Pre-College Prep & Enrichment

College, college, college - aahhh! Are you sick of hearing about it? It's summer - why worry? Well, you can do one of three things this summer - 1) ignore the college thing, 2) embrace it by preparing, or 3) get a feel for what it might be like.

If you're a sophomore or younger right now, any option is acceptable. If you're a junior, you might want to look at options 2 or 3, and if you're a senior - good luck and happy trails!

There are two different types of campus programs you can experience this summer. There are Pre-College Enrichment Programs (for those finishing grades 8 – 12), and College-Admission Preparation Programs (mostly for sophomores and juniors).

If you want to get a feel for what a U.S. college might be like, consider a Pre-College Enrichment Program. For experiencing an international university, you can also Study Abroad.

A Pre-College Enrichment Program is about taking a few classes on a college campus, living in a dorm, exploring a topic which might be of interest to you, making new friends, and having fun with other student’s your age. Some programs incorporate a volunteer or service component; some allow you to travel on the weekends to fun & interesting nearby sites. All will make you feel more comfortable and confident about applying to schools!

Sometimes, rising seniors like to determine if a subject they think they might like to study in college is in fact what they’re interested in. You can take introductory level college classes in architecture, or engineering, or theater at various schools. You can study video gaming as a business at a few places. The subjects are endless, and almost every college and university offers summer programs to high school students. Our list covers the most popular only.

If you’re interested in preparing for college; if you feel like you’ll never pass those standardized tests, be able to write a good essay, or just want a head start on figuring it all out, you might want to consider a College-Admission Preparation Program (CAP).

Most of these programs have SAT prep classes, help with the essay writing process, and even make visits to colleges. They will often help you learn how to interview, and teach you what questions to ask. You will make a huge leap forward in the college search and application process, and you might even gain a few points on those SATs! If you have a busy Fall season, or never have time for anything extra (such as applying to colleges) – this might be a great option for you this summer.

CAPs tend to be less expensive and shorter (1-2 weeks) than Pre-College Enrichment Programs (3-6 weeks). There are a few programs which combine both, or allow you to enroll in a few weeks of CAP and then take a couple enrichment classes as well. Sometimes the class credits will transfer to colleges, and sometimes you are simply building “experience credit” – there is nothing wrong with that! These are all great programs!