A List of Summer Fashion Education Programs You Can Still Apply to

Whether you're interested in pursuing a career in fashion design, merchandising or media, getting an early start on your education can set you apart from the crowd.

Pre-college summer programs and career-specific courses offer hands-on opportunities and invaluable experiences for those that know what they want to do and those still feeling out different fields. From Parsons's Summer Academy to Drexel University's Discovering Fashion Design program, summer courses give aspiring fashion professionals a chance to unleash their creativity while developing new skills and understanding what a career in the industry might look like.

It's not all about design: Marist College offers a course delving into all things fashion merchandising, while the Fashion Institute of Technology's four-day summer workshops cover a range of topics, including fashion journalism and trend forecasting. There are also virtual options available at LIM College's Fashion Academy and California College of the Arts's Fashion Design Pre-College Studio.

Ahead, we've compiled a list of pre-college summer programs and courses spanning various fashion-related fields still accepting applications. But be sure to act fast — many deadlines are quickly approaching.

Banson NYC Fashion Summer Camp

About the Program: two in-person sessions through which high school students get a behind-the-scenes look at the fashion industry through seminars and field trips — plus a five-night stay in a Midtown hotel.
Location: New York, NY.
Application deadline: registration available until all 20 spots are filled.
Program dates: June 23-June 28, 2024 for Session A; July 14-July 19, 2024 for Session B.
Cost: $2,075; $1,875 when registering with a friend.
Qualifications: students entering Grades 9 through 12.
How to apply: more information here.

California College of the Arts Fashion Design Pre-College Studio

About the program: a four-week course centered around drawing and rendering techniques, developing a sketchbook, pattern-making and more.
Location: San Francisco, CA.
Application deadline: June 10, 2024.
Program dates: July 8-Aug. 2 for residential and commuter students; June 24-July 26 for online students.
Cost: $55 nonrefundable application fee; approximately $6,975 for residential students; approximately $4,595 for commuter students; approximately $3,995 for online students.
Qualifications: must be a current high school student who will complete their sophomore, junior or senior year by this summer; no previous sewing experience is required for the fashion design studio.
How to apply: more information here.

Condé Nast College of Fashion and Design Vogue Teen Festival

About the program: two days of live talks and collaborative workshops hosted by Condé Nast.
Location: London, UK or online.
Application deadline: book-and-pay event available on a first come, first served basis.
Program dates: July 6 and July 7, 2024.
Cost: £290 (about $363) for two days; £150 (about $188) for one day.
Qualifications: must be at least 15 years old, but no older than 17 on Aug. 31.
How to apply: more information here.

Drexel University Discovering Fashion Design

About the program: one-week program that offers hands-on studio work, lectures, guest speakers and field trip to expand students' fashion skills with technical sketching, draping, print design, fashion illustration, CLO 3D design and more.
Location: Philadelphia, PA.
Application deadline: suggested deadline for applications is May 24, 2024; a waitlist will be available.
Program dates: July 14-July 20, 2024.
Cost: $2,250
Qualifications: high school students who have completed their sophomore year by July and are at least 16 years old before the program starts; the program is limited to 18 students.
How to apply: submit a 300-word personal statement and complete the online application here.

Fashion Institute of Technology Summer High School 4-Day Workshops

About the program: four-day workshops that allow students to immerse themselves in various fashion-related topics (fashion journalism, trend forecasting and entrepreneurship) and become acquainted with FIT's Fashion District campus; see available classes here.
Location: New York, NY.
Application deadline: June 10, 2024.
Program dates: week one will be June 24-June 27, 2024; week two will be July 1-July 5, 2024
Cost: $440 for one four-day workshop
Qualifications: students in Grades 9 through 12 as of Fall 2024.
How to apply: more information here.

Fashion Institute of Technology Summer High School 10-Day Classes

About the Program: 10-day courses spanning fashion design, styling, trends, forecasting, cosmetics and more; see available classes here.
Location: New York, NY.
Application deadline: June 10, 2024.
Program Dates: July 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22 and 23, 2024
Cost: $550 for one 10-day class.
Qualifications: students in Grades 9 through 12 as of Fall 2024.
How to apply: more information here.

Kent State University Summer Fashion Academy

About the Program: one-week program that explores fashion design and merchandising through the TechStyleLAB, creating a three-dimensional design, learning the foundations of fashion design and exploring the business side of the industry.
Location: Kent, OH.
Application deadline: registration available until all spots are filled.
Program Dates: June 9-June 15, 2024.
Cost: $1,600.
Qualifications: students must have completed their sophomore year of high school, be 16 to 18 years old and be interested in exploring a career in the fashion industry.
How to apply: more information here.

LIM College Fashion Academy

About the Program: three courses covering fashion merchandising, fashion styling (with an on-campus and virtual option) as well as a fashion career boot camp for high school students.
Location: New York, NY or online.
Application deadline: June 24, 2024 or until classes are full.
Program dates: July 15 -July 18, 2024 for week one on campus; July 22-July 25 for week two virtually via Zoom.
Cost: approximately $700 for Week 1; approximately $600 for Week 2. Students will receive a $50 discount if they enroll in two classes or a $75 discount if they enroll in three classes.
Qualifications: must be a high school student with an interest in a fashion career/education.
How to apply: more information here; attend the virtual information session on May 21 at 7 p.m.

Marist College Summer Pre-College: Fashion Merchandising A to Z

About the Program: a fashion merchandising course that delves into the business, promotion and product development side of the fashion industry.
Location: Poughkeepsie, NY.
Application deadline: applications accepted on a rolling, space-available basis.
Program dates: June 30-July 13, 2024 for In-Person Session I; July 14-July 27, 2024 for In-Person Session II.
Cost: $3,500 per session.
Qualifications: high school sophomores and juniors, though other high school students (including graduating seniors) are welcome to apply.
How to apply: submit a high school transcript, recommendation form, short essay and complete application here.

New York University High School Academy Fashion Design

About the program: an introductory course exploring New York's fashion industry with a final project creating a six-piece sketch collection.
Location: New York, NY.
Application deadline: May 17, 2024 for residential U.S. students; June 7, 2024 for commuter U.S. students.
Program dates: June 24-June 28 for Session 1; July 15-July 19 for Session 3; and July 29-Aug. 2 for Session 5.
Cost: $2,579 per course, $618 per week for housing and dining, plus a $50 non-refundable application fee.
Qualifications: high school students who have completed their freshman, sophomore or junior years and have an interest in fashion design.
How to apply: submit an official high school transcript, a 250-500 word essay and complete application here.

Otis College of Art and Design Summer of Art

About the Program: a variety of art- and design-specific programs, including a fashion design course covering sketching techniques and other technical skills; more information here.
Location: Los Angeles, CA.
Application deadline: June 24, 2024.
Program dates: July 5-Aug. 1.
Cost: $4,400 for full five-day weekly program; $2,650 for three-day weekly program; $1,750 for two-day weekly program; more information on tuition and housing here.
Qualifications: students who are 14.5 years of age and older and are able to attend in-person.
How to apply: more information here.

Parsons Summer Academy (New York Intensive Studies)

About the program: a three-week program packed with immersive coursework, field trips, guest speakers and portfolio reviews; fashion design and styling courses available here.
Location: New York, NY.
Application deadline: May 31, 2024 for Session 2 students requesting housing.
Program dates: July 8-July 26, 2024.
Cost: $5,145, plus $245 university fee and $50 non-refundable application fee.
Qualifications: students aged 16 to 18, regardless of skill level.
How to apply: pay the application fee, write a 150-200-word personal statement and submit an application here.

Parsons Summer Academy (Grades 3-12)

About the Program: classes for creative students ranging from third to 12th grade, including fashion and accessory design; full offering here.
Location: New York, NY.
Application deadline: July 15, 2024.
Program dates: July 29-Aug. 9, 2024; students in Grades 3 through 5 will have half-day sessions from 9 a.m.-11:50 a.m., while students in Grades 6 through 12 will have full-day sessions from 9 a.m.-3:50 p.m.
Cost: $790 plus fees for student in Grades 3 through 5; $1,580 plus fees for students in Grades 6 through 12.
Qualifications: students in Grades 3 through 12 able to attend in-person; students will need a digital camera (mobile devices cameras work) and class supplies.
How to apply: more information here.

Savannah College of Art and Design Summer Seminars

About the program: workshops in Atlanta and Savannah, GA, covering topics such as draping, sketching and fashion marketing.
Location: Atlanta, GA and Savannah, GA.
Application deadline: May 31, 2024; after that, registration is on a space-available basis.
Atlanta program dates: June 23-June 28 for Session 1, July 7-July 12 for Session 2 and July 14-July 19 for Session 3.
Savannah program dates: June 2-June 28 for Session 1, July 7-July 12 for Session 2, July 14-July 19 for Session 3 and July 21-July 26 for Session 4.
Cost: $1,820 for one session residing on campus; $3,640 for two non-consecutive sessions residing on campus; $1,508 for one session for commuters; $3,016 for two sessions for commuters; plus $100 non-refundable registration fee.
Qualifications: must be a current high school freshman, sophomore or junior for the 2023–2024 school year.
How to apply: complete online registration form linked here for Atlanta and here for Savannah.

School of the Art Institute of Chicago Early College Program Summer Institute

About the program: five sessions offering a range of creative, college credit-earning courses, including fashion design and fashion construction; see the available courses here.
Location: Chicago, IL.
Application deadline: May 10, 2024.
Program dates: June 17-June 28 for Session 1; July 1-July 12 for Session 2; July 15-July 26 for Session 3; July 1-July 26 for Session 4; July 29-Aug. 2 for Session 5.
Cost: approximately $4,770 for Sessions 1, 2 and 3; approximately $9,540 for Session 4; approximately $2,385 for Session 5.
Qualifications: must be between 15 and 18 years old and have completed their sophomore year of high school by the start of the program.
How to apply: more information here.

The Fashion Class Fashion + Sewing Summer Camp

About the program: weekly sessions teaching teens about the business side of fashion through guest speakers and field trips, in addition to sketch and sewing classes; learn more about it here.
Location: New York, NY.
Application deadline: registration available until all spots are filled.
Program dates: July 8-July 12; July 15-July 19; July 22-July 26; July 29-Aug. 2.
Cost: $1,200 per week.
Qualifications: must be between the ages of 13 and 17. No sewing experience is required.
How to apply: more information here.

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