Rice University welcomes high school seniors, rising seniors, and juniors to apply to take courses for credit during Summer Sessions 2025. The application will become available on December 6, 2024.

How do I apply?

STEP 1
Find a course you want to take for credit on the Summer 2025 Courses page. You will include the course information in your application. Courses that are approved for high school student enrollment are denoted with a blue 'HS' icon.

STEP 2
Complete the online application and submit it with the $75 application fee. If you have already started an application, you can return to it here.

Please note that applicants are required to provide a High School Student Recommendation Form as a part of the application. You will be asked to provide relevant contact information for your recommender within the application.

Upload all of the required forms to your application:

1. Financial Responsibility
2. Release and Hold Harmless Agreement
3. Proof of Meningococcal Vaccination Record or Waiver (if under 22 years old and requesting to take courses on campus)

International students should be prepared to submit their international student documents including a copy of Passport, a copy of Visa Stamp, a copy of I-94, a copy of I-20/DS-2019 and the Office of the International Students and Scholars Check-In Sheet.

STEP 3
Send your official high school transcripts to Rice. Official transcript may be mailed to:

Rice University - Visiting Student Programs
Office of the Registrar - MS 57
P.O. Box 1892
Houston, TX 77251-1892

Or, the official transcript may be emailed directly from your high school to visitingstudents@rice.edu. Official transcripts are typically processed within 3 business days upon receipt at our office. Please allow up to 5 business days for processing during peak periods.

STEP 4

After all required application materials have been received, and your application is complete, the Office of the Registrar will conduct a preliminary review of your application. Requested courses are then approved individually by the appropriate department chairs and instructors, dependent on course availability and the applicant’s qualifications (e.g. any necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, etc.). Please allow up to 5 business days from the date that your application is complete for the review process. Applications received during peak periods should allow up to 7 business days for review. You can always log back in to your online application to see if there are any updates to your application.

STEP 5

If approved, you will be contacted by email regarding your acceptance, confirming your registration, and completing the Visiting Student Orientation.

*Admission into this program does not constitute admission to Rice University. Courses are taken for credit, without the student being admitted to a degree program at Rice. Attending Rice University as a Visiting High School student is not a means of entering a degree program.

STEP 6

After you have completed the Visiting Student Orientation and confirmed your registration, you will be registered for your course by the Office of the Registrar. At that time you will receive confirmation of your registration as well as information regarding Rice student systems by email. Make sure to review the visiting student guidelines.

STEP 7

Attend the course and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

When do I need to apply?

The deadlines to apply vary per summer block; they are listed on the Summer 2025 Academic Calendar. If you plan to take courses in multiple sessions, the deadline to apply would be the earliest session's deadline - you do not need to submit multiple applications.

Applicants should submit all required application materials, which includes official transcripts, the high school student recommendation form, the Financial Responsibility form, the Release and Hold Harmless Agreement, and the meningococcal vaccination record or waiver (if applicable), by the application deadline.

When will I receive an admissions decision?

Please allow up to 5 business days from the date that your application is complete for the review process. Applications received during peak periods should allow up to 7 business days for review. You can always log back in to your online application to see if there are any updates to your application.

Will the application fee be refunded if the course that I wish to take is full?

The application fee is non-refundable.

Does Rice offer housing to Visiting High School Students?

No. Rice does not offer housing to visiting students.

What is the cost of attending?

For information on tuition and fees, visit the Bursar's website.

Who do I contact if I have questions about my bill?

The Bursar's Office can answer questions regarding billing. They can be reached at bursar@rice.edu or 713-348-4946.

How do I pay my bill?

You will be able to pay your bill through ESTHER, Rice’s online student information system portal. Information about ESTHER will be sent to you upon admission. Payments may be made online via ESTHER by credit card or e-check. Payments made in person at the Bursar's Office can be made by check, debit card, or cash.

Does Rice offer financial aid to Visiting High School Students?

No. Rice does not offer financial aid or scholarships to visiting students.

Is the college credit that I receive from completing the course transferable to other universities?

The courses completed at Rice may be transferable to another college/university. Each college/university sets its own requirements for transfer credit, and some restrict the transfer of hours completed prior to high school graduation. You would need to inquire with the school you wish to attend to see if they would accept such credit toward a bachelor's degree.

What if I don't want college credit for the course I apply for?

Students who wish to take classes without earning college credit may do so as a Visiting Auditor. Visiting High School Students may not take courses as Pass/Fail.

A course that I am interested in is not eligible for high school student enrollment, may I still apply for that course?

High school students are restricted to apply for courses that are pre-approved for high school student enrollment. These courses are denoted with the blue 'HS' icon on the Summer Semester 2025 courses website. We are unable to grant requests for an exception.

I have not taken a standardized test, am I still eligible to apply?

Test scores (PSAT, SAT, or ACT) are not required but students wanting to show their college readiness and academic strengths may choose to submit SAT, ACT, PSAT, AP or IB test scores, which may be an official copy, unofficial copy, or reported on the high school transcript.

A course I want to take has a prerequisite that I have AP credit for. Can I register for the course?

If you have completed an AP course for calculus and have scored a 4 or 5 on it, you may be able to register for courses that require calculus as a prerequisite. During the application process, please be sure to upload your AP test scores, and we will use that in consideration for admission to the course. For a list of "Rice equivalent" AP courses, please see the AP Credit Lists for Current and Previous Years.

If there is a course that you would like to take that has a prerequisite on it and you think that you have the needed background outside of AP credit, please email us to inquire at visitingstudents@rice.edu.

Once I have been admitted, how can I register for a course?

Visiting students have their registration processed by the Office of the Registrar and you will receive email confirmation once your registration has been processed. Visiting students are not permitted to perform registration actions themselves.

How can I drop a course that I am registered for?

Visiting students must send a request to drop their course to visitingstudents@rice.edu to have their withdrawal processed by the Office of the Registrar. Visiting students are not permitted to perform registration actions themselves.

Visiting students must adhere to the registration and tuition refund deadlines that are outlined in the Summer 2025 Academic Calendar.