Our Residential Program is back this year and offers a unique summer opportunity for a select group of motivated and talented high school students.
Experience innovative and challenging college-level studios taking place at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as part of NuVu at MIT Design Studios in the heart of Cambridge!
Whether students are from the US or halfway around the world, we welcome them to explore what the Summer Residential Program at NuVu offers.
Our program is designed to provide exceptional students the opportunity to explore our creative process before applying to college.
Located between two world-renowned universities, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, NuVu provides high school students with the opportunity to access the vast array of activities and resources available to this community.
NuVu at MIT Design Studios Residential is available in Session 2 (July 20-31, 2026) with three unique studios to choose from: Bot V Bot, Creative Coding, and Future Couture. Students may register for only one studio in the Residential Program.
The Residential Program is available Session 2 (July 20-31, 2026) of NuVu at MIT Design Studios, and is open to students between the ages of 14-18 or grades 9-12. The program dates will be July 19 - August 1, 2026. Tuition for the Residential Program is all-inclusive, covering the cost of room and board at one of MIT’s dormitories in Cambridge, in addition to the cost of the studio day program.
The dorm is within walking distance to our program’s location on MIT and most of the Cambridge and Boston area. Tuition also covers the cost of well-curated and designed activities that will expose the students to a variety of college campuses, cutting-edge start-ups and tech centers, and other resources in the design and technology space that can only be found in and around the Cambridge/Boston area. As part of the Summer Residential Program, students will be supervised and have the full support of an administrative and residential staff that are available and on hand throughout the program.
Students will be exposed to the rich academic, historic, professional, and entrepreneurial culture that makes the Cambridge/Boston area so innovative and unique. The greater Boston area includes more than 100 colleges and universities. These include technical schools, art schools, liberal arts schools, major research institutions and many more. For students preparing for college or even thinking about possible options, this will be a great opportunity to explore the many educational institutes in the area. This year’s Summer Residential Program includes tours of MIT and Harvard campuses, visits to emerging startup companies, lectures with thought-leaders and makers, excursions to the historic sites of Boston, visits to some of the top museums in Boston (Museum of Science, MFA, MIT Museum), hikes along the Boston waterfront and Innovation District, and dinner excursions!
Participants in NuVu at MIT Design Studios Residential will reside at a dormitory on MIT's campus. Students will share a suite with one or two other students enrolled in the Summer Residential Program. Students will have the support of a full administrative and residential staff with Residential Assistants (RAs) assigned to groups of approximately 8 to 10 students, with 24 hour supervision.
Program Location: NuVu @MIT Design Studios
MIT's Campus, in Building 7
77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner meals (included in the Residential Program fee) will be served buffet-style or will take place in the city as part of organized trips and dinner excursions. If there are any specific dietary restrictions for any student taking part in the program, please include these details on the Health Form provided to registered students.
Weekday Day Program Schedule
07:00am - 08:30am Wake-Up and Breakfast
08:30am - 09:00am Check-in and Commute to NuVu (shuttle service provided)
09:00am - 11:45am Day Program Studio Curriculum (see below)
11:45am - 12:45pm Lunch
12:45pm - 03:00pm Day Program Studio Curriculum (see below)
03:00pm - 04:00pm Optional Work Time / Return to Hotel
04:00pm - 06:00pm Relaxation & Personal Time
06:00pm - 06:15pm Early Evening Check-in
06:00pm - 09:00pm Dinner / Evening Activity / Excursion
09:00pm - 09:30pm Final Check-in
09:30pm - 07:00am Room Curfew
Overall Weekend Schedule
Each weekend, students will take various trips in the Cambridge-Boston area. Trip departure and return times vary, but generally students and RA leave after breakfast and return by evening time.
09:00am - 11:00am Breakfast (Optional)
11:00am - 11:15am Check-in
11:15am - 06:00pm Trip
06:00pm - 06:15pm Early Evening Check-in
06:15pm - 09:30pm Dinner / Evening Activity / Excursion
09:30pm - 10:00pm Final Check-in
10:00pm - 09:00am Room Curfew
Note: Students will be back at the dorms by 9:30 pm every evening unless a structured residential activity has been organized and supervised by staff.
Each weekend and on occasional weeknights, students will go on exciting and intellectually stimulating trips throughout the Cambridge-Boston area. Activities will be tailored to the best interests of these students. Trip departure and return times vary but generally during the weekend, students and RA’s leave after breakfast and return before dinner. Weekend and weekday activities* include:
- Tours of the MIT and Harvard campuses
- Tours of emerging startup companies in the Boston/Cambridge area
- Lectures with thought-leaders and makers leading significant changes in diverse fields
- Excursions to the historic sites in Boston (Freedom Trail, Boston Public Library, Faneuil Hall & Quincy Market)
- Visit to the MIT Museum, Museum of Science & other museums in the area
- Movie nightsGame nightsWalks along the Boston waterfront & Innovation District
- Dinner excursions (Lobster dinner, possibly a New England-style lobster boil)
*These are examples of activities that may be available to Summer 2026 Residential students and are subject to change based on availability and timing.
Residential Tuition (1 session - 2 weeks)
Room + Board (3 meals on weekdays & weekends)
Included
Weekday and evening activities + trips + Entertainment
Included
Linens + Bedding
Included
Trasnportation to and from Airport
Included
General Transportation for evening+weekend Activities
Included
$3,460
Studio Fee (1 session - 2 weeks)
Equipment and Tools
Included
Materials + Supplies for projects
Included
Weekday Lunch
Included
$2,290
Total Cost
$5,750
Additional Charges
Health Insurance (Only required for students who do not
already have Insurance
$200
Total Cost with Insurance
$5,950
