What is the Boston Leadership Institute? 

The Boston Leadership Institute is an award-winning STEM program for high school and pre-high school students. Our programs are hands-on, engaging, and designed to introduce students to a variety of careers in the STEM and business fields. We offer both day and residential programs in Boston and its surrounding areas. 

Where are you located? 

The Boston Leadership Institute operates out of three campuses in Boston and the Greater Boston area. The locations include Babson College in Greater Wellesley, Gann Academy/Bentley University in Waltham, and our popular Boston location at The Newman School.

Programs

What kind of programs do you offer? 

We offer many types of programs:

• Three-Week Programs: These are our most in depth and immersive programs for students entering 8th grade through entering college at all locations. Three-week programs are competitive admissions and require students to submit an application. Topics include Biological Research, Astrophysics, Forensic Science, Emergency Medicine and more! See a full list of our three-week programs here! 
• One-Week Programs: One-week programs, for students entering 8th grade through entering college, provide an introduction to a range of STEM topics. Students are welcome to take multiple one week programs in a row. No application is required. See a full list of our one-week programs here!
• Pre-High School Programs: These one-week programs are offered at our Gann and Babson locations. Designed for students entering grades 6-8, students can elect to learn about a whole range of topics, from Mini Med School to Pet Med. See a full list of our Pre-High School programs here! 
• EDGE Programs: These one-week programs give students a head start on material they’ll see in their Fall classes. Learn more about EDGE programs here. 
• Remote Programs: Can’t make it to our in person programs? Remote programs are available throughout the summer. Learn more here.

When do your programs run? 

Our one-week and three-week programs take place over an 8 week period in the summer. The programs run from 9 AM-3:30 PM Monday-Friday. There is a one hour break for lunch and unstructured time. We offer an extended day program until 5:00 PM at no additional charge.

Could you tell me more about program specifics?

Instructors: We will be updating our website with our 2026 instructors soon! In years past, we have been lucky to welcome instructors from prestigious backgrounds such as Ivy League degrees and industry experts.

Student to Teacher Ratio: We try to have a 10 to 1 ratio with our staff and faculty. The class sizes are smaller and the ratio of students to teachers is lower for Pre-HS and Edge programs than for the other programs. We also have floating TAs/Logistics coordinators that help the teachers with ordering and are extra help as needed if the program has a field trip, etc.

Class Size: Most of our programs have a class size of around 15-20 people. If the program is a lab class that is 20 or over, we often have a dedicated TA.

Curriculum/Day to Day: We cannot disclose specific curriculum or syllabi because it is the intellectual property of the instructors. However, information regarding our programs and topics they may cover are on the program pages on the website. For lab classes, we aim to have about half of the day be lecture and class activities, and the rest be lab and hands-on activities.

Field Trips: Field trips will depend on a yearly basis. The three-week programs often have two field trips. The one-week programs may have outdoor activities and outings within walking distance. However, one-week programs often do no have enough time for a field trip as the full 5 days are needed to cover the content and there is not time. We cannot guarantee field trips and excursions for every program, however in years past we have had field trips to local zoos, universities, and facilities related to program subjects.

What is the gender split in the programs?

Overall, we have approximately equal numbers of males and females. The psychology and medical programs might have more like 55-60% female. Engineering and business sometimes tilt a bit towards males. However, it varies year to year, and any counts that we currently have may change due to enrollments being open.

How old are the students in the program?

-Three week programs are more heavily current and rising Juniors and Seniors although many rising 8th through 10th graders are represented as well.

-One week programs typically have an even proportion of rising 12, 11, 10, 9 and 8 grades.

-Edge programs will have students getting ready to take their first high school Chemistry, Biology, or Physics course.

-Pre-HS will have rising 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th graders. However, year to year the specific age demographics change and we cannot control the ages of the students who enroll.

What is the application process for your programs? Is there an application deadline?

One-week programs and pre-HS programs do not require an application. They are open to students who perform at grade level or above.

Three-week programs are competitive admissions and require students to fill out an application. There is no formal deadline for applications; we accept students on a rolling admissions basis and review applications once per week. Both the parent and the student will receive an email informing the family of our decision within approximately 7-10 days time.

Can you accommodate students with special dietary needs?

Yes, we screen for our students allergies and dietary preferences every week. Our campus locations provide plenty of options for students with dietary restrictions. For families whose students have food allergies, vegetarian, vegan, kosher diets, gluten-free diets, or other special dietary needs, you can send us an email for specifics from each campus.

Payments

How do I enroll in a program?

You can secure your seat with a deposit. The deposit for one-week programs is $200. The deposit for three-week programs and remote programs is $500. Deposits placed before May 15th are refundable for 7 days after the payment has been made. Deposits placed after May 15th are refundable for 72 hours after the payment has been placed. Deposits are transferable to any program of the same or greater value if the desired program has seats available.

What is the cost of your programs? 

The cost of our program depends on the length of the program and if your student is participating as a day only, remote, or as a residential student.

Day Program Fees:

One-Week tuition: $699

Three-Week tuition: $2,500

Residential Fees: 

The residential fee is $699 per week. This is on top of the tuition fee. This covers housing, three meals per day, and supervision by our staff. Thus, the one-week program residential fee is $699 and the three-week residential fee is $2,097.

We offer transportation to and from the airport. A round-trip package is $99. A one-way trip from the airport to the program upon arrival is $75. A one-way trip from the program to the airport upon departure is $50.

We also offer linens for residential students. The cost to rent linens (which include a fitted sheet, flat sheet, pillow case and towel) is $50.

Remote Program Fees: $1,200

When are payments due?

Tuition payment is due in full by May 15, 2026. For families registering after May 15th, the payment is due two weeks after the deposit is made and not later than the program’s start date.

Residential payments are due in full by June 1, 2026.

What is your cancellation and refund policy?

As mentioned above, deposits made on or before May 15th are fully refundable for one week after they are made. After 7 days, they are non-refundable. After May 15th, they are refundable for 72 hours after they are made. After this 72 hour period, deposits are non-refundable. Once a program has started, we cannot issue refunds.

Our cancellation and refund policy is stated in full in the Terms & Conditions below. All refund requests must be made in writing and emailed to info@bostonleadershipinstitute.com. If you call and speak with someone over the phone, we will still require you to send an email, as well.

Do you offer scholarships?

We offer selective scholarships to a very limited number of students on the basis of financial need. We cannot offer financial assistance for the residential portion of the program. You can find the application here. We cannot offer scholarships or financial aid to international students at this time.

We now have a new scholarship program with GI Partners. Eight scholarships are available for rising seniors in the Boston area. This is a need-based scholarship and only those in a household making less than the median wage in Massachusetts ($101,341). The GI Partners scholarship application is available here.

What are some ways I can save on the cost of attending?

Some out-of-state families are able to enjoy the Boston area and contain costs at the same time by planning a family vacation at the same time as the one-week program and having their student stay with them in a hotel (or in a sublet apartment for the three-week programs). Others have students stay with friends or relatives in the Boston area. Most families with residential students that live within four or five hours of Boston drive their students by car, dropping them off the Sunday before the programs begin and picking them up on the last day of the program. Residential drop-off and pick-up times are designed to accommodate families completing the round-trip in one day. Parents also may spend the weekend before or after the program in Boston sight-seeing or lining up college visits with their student to give even more value to their trip.

Day Student Program

What are the class hours for in person classes?

9:00 – 3:30 PM

Extended day program from 3:30 – 5:00 PM at no additional charge.

What is the drop off and pick up schedule for day students?

Day students should be dropped off or arrive on campus at 8:45 AM each day, unless an earlier field trip has been scheduled. Pick up is at 3:30 PM. As mentioned above, we offer a free extended day program from 3:30-5:00 PM for students whose parents can’t arrive by 3:30 or whose public transportation leaves later. Students are expected to check-in with our staff upon arrival.

What is extended day?

Our extended day program is a free option for families who need more time to arrange transportation home for students. After the programs end at 3:30, students will meet with counselors or staff at a designated location. Typically, it will be a small group activity. This is a completely optional aspect of our programs, so the amount of students will depend on the week and the day. We would love to have notice of who will be at extended day when students check-in each morning with our staff.

Residential Program

How is roommate selection done?

Room assignments are under the sole discretion of the Boston Leadership Institute. We sort roommates first by gender, then age, and then interests. We will consider requests for a specific, named roommate.

Are single rooms available?

Single rooms are not always able to be accommodated, however we prioritize students who request single rooms for medical or religious reasons. We evaluate single room requests on a case-by-case basis. You can add room requests in the CampInTouch portal or by email. If you have any questions or concerns, you can send us an email at info@bostonleadershipinstitute.com.

How are the beds arranged?

Most locations have a typical college dorm room layout of side-by-side beds. The beds will also be Twin XL sizing for bedding.

When should I arrive to campus?

Residential registration begins at 2 PM to 6 PM the Sunday before the program begins. If you are outside of this window, please let us know and we can prepare for a different arrival with our counselors. Day student registration is 8:30 AM on Monday morning. Day students arrive as early as 8:15 AM.

When should flights arrive and depart?

Students should arrive no later than 6 PM on Sunday. We will have someone at the airport by 2:00 PM. For flights earlier than 2:00 PM, students can wait by baggage claim. If you are outside our 2-6 PM arrival time, please let us know in advance.

When will buses depart from campus for Logan Airport?

We schedule our transportation with private car services depending on students flight information. We try to group students together based on their flights, and have them leave to ensure they will be early/on-time for their flights. Parents may decide to arrange their own return transportation rather than pay the ground transportation fee in cases where there are later departing flights.

Are there rotating pick-ups on travel days?

We book our transportation in advance with the flight information provided to us from our families. We will create groups for both arrival and departure by flight times. We use a private car service or a private taxi service, not a public, rotating shuttle. If there are changes to travel plans, let us know as soon as possible, so we can arrange transportation.

Can my child stay until Saturday?

We prefer for our students to leave on Fridays. Saturday departures may be allowed on a case-by-case basis only if absolutely necessary. We can only accommodate Saturday departures until 10 AM and we will not be able to accommodate on the final day of the locations programs. We work with our host sites to clean the dorms for incoming students, and need this Friday window to do so. An extra charge of $100 will be added to your account for a Saturday departure.

Why is there a fee for staying Friday night?

If we are not notified in advance, we cannot let the host institute know. The host institute has to pay elevated fees when the cleaning staff works on Saturday rather than Friday. Room assignments are made such as the room is emptied at once. Even one person staying an extra night can mean the cleaning crew is unable to clean. The extra fee is $100.

What if my child’s flight is outside those above arrival/departure times?

If your student’s flight is outside this window, alternative transportation must be arranged by families. If a student’s flight is in that window but delayed on registration days, we will do our best to work with families to find solutions day of.

Is there alternative transportation? How can you help?

If your student’s flight is delayed or is arriving outside of our initial Sunday arrival time (2 PM to 6 PM), alternative transportation must be arranged. Families in the past have used services like Uber, Patriot Transportation, and Wellesley Transportation. We cannot be responsible for coordinating rides outside of our arrival window time.

What if I need to change my transportation plans?

Just email info@bostonleadershipinstitute.com and we can change the ground transportation form and arrival times. We do book our transportation for arrivals and departures very early in advance, and need to know well ahead of time if there are last minute changes.

I do not live in the United States, can I still come?

BLI welcomes international students every year. Please email info@bostonleadershipinstitute.com for any additional information such as the application process, payment, and VISA information.

When should I pay because I am waiting for my visa to get approved? Can I wait until it is approved?

You can wait, but we cannot guarantee the seat will remain open.

Can I get a letter of invitation so I can get my visa?

Yes–We can issue invitation letters after the tuition and residential fees have been paid in full.

What kind of visa should I apply for?

As far as visas, we recommend you get in touch with your local embassy or US State Department to learn exactly what is needed for your student. Per our policies, we require that international students pay in full before we can issue any documentation in support of your visa. Most students use a travel or tourist visa (B1/B2). A student visa is not necessary.

2026 Terms and Conditions

Still have questions? Email us at info@bostonleadershipinstitute.com or give us a call at 781-431-2514!