and industry field experts.

Lead with purpose.

Learn more about what it means to be an impactful business leader.

What You'll Experience

Led by faculty across multiple functional areas of business, you will explore what makes high-performing companies so successful. You will also complete rigorous, college-level academic work through classes and workshops. However, no college credit is offered, and participation does not secure or influence admission to the Michigan Ross BBA program. 

You are expected to participate in all aspects of the Summer Business Academy.
A typical weekday schedule may include:

Class or Workshop
Attend a morning class session led by one of our faculty members.
Lunch and Group Work
Grab lunch and collaborate on group projects.
Class or Workshop
Return for an afternoon class session led by a faculty member.
Field Trip, Guest Speaker, or Workshop
Attend an organized activity, or participate in a guest speaker lecture or workshop.
Dinner and Group Work
Break for dinner and take time to make progress on group work.
Community Meetings, Study, or Recreation
Choose from a number of different mentor-planned social activities or catch up on studying.

Summer Business Academy programming will also include company treks and weekend team-building activities. Costs for all plans will be covered by the program fee.

Students interacting on a project
Program Fees & Scholarships

Program Fee

The Summer Business Academy program fee is $5,000. The cost of the program covers all program events, speakers, course materials, and Michigan Ross apparel.

Scholarships 

The Summer Business Academy will provide a number of full and partial need-based scholarships for students accepted to this program. Students may apply for scholarships within the online application.

How to Apply

All students who meet the eligibility requirements are welcome to apply. In particular, we encourage applications from outstanding African-American, Latine, and Native American students; first-generation students; and students who have overcome social or economic hardship.

  • You must be a current rising high school senior to apply. Preference will be given to U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
  • You must maintain a minimum, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  • This includes an essay of 300 words or less and a letter of recommendation.
  • Submit a copy of your most recent high school transcript.
  • An unofficial transcript will be accepted for admissions decisions, though an official transcript must be provided to enroll. 
  • Pay the non-refundable application fee of $50. Inquiries regarding application fee waivers should be directed to mross.sba@umich.edu

The 2024 Summer Business Academy application window has closed. 

The application for the 2025 Summer Business Academy will open in Nov. 2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

Scholarships will be determined with a holistic review and will be based on an applicant’s need. Full and partial scholarships may cover the cost of travel for students located more than 100 miles from the University of Michigan. All applicants will answer questions within the application about household income and affordability. Applicants interested in receiving a scholarship must complete the scholarship essay, which will be used in the review process to determine scholarship award recipients. 

Students who are not seeking scholarship can leave the question blank and we will consider your application complete. 

After completing the application, applicants seeking an application fee waiver should email their request to mross.sba@umich.edu.

Preference will be given to U.S. citizens, permanent U.S. residents, and Canadian residents. However, additional international students are welcome to apply for consideration if space is available. The University of Michigan will not sponsor visas for the Summer Business Academy. 

Please email mross.sba@umich.edu for application support.

Yes. Once you submit your application, you will be able to provide the information for your recommender. They will automatically be sent a recommendation form to complete. 

We will review this in lieu of a letter of recommendation.

We will welcome up to 72 students.

After submitting your application, you should receive a confirmation email with instructions to pay the application fee. 

We must receive your application fee payment by January 16 at 3 p.m. EST for your application to be considered complete by the deadline.

If you would like to request an application fee waiver, please email mross.sba@umich.edu

All admissions decisions for the Summer Business Academy will be released by March 1. 2024. All applicants must accept within two weeks of receiving their acceptance.

Once accepted, participants will receive the registration details, a packing list, scholarship information (if applicable), and travel information.

The SBA team will typically respond within 2-3 business days. During busy times of the academic year responses may be delayed. We appreciate your patience.

Participants will stay in a residence hall on the U-M Ann Arbor campus.

Participants are expected to stay on campus during the duration of the program, including weekends.

Participants must be available for the entire duration of the program.

Get in Touch

Questions about the Summer Business Academy can be directed to mross.sba@umich.edu or 734-763-4770.