Updated May 11, 2022
While most students have to wait until their first year of college to experience program-specific material and the campus community, high-school students enrolled in Summer Academy can gain that experience much earlier. In fact, every year colleges and universities across the U.S. host students in a number of different summer programs that are unique to their academic interests.
“Summer programs often give teens a taste of the most attractive aspects of college life: dorm housing, challenging classes and a parent-free environment,” writes Delece Smith-Barrow in U.S. News. “While advisers and program directors help students navigate their new surroundings, there are ways parents can help high school students prepare for the experience before they ever set foot on campus.”
Students Explore Academic Options at UVM Summer Academy.
It’s not uncommon for first- and second-year college students to find out that the career path or major they’ve selected isn’t for them. This can result in additional courses, extra semesters and a larger sum of student debt. By taking a summer pre-college program like UVM’s Summer Academy, high school students can start exploring different majors and career paths much earlier, allowing them to make more informed decisions about their future. Here’s a breakdown of how students can benefit from a Pre-College Summer program:
- Explore and study topics of interest at an in-depth level
- Continue the learning momentum they gained during the academic school year
- Evaluate their performance using the same academic standards and procedures that undergraduate college students use
- Experience the college environment first-hand, and make new connections with peers and professors
Summer Academy is a unique 4-week online program for high school students who have completed 10th, 11th, or 12th grade and are interested in exploring a specific field of study. Summer Academy gives students the opportunity to learn what college life is like first-hand while getting a head start on a college career.
