ROAR Academy
What to expect:
ROAR Academy is an intensive, rigorous two-week program for high school students who have demonstrated an aptitude for academic and professional careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Talented and motivated high school students who are entering grades 10-12 in the fall work with UC Berkeley faculty, researchers, and scientists while learning about Python programming and autonomous driving algorithms.
Throughout this intensive 10-day program, participants acquire the knowledge necessary to engage in ROAR simulation competitions, which are conducted in a software simulation environment known as the Simulation Racing Series.
Sessions are taught in person on the UC Berkeley campus. For more information about program goals and schedules, please see here. ROAR Academy is not an overnight program; accepted students are expected to be responsible for their own accommodations and will be released at 3:00 pm each day.
2025 Sessions (Choose one session)
Classes begin at 9:00 am and conclude at 3:00 pm each day.
| Week 1 | Week 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | July 7 - July 11 | July 14 - July 18 |
| Session 2 | July 21 - July 25 | July 28 - Aug 1 |
ROAR Summer Competition Submission Deadline: Friday, August 22
Curriculum and Schedule
Students are expected to have sufficient background on basic computer programming in the Python language. The curriculum builds in a quick refresher of Python programming at the beginning with additional exercises and debugging practice, but the course is NOT suitable for students who have not previously learned Python.
- Class hours will be in person from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm (PST)
- Minors must be signed out by a parent, unless they complete and submit an alternative arrangement waiver form.
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 - 10:30 AM | Introduction to Python Programming | Iterable Variables | Functions | Hashing | Numpy II |
| 10:30-11AM | Q&A | Q&A | Q&A | Q&A | Q&A |
| 11-12:30PM | Basic Python Variables | Conditions and Loops | Classes and OOP | Numpy I | Scientific Visualization |
| 12:30-1:30PM | Lunch Break | Lunch Break | Lunch Break | Lunch Break | Lunch Break |
| 1:30-3PM | Python Setup and Exercises | Debugging and Exercises | Coding Exercises | Coding Exercises | Coding Exercises |
| Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9-10:30 AM | Gradient Descent | Deep Neural Networks | Introduction to Autonomous Driving | Reinforcement Learning | Generative Pretrained Transformer (GPT) I |
| 10:30-11AM | Q&A | Q&A | Q&A | Q&A | Q&A |
| 11-12:30PM | Introduction to Machine Learning | Convolutional Neural Networks | PID Control for Lane following | Reinforcement Learning II | GPT II |
| 12:30-1:30PM | Lunch Break | Lunch Break | Lunch Break | Lunch Break | Lunch Break |
| 1:30-3PM | Coding Exercises | Coding Exercises | Simulation: Racing Practice | Simulation: Racing Practice | Making GPT your co-pilot |
How to Apply
Eligibility
Advanced high school students (entering grades 10-12 in the Fall) who are considering a STEM career and aim to apply to AI, Robotics, and Data Science as their intended college majors.
For 2025, ROAR Academy and the fees below are only for California residents. For prospective out-of-state and international students, please contact us and we can accommodate additional applications when space is available.
Fees & Tuition
Application Fee: $50 (non-refundable)
Tuition: $1,200
Complete applications include:
1. Application To preview the 2025 application, click here.
2. Unofficial transcript
Dates and Deadlines:
- Late January: ROAR Academy application opens
- March 21, 2025: Early application deadline
- April 1, 2025: Early application and financial aid admissions
- Late applications reviewed on a rolling basis
- May 2, 2025: Tuition due
Please note that applications are reviewed as they are received, so you are encouraged to submit your completed application as soon as possible. Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis.