Other universities offer noncredit courses to high school students, such as Brown University's "mini-courses." These programs do not issue grades, are of shorter duration, and have an emphasis on learning how to approach/think about course material, rather than on mastering a set body of material. Student initiative is imperative in both types of programs; you will not be treated as a high school student in the college classroom, so only serious students should consider summer study on a campus.

Who attends and why? Summer program participants realize that they are actually "practicing" for college.
Caitlyn Hogan from Greensburg, Pennsylvania says about her experience at Dickinson College, "Until I left for Dickinson, I had never really been away from home for an extended period of time, so I guess the first shock was finding myself with all this freedom. It took some of us awhile to realize that even though we could do anything we wished, there was work that needed to be done. Knowledge of this is going to help us greatly in this coming year when we find ourselves more deeply involved in college-level study."

Who attends college preview summer programs? The two oldest and largest university-based summer programs are the ones at Cornell, which enrolls 600 high school students, and Harvard, which enrolls nearly 1,000. Other notable precollege programs are the ones offered at Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University, Duke University, Johns Hopkins, and University of Pennsylvania, as well as smaller programs at Ithaca College, Bennington, and Dickinson College. Specialized programs are also offered, such as research apprentice programs in biology or veterinary medicine, architecture, visual arts, or language study abroad.

Large programs attract applicants from all over the United States and from abroad as well. Last summer, for example, students from 31 states and 18 countries attended Cornell University Summer College. The students themselves are a highly diverse group:

• A young man from Florida who has taken college courses locally wants to have a residential college experience to decide whether to apply to college near or far from home.
• A woman from Central America wants to explore a career in nutritional sciences to help her country advance.
• A teenager from New Hampshire wants to explore Classics as a possible college major; she enrolled in Greek Mythology.
• A young woman from Boston is keen on expanding her interests in biomedical research by working as a research apprentice in a toxicology lab.

The applications of teenagers for summer study reflect a remarkable depth of thought, a seriousness about themselves and the contributions they wish to make to the world. Application essays involve some soul-searching to honestly reveal what differentiates them from their peers.

What summer study can mean to you Study at the college level is valued by academically talented students as a chance to develop strategies for dealing with the more intense demands of college study. The course work you explore before applying to college can have a tremendous effect on your decisions about your college major and future career. You may also gain insights into how to work toward your own goals and expectations, rather than those of others (your parents, for example). Could there be anything more valuable about a college education?

Summer programs vary greatly:

• Not all programs award college credit.
• Some offer a wide variety of university courses; others only allow students to take specified offerings designed for high schoolers; still others offer specialized courses or experiential learning outside the classroom.
• For concentrated work in one academic area, there are intensive math programs, intensive English language programs for overseas students, and SAT preparation and study skills courses. The program you choose should give you the practice in areas that will mean the most to you and meet your personal goals. This is a time to explore and study what interests you, to capitalize on your options, and to try something new.

"Bridge-to-college" programs, especially those offering a wide selection of courses, can help you work out what you really like and what you don't. They can help you learn what you're good at and where you need more preparation. They may help you to make wiser and better-informed decisions in your last year of high school and as you enter college. One recent student tells how an architecture course helped her in just this way. "It was a fantastic course," she says. "I don't think I ever enjoyed studying anything more than I enjoyed that course. And it helped me see that I just wanted a liberal arts education when I got to college."

One note of caution: if your goal in attending is to strengthen an area of weakness, some summer programs may not be for you. Many rigorous programs assume that you're ready for college-level work. To improve a particular skill, consider taking a summer course at a nearby college; to strengthen several academic areas, a post-graduate year at an independent school can help you shore up academic areas before enrolling in college.

Beyond the books Academic work is only part of the picture at a summer program. Learning to make independent decisions--even about simple things like what to eat, how much sleep you need, and when to socialize--can't be overlooked when considering what summer programs have to offer. As a 16- or 17-year-old who is, or is about to become, more independent, you can learn valuable lessons in such things as time and money management. Living with others in a residence hall will be a new experience for many of you--maybe the first time away from home. There will be new rules, of course, as well as issues to be worked out between roommates, and it may be the first chance to live and work with people of other races and cultures. The experience can require some stretching and maturity on your part to make your summer pre-freshman program a success. One thing is guaranteed: the experience will not leave you where it found you.

Participation in a well-conceived prefreshman program can give you an advantage in making decisions about which college is really the best one for you. At many programs, for example, students can learn about the college admissions process by meeting with the admissions staff, who try to demystify this sometimes complicated and scary process. Students can attend admissions information sessions, have an admissions interview, and confer with faculty about subjects like college curricula and possible majors.

Summer programs can be a turning point for many students. I have seen monumental changes in Summer College students from the first week to the end of our three- and six-week sessions at Cornell. Many students tell us it has been the best summer of their lives! Living and learning in a college environment gives you a real grasp of what to expect in college--and how to succeed there.

For more information, check online: both "Summer Camps and Adult Travel Programs" (www.allensguide.com) and "Academic Summer Camps for Teens and Kids" (www.educationunlimited.com) list a wide variety of choices.

Article by Abby Eller and courtesy of www.careersandcolleges.com