UMass Amherst Program Lays the Groundwork for College Success with Summer College

May 11, 2012

Contact:

Ed Blaguszewski 413/545-0444

AMHERST, Mass. - The University of Massachusetts Amherst is introducing Summer College, a pre-college program for high school students that provides an opportunity to acquire skills and develop habits that will help them succeed in high school and college.

Summer College offers high school students the opportunity to spend two, four or six weeks living and learning on the UMass Amherst campus.

UMass Amherst Summer College, which is holding its inaugural session this summer, offers 15 program choices, covering the sciences, arts and humanities. Programs were developed and will be led by UMass Amherst faculty. A series of three two-week sessions begin in late June. Summer College students learn in UMass classrooms and laboratories, and can explore both the campus and the Five College area. Summer College programs provide the opportunity for students to earn college credits, which can be applied to a UMass Amherst degree for those who eventually matriculate as undergraduates, and which in many cases may be transferred to other colleges or universities.

Studies have shown that participation in pre-college programs double the odds that students will enroll in postsecondary education. In addition to increasing the likelihood that students will persist in college, participation in pre-college programs has been linked to increased motivation in high school and greater self-esteem.

Students who participate in UMass Amherst Summer College programs will leave campus with a better understanding of what college-level learning and campus life entail, real-life experience in a college setting, and a thorough understanding of options available to them as potential UMass Amherst undergraduates.

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