As you’re imagining your summer this year, you might be considering applying to a pre-college summer program at a university or other institution. These programs, many of which are selective, give students opportunities for meaningful experiences while being immersed in academic or creative disciplines. Depending on your goals and passions, it’s possible that a pre-college summer program could be just the thing to set you off in a direction you’ll pursue into college. Below, we discuss several pre-college summer programs that are currently still accepting applications for the summer of 2024.
Putney Student Travel
If you’re itching to get out and see the world this summer, Putney Student Travel is a wonderful resource–they’ve been facilitating summer travel opportunities for teens since 1951! Putney offers programs focused on Exploration, Career, Language, Pre-College and Service. If you’re keen to learn a new language, Putney’s full language immersion programs ask you to sign a pledge that you’ll speak your new language throughout your time abroad–which could take place in France, Spain or Ecuador. If you see yourself focusing on community service, you could undertake a truly one-of-a-kind project through Putney–such as planting crops in Peru or teaching English to rural kids and teens in Vietnam. Pre-college programs at universities are also available through Putney–check out the Harvard Chan C-CHANGE Youth Summit (for those focused on environmental justice), or take field-based seminars in Tuscany, Tokyo or Barcelona.
Wharton Global Youth Program
For the business-minded, check out the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Global Youth Program. Whether you’re interested in entrepreneurship, data science, or business leadership, Wharton offers an array of courses that are sure to make for an unforgettable summer. Applicants can choose between courses held in-person on the UPenn campus or online. Wharton also hosts an Innovation and Startup Culture course in San Francisco, and a Strategy and International Management course in Cambridge, England. In addition to summer business courses, Wharton Global Youth also hosts an annual investment competition. Admission to all programs is highly competitive; be prepared to compose your best essays and seek compelling letters of recommendation as part of the application process.
Iowa Young Writers’ Studio
Got a passion for the written word? Want to take the poems or stories you’ve been working on to the next level? The Iowa Young Writers’ Studio, housed within the world-renowned Iowa Writers’ Workshop, offers summer workshops for high school students in genres such as poetry, personal essays, fiction and hybrid creative writing. Online workshops are taught by Iowa alumni, all of whom are accomplished–and published–authors, and provide an amazing opportunity to connect with other teen writers as you read and critique each other’s work. Odds are, you will come out of the workshop with an impressive, finished piece of writing that you can submit for publication (and potentially reflect on in your college application essays). If the idea of building community with other writers from around the country while bringing some sustained, dedicated focus to your writing practice is your idea of a great summer, you may want to check IYWS out.
Brown Pre-College Program
If you’re curious to find out what college academics–and life–are like this summer, look into Brown’s Pre-College Programs. Hosted on Brown University’s famous Providence campus, program participants can choose between eleven areas of study: Biological and Natural Sciences; Business, Economics and Legal Studies; Engineering and Technology; Literature, Writing and Communications; Language in Context; Medical and Health Sciences; Physical Sciences and Math; Political Science, Philosophy and History; Psychology and Social Sciences; Visual, Creative and Performing Arts; and Course-Based Research Experiences (CREs). The CRE program gives students the ability to work in a collaborative setting and learn new and exciting research skills. For those interested in getting out into the world, try the Brown Experiential Education (BEE) program, with courses held in Barcelona, Rome and Oxford; for those focused on the environment, the Brown Environmental Leadership Labs (BELL) brings students to study critical conservation issues in Alaska and California.
California State Summer School for the Arts
If you’re an aspiring dancer, artist, actor, writer, filmmaker or animator, you may want to consider the California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA), hosted during the summer on the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) campus in Valencia. Participants spend a month immersed in their chosen discipline, taking workshops with peers and industry professionals, rehearsing performances, and working toward the completion of a new piece of creative work. They also connect with other artistic teens and get a taste of college life living in the CalArts dorms. Applications are open to students who are California residents; out-of-state applicants are also welcome, although a smaller number are admitted each year.
While all of these programs–and many others–are surefire ways to have an impactful summer, there are other pathways to gaining substantial, formative experience during the summer months. You might want to explore the wilderness through the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) or Outward Bound. Or you might see what summer courses are on offer for high school students at your local community college or university extension program. Bottom line, if you’re eager to learn in a new environment while having fun, summer is a great time to do so.
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