About

The Architecture Discovery Program (ADP), offered by Washington University in St. Louis's Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, is a two-week residential introduction to architecture and design for rising high school juniors and seniors. Running July 12–25, 2026 on WashU's campus in St. Louis, the program places students in Sam Fox School studios alongside faculty instructors, earning 2 transferable college credits upon completion. The all-inclusive cost of $4,361 covers tuition, materials, on-campus housing, a meal plan, and field trips; need- and merit-based scholarships are available up to the full program cost.

ADP admits 50–60 students each summer through rolling admissions. The application requires an essay, a single recommendation letter, and an optional work sample portfolio; no prior architecture or design experience is required. International students are welcome with an F-1 visa (the program cannot be attended on a tourist visa given its full-time academic structure).

The curriculum centers on Design Studio, where students work through a progressive series of exercises in design thinking and sustainability, culminating in an architectural project reviewed by faculty and guest critics. A parallel Architectural Drawing course develops observational and hand-drafting skills. Weekends include field trips to notable St. Louis architecture — including buildings by Tadao Ando and Fumihiko Maki — and visits to local architecture firms, supplemented by lectures from practicing architects and designers. A tempting benefit of attendance involves a session with a Sam Fox School admissions counselor who addresses portfolio development and the architecture school application process directly.

The Sam Fox School ranks among the stronger architecture programs in the country, and ADP gives students genuine exposure to its studio culture and faculty — a meaningful advantage for any rising junior or senior weighing architecture as a direction. Two weeks is a short window, but the college credit, faculty instruction, and portfolio output make it one of the more substantive pre-college architecture offerings available.