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Academics
UWW Pre-College Program Hits Enrollment Record in 2023
When Kate Endres was a high school student watching NFL games on TV with her dad, she dreamt big and bold like the mountains surrounding her hometown of Vancouver, Canada. She saw herself on the football field sidelines, holding the microphone and speaking to a TV camera and millions of viewers like Fox Sports broadcaster Erin Andrews.
When it came time to think about that starting drive to the end zone, a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism, she didn’t see herself on the other side of the continent—until she stepped on the UMass Amherst campus in July 2022 to attend a two-week sports broadcasting course at the University Without Walls (UWW) Pre-College Program.
“Once I actually got to the campus, I’m like, we’re here. We’re gonna do this. It was like I was diving in headfirst,” recalls Endres, who made the 3,000-plus mile journey by air and bus.
Endres said even though she made the trip by herself, she immediately felt part of a team in the summer Pre-College Program along with other rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors from around the globe.
“Everyone was going through the same thing. You were there for two weeks or four weeks, or whatever amount of time. Everyone felt like it was a very supportive environment and wanted everyone to succeed, which was really nice,” said Endres, a first-year College of Social and Behavioral Sciences journalism student in the Commonwealth Honors College.
Everyone felt like it was a very supportive environment and wanted everyone to succeed, which was really nice.
Kate Endres, former Pre-College Program participant and first-year College of Social and Behavioral Sciences journalism student in the Commonwealth Honors College
Endres is one of the 175 students in the last four years who attended a pre-college course and then decided to enroll at UMass Amherst as an undergraduate, according to Erin O’Rourke, director of Pre-College Programs at UWW. Based on current prospective student interest in pre-college experiences and UMass Amherst’s unique course offerings, that number is expected to grow.
“I’ve been able to see a lot of growth and change with this program as it has expanded to where it is now,” O’Rourke said. “We had just over 700 enrollments overall this summer; 2023 was our biggest year.”
O’Rourke said when she started as program coordinator in 2014, the Pre-College Program offered 13 academic course options and enrolled 163 students. In 2023, the newly named Pre-College @ UMass Amherst offered 34 academic programs or courses, including STEM, art and design, business and equine science. It also offers a Summer Engineering Institute and a “unique to UMass” immersive six-week Lab Research Intensives program on its main campus.
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The Mount Ida Campus in Newton, Massachusetts offers pre-college veterinary technology and architecture courses, and new for 2024: AI, Data & Ethics: Introduction to Public Interest Technology. A selection of summer programs and year-round college prep workshops are available online as well, although the trend since the pandemic has shown 80% of enrolled students choose to attend pre-college programs offered in person.
Joe Bartolomeo, associate provost for Interdisciplinary Studies and professor of English, is thrilled about the program’s progress since its inception in 2012.
“I am delighted with the growth and variety of our pre-college offerings. More students than ever are attracted to our courses, workshops and research-intensive experiences. These programs provide both an outstanding academic experience and a great introduction to UMass Amherst.”
As for the program’s future, O’Rourke hopes to raise more awareness of the program globally and locally on campus from UMass Amherst departments and faculty, who help drive enrollment figures upward by teaching a diverse selection of courses for national and international students, like Endres.
“It was an overall 10-out-of-10 experience. I would do it again if I could and would recommend it, definitely,” Endres said. “It helped me figure out what I wanted to do, but also kind of helped me figure out what my interests are and who I am as a person. I’ve had a wonderful experience and I’m having the time of my life.”
More information is available on the Pre-College @ UMass Amherst website. Pre-College admissions staff started accepting student applications on Feb. 1 for summer 2024 programs.
Faculty members who are interested in teaching courses for the summer 2025 Pre-College Program can visit the pre-college course proposal information webpage for more information. The next round for course proposals opens this fall. For early proposals, consultations or questions, contact O’Rourke at eorourke@umass.edu or 413-577-2112.