Frequently Asked Questions

The safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff is our top priority. With that in mind and in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are moving the Summer Immersion Program exclusively online and excited to offer 21 online institutes.

Our online institutes will operate Monday – Thursday from 12:00 – 4:30 pm (EST) and provide opportunities for participants to engage in live lectures and activities led by Academic Leaders and experts in various professional fields. The online experience will also allow participants to engage in discussions with like-minded peers and be mentored by Wake Forest undergraduate students. Tuition will be reduced to the institute’s online price ($995 – $1595).

Learn More About the Summer 2021 Online Institutes

Transfer Your Registration to the Online Experience: Our Summer 2021 online program will operate Monday – Thursday from 12:00 – 4:30 pm (EST) and will provide opportunities for participants to engage in live lectures and activities led by Academic Leaders. The online experience will also allow participants to engage in discussions with like-minded peers from across the country!

Tuition will be reduced to the institute’s online price and scholarship awards will remain the same. If you have already completed a payment greater than the total cost of the online institute, a refund of the difference will be applied to your original payment method within five business days of online registration.

Defer Your Acceptance to Summer 2022: Students who request to defer their enrollment will use their payments made for Summer 2021 to secure a space in the 2022 program week of their choice. All payments made for Summer 2021 will be applied directly to Summer 2022 tuition. Students who were offered scholarship support will be awarded the same support for 2022 if they request to defer. Students who select this option will not be required to submit a new application or recommendations for Summer 2022, but they must register for their desired 2022 program week when registration opens in November 2021.

Receive a Full Refund: Students who request to cancel their registration will be refunded the full amount paid for Summer 2021, including deposits that were previously non-refundable. Students who select this option may re-apply for Summer 2022 but will be required to submit a new application, including a scholarship support application, if applicable, and recommendations. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, and acceptance and scholarship support is not guaranteed.

No, deferred students will receive information about how to register for Summer 2021 in early November.

Current 9th to 12th grade students who are in good academic standing and have no school suspensions are invited to apply.

Yes, international students are encouraged to apply. Students are not required to submit a TOEFL score. However, students classified as international students are not eligible to receive need-based aid or scholarships.

Yes, home-schooled students are encouraged to apply.

Yes, both new and returning students must complete a new application with updated materials. If you deferred your Summer 2020 registration/deposit to Summer 2021, you do NOT need to reapply.

To be considered for the Summer Immersion Program each student must submit an online application, as well as receive one recommendation from a school counselor, teacher or principal. Within the online application, students will list the name, phone number and email address of a reference who can speak to the student’s academic abilities and capacity to thrive in a college environment (the online recommendation cannot be requested from a family member, coach, religious leader or paid tutor). References will receive an automated email with a link to a form that asks questions about the student. High school transcripts are not required to apply to the Summer Immersion Program.

We accept students on a rolling basis until all programs are filled.

Students are encouraged to show interest in as many institutes as they desire and find interesting. The admissions decision is not based upon the number of institutes to which you check on your application.

All Non-STEM Institutes are $2,500. This includes:

• Animation
• Business
• Debate and Public Advocacy
• Film 
• Entrepreneurship 
• Finance and Investing 
• Health and Exercise Science
• Health and Wellbeing 
• Law 
• Leadership 
• Policy and Politics
• Psychology
• Sports Marketing
• Virtual Reality
• Writing
  

All STEM Institutes are $2,700. This includes:

• Biosciences and Engineering
• Medicine
• Neuroscience
• Sports Medicine
• Technology

A limited number of need-based scholarships are available by application. Applicants interested in scholarships are encouraged to apply early. The scholarship application is a part of the general application and will be reviewed upon submission. Scholarships will be reviewed and awarded on a rolling basis.

*Students classified as international students are not eligible to receive need-based aid or scholarships.

Check back on November 1, 2021 for on-campus dates for Summer 2022.

Once a student’s application and recommendation have been received a decision will be made and the student will be contacted by email. Students will receive the message “An update has been posted to your application status page. You may access your status page here.” Students will be able to see their decision letter on their student status page which can be found here: slate.summer.wfu.edu/apply/status.

Once a student is admitted and registers for the program of their choice, a deposit of $550.00 is due to secure a seat in an institute. Payments are accepted online or via telephone at 980-224-9297. We also accept checks, which can be mailed to Wake Forest University Charlotte Center, 200 North College Street, Suite 150, Charlotte, NC 28202. Attention: Betsy Schneider.

Charlotte Campus: No, parking is not included in tuition. However, there are several parking options for students that are both close and affordable.  Parking is available in the Wake Forest Parking Garage attached to our building or in surface lots located at 500 North College Street. Students may also choose to ride the LYNX Light Rail to the Charlotte Transit Center/Arena station and walk one block to the Wake Forest Charlotte Center. Student fare on the LYNX is $2.20 for a round-trip ticket.

Winston-Salem Campus: If a student is planning on driving to Winston-Salem and parking his/her car for the week, they must request a parking pass on the Travel and Transportation Survey. Students who drive to campus will have their keys collected, as students are not allowed to leave campus during their time at Wake Forest.

Transportation to and from all off-site field trips is included in student tuition.

Students are encouraged to attend all five days of the institute to receive a Certificate of Completion. Many programs also include a group project in which all students will participate. 

Winston-Salem Campus: Students check-in on Sunday and check-out on Friday.

Charlotte Campus: Students begin the program Monday and complete the program Friday.

Upon acceptance to the Summer Immersion Program, students are encouraged to register by submitting the enrollment deposit of $550 to hold their space in the program and week of their choice. Remaining tuition will be due no later than April 30, 2021. For students who register after April 30, full tuition is due upon registration.

Yes, students who are unable to reserve a seat in the institute of their choice can be added to a waitlist. In order to be added to the waitlist, students must submit a deposit of $550.00 to hold their space should an opening become available. Students who don’t move off of the waitlist can transfer into another available institute or have the initial deposit refunded. Students will be notified via email regarding waitlist status.

Charlotte Campus: Wake Forest University does not provide transportation to the Charlotte Campus. Students may be dropped off at the Wake Forest Charlotte Center as early as 8:45 am and picked up no later than 4:30 pm.

Winston-Salem Campus: Wake Forest University will provide shuttle buses to/from the Piedmont-Triad International Airport (GSO) at the beginning/conclusion of the week. The Wake Forest shuttle service will transport students to campus from GSO at 2:30 pm on Sunday prior to the start of the Institute

Upon conclusion of the institute on Friday, shuttle buses will depart for the airport at 12:30 pm. Students are encouraged to book flights that depart after 2:00 pm from GSO to ensure smooth travel. Students are expected to complete the Travel and Transportation Survey prior to traveling to campus.

If a student is participating in a program in both Charlotte, NC and Winston-Salem, NC, it is their responsibility to provide transportation between the two campuses. Wake Forest University is not responsible for providing transportation to or from one campus to the other and does not provide housing over the weekend.

Unfortunately, students are unable to stay in the residence halls over the weekend due to lack of staff supervision. There are many hotels in the area, near the University. 

*Parents and students are responsible for reserving their hotel rooms, if needed. The Wake Forest Summer Immersion staff is not responsible for providing housing before or after programming. Students are not able to stay over the weekend in a Wake Forest University residence hall.

Wake Forest University policy states that minors under the age of 16 are not allowed to use the facility and those over the age of 16 must-have 1:1 adult supervision and be accompanied by a staff member. The Wake Forest Summer Immersion Program staff is not able to provide 1:1 supervision for every student and therefore students will not be able to use the gym during their time on campus. In addition, a parent/guardian is not allowed to sign a waiver to relinquish supervision requirements.

Throughout the week, students will have access to volleyball and basketball courts, as well as an outdoor track. Students will be supervised by Wake Forest undergraduate Program Ambassadors during these activities.

No, the Summer Immersion Program will not be able to provide staff members to retrieve and drop-off students to/from the airline gate.

Like all summer enrichment programs, participating in the Summer Immersion Program will make students more interesting and experienced college applicants. Improved skills and understanding of interdisciplinary thinking will prove beneficial as students apply to college. Although participation in the Summer Immersion Program will not afford any preferential treatment in the Wake Forest admissions process, participating in the Summer Immersion Program is an example of demonstrated interest in Wake Forest.

The Wake Forest Summer Immersion Program is designed to enrich the student’s understanding of a particular career path or field of study. Students will select an area of focus for their respective Institute. All Institutes are non-credit.

Our 2022 Summer Immersion Program Packing List will be available on each student’s student status page once registered for an Institute.

Dress is casual. Please be prepared with layers, as classrooms can be chilly during the summer. Our 2022 Summer Immersion Program Packing List will be available on each student’s student status page after registering for an Institute.

Please contact Program Director, Betsy Schneider, via email at summerimmersion@wfu.edu or via phone at (980) 224-9298.

We are excited to offer the Summer Exploration Program for 7th – 9th grade students!

We reserve the right to cancel institutes due to low enrollment. If an institute is canceled, students will be notified via email and allowed to enroll in another institute, request a refund or defer to Summer 2022.