About

The CICER Summer High School Program is a two-week residential business and economics program at Cornell University, hosted by the Cornell Institute for China Economic Research within the SC Johnson College of Business. Now entering its tenth year, the program covers coursework in behavioral and environmental economics, global strategy and sustainable business, big data and business analytics, and engineering economics, delivered through lectures, seminars, and simulation-based activities. A business analysis team competition and a business pitch competition round out the academic experience, with certificates awarded to top teams. The program concludes with a graded exam; a certificate of completion is issued to students who meet program requirements, but no academic credit is awarded.

The program is structured to provide exposure to Cornell's campus, academic environment, and faculty researchers, alongside college application advising sessions with Cornell staff and optional excursions to nearby attractions including Niagara Falls, Cornell's botanic gardens, and the Finger Lakes region. The CICER institute's primary research and educational focus is China economic research, and the program's design — including its JFK charter bus service, WeChat contact channels, and English proficiency thresholds calibrated for non-native speakers — reflects a primary audience of Chinese and Chinese American students, though it is formally open to all applicants.

For students interested in business, economics, or data analytics who want a residential Ivy League campus experience without the academic rigor of Cornell's credit-bearing precollege courses, the CICER program offers an accessible entry point. Families should understand that the peer cohort will skew toward international Chinese students, that the program awards a certificate rather than transferable credit, and that admission is essentially open to qualified applicants until spots fill.