Eastern's Pre-College Summer application deadline is May 1

Second annual residential program returns with more offerings for high school students

Willimantic, CT (04/22/2024) — Applications are due May 1 for Eastern Connecticut State University's second annual Pre-College Summer Program for high school students. Participants can choose from two weeklong sessions this July - session 1 is July 14-19; session 2 is July 21-26 - and select from eight interactive academic programs led by Eastern professors.

"With the deadline for applications approaching, we are getting to work on final plans for July," said Chris Drewry, director of co-curricular academic programming at Eastern and coordinator of the Pre-College Summer program. "We've hired a fantastic staff of undergraduate counselors, are identifying fun evening programs and held a great open house on campus for potential participants," he said.

The program began this past summer and is returning with additional sessions and new programs designed to educate and inspire college-bound and college-curious teens. Students will be able to delve into the genres of horror and true crime fiction, write poetry and fiction with a renowned author, learn filmmaking and augmented reality, and glimpse into the medical field with labs focused on nursing and public health.

Outside of class, Pre-College students will enjoy a variety of social activities planned for them and will live on Eastern's scenic campus during the program.

"Last year's inaugural group had the time of their lives, living on campus, making friends and exploring their passions with our faculty experts," said Drewry.

"As a high school student, I would 100% recommend this program," said Olivia Arcari, who participated last summer in the poetry writing workshop. "It's so welcoming and you learn so much I feel like I've grown as a person and become more confident. It made me really excited for college," she said.

Session 1 programs, scheduled for July 14-19, include courses in psychology, horror fiction, creative writing and the cultural phenomenon of true crime. Session 2, which takes place July 21-26, includes a health sciences program exploring real-world health issues, a pre-med lab in how the human body works, an introduction to filmmaking and a course on telling stories using augmented reality.

The program fee is $1,600, with a nonrefundable $300 deposit due by May 17. Tuition in full is due May 31. Participants can pay in increments over the next six weeks if they choose.

For more information:

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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving upwards of 4,000 students annually on its Willimantic campus. In addition to attracting students from 160 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 30 states and eight countries. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 68 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal arts foundation grounded in a variety of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 20 public institutions in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its 2022-23 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 14 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.

Media Attachments

Pre-College Summer participants socialize outside of class and make smores during the inaugural program in July 2023.

A student learns about filmmaking with Professor Brian Day at during last year's Pre-College Summer.