I have started thinking that a transition to college type program might be a good way for my son to ease into college life. A shorter low stakes venture into the college experience- dorm living, cafeteria, classes. I have found programs for the summer between senior year of high school and freshman year of college at Landmark, Skidmore, and Rutgers- some allow a summer class for college credit, some are just a sample class.
My son was a competitive athlete in a summer sport so he could never really do the other types of college prep summer programs and while that choice made sense at the time (there was no way to take a break from the sport) I now wish he had a little exposure to the college experience so it isn’t such a shock. Does anyone have any other programs they know of similar to this? Thanks!
Daughter took an on campus class at Syracuse for credit last year, two weeks in the dorms, etc. was great for her but she was going into senior year (most kids were)
I think that is would be odd to go to a different school in the summer between senior and freshman year. My DS did 6 weeks (2 classes) at Alabama. I don’t know if they take seniors.
Has your son started building a list of colleges to apply to, or are you looking for schools that have such a program so that he can think about whether to add it to his list? I generally think that programs that are at college where he plans to matriculate are best.
One example I know of is the Intensive First-Year Seminars program at Indiana University.
I would also investigate the schools on this list, because they may also have some attractive programming options for their incoming freshmen:
My D23 also did a precollege filmmaking program at Syracuse, her parents’ alma mater, the summer before senior year. She loved it. She’s a camp kid so she was used to being away from us for weeks at a time but it still provided her more independence, like no curfew for the first time.
He is admitted to a bunch of great schools. Landmark has a great program for 2 weeks for kids going to college the summer before and a longer 10 week program. Just to introduce navigating college stuff and I wanted to see if there were any others people had experienced or knew about. I know there is summer college or camps, but I was looking for transition type camps. Besides Landmark I found Skidmore and Rutgers but don’t know much about them.
My S25 also had a great experience at Syracuse last summer. He was a rising junior, but most were rising seniors. I like that it is only two weeks. So many programs and longer. The HS guidance counselors may have a lead on some programs that would be a good fit.
I would then check at those schools, because if they have programs, then he is meeting friends and getting familiar with the resources at the particular school he chose. If not, it sounds like you’ve found some other options, and perhaps other posters will have additional suggestions.
I note these can get kinda pricey, and my two cents (based on my S24’s experience between junior and senior year) is two weeks is probably adequate just for the purpose of getting familiar with college life. He did six weeks, and that included two full college classes (with actual college students), and I think that was great for him academically. But I don’t think it was necessary.
My eldest did a wonderful summer program at BU after her sophomore year of high school, which was exactly as you describe. We said she had to do something that involved being away from home for at least a week, and she could choose what it was. She was very shy and absolutely dreaded it but we had to get her out of her room. (Edit: I can’t remember now if the course was one week or two.)
The program offered many activities designed as icebreakers and social events, which were a lot of fun. She went to classes that she chose, lived in BU’s infamous freshman dorm Warren Towers, went around Boston, and made good friends. I can honestly say that for her, it was a transformative experience. She really came out of her shell and returned as a much more confident and independent person.
She didn’t receive credit for the courses she took, but what she came away with was very valuable. My kid ended up at a small LAC for college, in part because she knew she didn’t want a big college after her BU experience, as much as she enjoyed it.
The following summer, she did a much more intensive 3 week selective admission summer program, which was a flight away from home. That course did offer college credit. It was also a great experience, but it was held at an LAC and had far fewer students. She enjoyed that program even more because she loved going in depth about her subject with other students who were into the same subject.
Not sure what grade your son will be entering, but I think perhaps if it’s just for the introductory idea of being in a college environment, a week might be better. But you know your kid.
I note that while my S24 liked his classes, his living experience at that particular college also discouraged him from considering any similar colleges. Which I think was a truly invaluable experience.
I guess a little late after senior year (where I understand the OP to be), but even then maybe you can learn some things to guide your choices at your upcoming college.
But again, for this specific purpose, 1-2 weeks is very likely enough. The classes can be great too, but I think that is more for the experience and possibly academic preparation.
Your comment about two weeks is really helpful. I was just imagining or hoping for a low stakes experience to give him a heads up about what college is like. Low stakes in the sense that he can mess up and going to college is a clean slate, as opposed to when kids go to the college they are attending with all of the anticipation and expectations on themselves, if that makes any sense. I think spending his summers competing in his sport was valuable and necessary and provided summer jobs training younger kids but I do feel like he missed a little exposure to help him mentally prepare a bit.
It actually makes perfect sense to me, particularly after seeing a program like this up close.
Like, Week One, kids were running around having fun, getting to know a new city, that sort of thing. Some, though, started having some social and behavioral issues right from the start. Not bad kids, just in a totally new environment, away from the authority figures in their life to date, and they had not maybe figured out yet how to navigate that in a healthy, sustainable way.
Then the first set of assessments came out, and a HUGE percentage of kids–kids I assume accustomed to personal excellence–were clearly shocked. They locked themselves to their laptops and started grinding, which was probably an overcorrection, but still.
Now this was just one program at one college, probably exactly the sort of college where you would predict this might happen. But my point is for these kids, it was pretty much exactly what you are imagining–they went through the experience of transitioning to college, and for some it went fine, and for others it was a shock in one or more ways.
And I personally think your idea of having that happen in an environment where ultimately it doesn’t really matter how well it goes is pretty solid. Maybe it will go great. Maybe there will be lessons learned. But I suspect you are right it will make doing the real start of college somewhat smoother either way.
This is amazing, I am pretty good at research and could only find the ones I mentioned, thank you!!! I don’t know if he will even want to go, but I think it would be a good option for some of his summer so I wanted to present some options. I really, really appreciate it.