High Schoolers to Enjoy a Taste of College
About a dozen college-bound high school juniors and seniors will take part in a new Westmont program this summer that offers a genuine, residential college experience before the teenagers go to college. Summer Scholars, which runs from June 19 to July 16, offers students two college courses worth eight units of college credit.
“There are other ways to earn college credit in high school, AP classes, or community college classes offered at a student’s high school,” says Chris Hoeckley, director of the Gaede Institute for the Liberal Arts at Westmont, which oversees the program. “But those options don’t offer the full college experience of living with your fellow students and developing close relationships with professors.”
Up to 18 students will be selected for their ability to succeed in an intensive, college-level academic program. Most of the applicants come from outside the Tri-Counties region or from out of state. Each course is team-taught and interdisciplinary, addressing real-world, cutting-edge issues such as the culture and politics of the Middle East and the frontier of human thought and computing. Six Westmont professors will teach the two courses, “The Middle East in Story and History” and “Minds, Machines and Zombies.”
Hoeckley says he hopes the program introduces students to an education that integrates their learning with their faith. “The course topics intersect significantly with commitments that grow out of students’ religious faith,” he says. “The program is an opportunity for Westmont to offer its unique, Christian, liberal arts education to those still exploring their college options, while allowing the college to extend its mission to those who might otherwise not benefit from it.”
The program costs $6,950, which includes eight units of tuition, full room and board, costs of programmed extracurricular activities and a health fee. For more information or to apply, please visit westmont.edu/summerscholars