At the NSLC on Finance & Investing, you’ll step into the role of an investment professional as you analyze stocks and bonds, build a diversified portfolio, and respond to changing market conditions. Through hands-on simulations and real-world case studies, explore how economic trends, financial data, and investor behavior influence the markets. Discover how finance professionals evaluate opportunities, manage risk, and develop strategies for making informed investment decisions.
High School Finance & Investing Programs
Discover a career in finance and investing.
Program Highlights
Inside Finance at NSLC
Explore financial markets and investments firsthand this summer. NSLC pre-college programs combine academic learning with real-world opportunities, giving you the experience and perspective to make more confident decisions about college and your future career.
Explore through hands-on learning.
Develop the skills and knowledge you need for a future career in finance and investing with experiential simulations.
Explore SimulationsLearn from industry leaders.
Get real-world perspectives and insider knowledge straight from the experts.
Explore Guest Speakers
Go behind the scenes.
Discover the inner workings of the field through immersive trips and tours.
Explore Trips & ToursMy NSLC experience was very fun and eye opening. It was cool to meet people from all over the world and collaborate on projects we were all interested in.
Jacob, Massachusetts
Hands-on Simulations
Explore financial markets and investments
through hands-on simulations that challenge you to make investment decisions as market conditions change. Evaluate companies, consider the influence of economic events and investor behavior, and test different approaches to building and managing a portfolio. Discover how financial professionals balance risk and potential returns as they develop and adjust their investment strategies.
Stock Valuations
Step into the role of a financial analyst as you investigate real companies, examine their financial performance, and determine what their stocks are worth before making your final recommendation to buy, hold, or sell.
Run the Fed
Take your seat as a central banker and decide whether to raise, lower, or maintain interest rates, then discover how your decisions influence inflation, economic growth, and investment markets.
Investment Portfolio Simulation
Take on the role of a portfolio manager as you construct a diversified investment portfolio, evaluate risk and return, and defend your investment strategy in a final presentation to instructors and peers.
Options & Hedging
Put investment strategies to the test as you explore how options can be used to manage risk or pursue returns, comparing potential gains and losses as market conditions change.
Behavioral Finance & Market Psychology
Explore the psychology behind investment decisions as you examine the influence of social trends, investigate market bubbles and crashes, and consider how heightened emotions can outweigh practical financial analysis.
Guest Speakers
Gain industry insights.
Interact with guest speakers from a variety of backgrounds that bring practical knowledge and real-world experiences to the Finance & Investing program.
See Past Guest Speakers
BlackRock
Trips & Tours
Go beyond the classroom.
Gain a new perspective on finance through field trips that uncover how the industry works behind the scenes. A mix of educational and sightseeing tours allow you to explore the city surrounding the university.
See Trips by Location
Leadership
is in our name.
Each NSLC program contains a leadership curriculum designed to teach skills that can apply to all areas of life. Workshops on personality styles, communication and listening, resilience, and empathy set the foundation for a successful future, no matter where it may lead.
Watch VideoLife on a College Campus
Dates, Locations, & Tuition
NSLC provides an immersive pre-college experience that prepares students for life beyond high school, allowing them to study in university classrooms, learn to navigate a campus, and experience college life firsthand. When submitting an application, students will select a residential or commuter option: residential students stay on campus in supervised dormitories, while commuter students follow daily arrival and departure times designated by their chosen location.
Columbia University*
New York, NY
$4,795 Residential
$3,945 Commuter
Summer 2027
Jun 24 - Jul 2
Jul 6 - Jul 14
Jul 18 - Jul 26
University of California, Berkeley
San Francisco, CA
$4,495 Residential
$3,745 Commuter
Summer 2027
Jul 7 - Jul 15
* NSLC is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Columbia University.
Tuition Resources
Earn College Credit
NSLC has partnered with American University to offer an online college credit opportunity for students across all our programs and locations. AU’s faculty-taught courses are completed at home outside the dates of your program and tailored to complement your area of study.
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Finance & Investing FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Wondering if NSLC’s Finance & Investing program is right for you? Explore below, read our general FAQs, or reach out to our team. We’re happy to help!
You don’t need to arrive knowing how to analyze a stock or build an investment portfolio. NSLC’s Finance & Investing program introduces financial concepts through activities that let you practice making decisions and see how markets respond. If you’re curious about business, economics, or why stock prices change, you’ll have plenty to explore.
Economics looks at how people, businesses, and governments make decisions about resources, while finance focuses more closely on managing money, evaluating investments, and making financial decisions. The two fields overlap, especially when it comes to understanding markets and economic policy. At NSLC, you’ll explore how broader economic conditions can influence investment decisions, giving you a taste of both subjects as you consider what to study in college.
Finance offers more possibilities than becoming a stockbroker or investment banker. Financial analysts evaluate companies and investments, portfolio managers make decisions about investment strategies, and financial planners help people work toward financial goals. Other careers involve corporate finance, risk management, or financial research. NSLC gives you an introduction to several of the decisions these professionals face, helping you discover which areas interest you.
Investors look at more than whether a company’s stock price is rising or falling. They may examine its financial performance, business model, competitors, growth prospects, and the price they’d have to pay for a share. They also consider how much risk they’re willing to take. At NSLC, you’ll practice evaluating companies and making investment decisions, then explore how changing market conditions can affect those choices.
Not quite! The stock market is just one part of the financial markets, which also include markets for bonds, currencies, and other investments. Together, these markets help businesses raise money, allow investors to buy and sell assets, and respond to changes in the economy. At NSLC, you’ll explore how financial markets work and how investors use that information to make decisions.
You might enjoy studying finance if you’re curious about how businesses make money, why markets change, or how people weigh risks when making important decisions. You don’t have to be an expert in math or follow the stock market every day to begin exploring the field. NSLC’s Finance & Investing program gives you a chance to work through financial decisions yourself, helping you figure out whether you enjoy the analysis, strategy, and problem-solving involved.
Your future starts here.
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