Applications Open! Enroll for Summer 2027 at 2026 Tuition Pricing Until Sept 30
Build a portfolio and present an investment strategy in this three-week finance course for middle school students on Bryn Mawr College’s campus.
Course Description
Choosing a stock is only the beginning. Students ask what makes a company worth investigating, how an investor’s goals shape strategy, and why return cannot be considered without risk, fees, and time.
The course makes financial ideas visible through articles, videos, group analysis, and portfolio work. Students compare stock-picking criteria, use free screeners, examine company profiles and financial ratios, and build a hypothetical portfolio. As prices change, they calculate return on investment, review allocation choices, and consider how taxes, commissions, interest rates, and different risk profiles affect an outcome.
The capstone brings those decisions into one investment presentation. Students document the companies and industries selected, explain their allocation, create a portfolio graphic, track performance, and defend the reasoning behind changes. Students compare results with classmates and revise their reasoning. The goal is not to predict the market. It is to practice making informed choices and explaining the evidence behind them.
This three-week course is part of Summer Discovery’s Institute for the Gifted program on Bryn Mawr College’s campus in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. The program is available to commuter students. Beyond class, students take part in campus activities, make new friends, and build confidence and independence in a college setting.
What Will You Do?
• Compare stock-picking criteria and connect them to investment goals
• Use free stock screeners to research companies and industries
• Analyze company profiles, financial ratios, and potential risks
• Build a hypothetical portfolio and choose allocations
• Track prices and calculate portfolio return on investment
• Create and present a capstone investment strategy
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Compare investments using goals, company information, risk, and financial ratios
• Calculate portfolio value and return while accounting for common costs
• Present and defend a researched portfolio strategy
Students will leave with a tracked hypothetical portfolio and presentation, useful exposure to investing and finance, and a clearer sense of which money topics they want to explore next.
Why Finance Skills Matter
Financial skills help students connect everyday choices to longer-term consequences. Comparing investments requires them to define a goal, investigate a company, weigh risk, and notice how fees or interest can change the result. Those steps make percentages and ratios more meaningful than they are in an isolated worksheet.
Portfolio work also strengthens research and decision-making. Students must explain why a source is useful, revise a choice when new information appears, and distinguish a short-term price change from a sound strategy. These habits can support future math, economics, business, and personal-finance learning while giving students a practical framework for asking better questions about money.
Who Should Attend?
This course is for middle school students who have completed 6th, 7th, or 8th grade and ask how the stock market works, why some investments rise or fall, or how people make choices about saving and risk. It is a good fit for students interested in money, math, business, current events, or the stories behind well-known companies.
Students work with hypothetical portfolios rather than real money. They should be ready to use basic arithmetic and percentages, research companies, compare ideas with classmates, and explain their decisions. Curiosity and a willingness to revise a strategy matter more than arriving with a favorite stock already chosen.
View the eligibility requirements for the Institute for the Gifted on our FAQ page. A completed program application is required.
Why Bryn Mawr?
Bryn Mawr gives middle-school students a welcoming place to explore challenging ideas, create, and meet peers who share their interests. Its historic, tree-lined setting near Philadelphia makes the day feel distinctly advanced while allowing students to return home each afternoon.
The commuter-day format combines active academics with a clear daily routine, shared activities, and Summer Discovery support throughout the program day. Students can test new interests, contribute to discussions and projects, and become more confident navigating a college setting without an overnight stay. For families, Bryn Mawr offers a thoughtful balance of substantive learning, friendship, guidance, and age-appropriate independence in a structured day-program environment.
Summer Discovery Certificate of Completion
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification of completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive