Planned Program Activities & Free Time
Boston University Summer Term High School Programs offer a true pre-college experience. Along with rigorous academics, our high school programs provide a well-planned and exciting social experience at BU. We want you to spend your time with us figuring out what it means to be a college student. That means learning to balance your academic work with fun events and free time.
To build a strong student community, we plan a variety of mandatory activities. These include group outings in Boston and engaging social events around the BU campus. Activities occur during the afternoon, evenings, and on weekends, depending on the program. These events are an important part of each high school program, and all students are required to attend mandatory events.
Our staff is available every step of the way as you immerse yourself in your classes, the dorm, BU’s campus, and the city of Boston to make sure you are fulfilling your potential and getting everything out of your summer experience—academically, socially, and personally.
Free time guidelines
You are allowed to leave campus during your free time. However, you are not permitted to leave campus by yourself—you must be accompanied by at least one other student in your program or by a program assistant. (Summer Preview students must be with a program assistant if traveling off campus.) You may not leave the city of Boston without the permission of your parents and our program. Our program reserves the right to restrict your access to any part of Boston for security or other concerns.
When you do leave campus, you need to inform a program assistant of your destination and time of return. You must return before any scheduled activity and no later than curfew. Failure to follow these guidelines will result in disciplinary action and possible removal from the program.
If you must miss a mandatory program activity because of a special circumstance, your parent must submit an electronic leave request form. A standardized test is not considered a special circumstance, and no student will be permitted to miss a mandatory program activity in order to take a standardized test. This request must be received at least one week before the program begins. Your parent or guardian will need to provide a description of the special circumstance, the date and time you will be away from the planned activity, and the contact information for the person you will be leaving campus with. Requests made once the program begins will not be considered. You are only authorized to leave once the Summer Term office approves the request via an email to your parent or guardian.
Remember: You are not allowed to miss any class time, and there are no overnight absences allowed for Summer Challenge, Summer Preview, and AIM students. If the Summer Term High School Programs office authorizes you to miss a planned activity, you must return before curfew.
