A good pre-college program offers a variety of benefits. Students can gain college-level training in their chosen discipline or exposure to a practice they’re unfamiliar with. They also make connections with faculty and working artists while they collaborate with students from all over the country. Perhaps most importantly, they get to try out a major or area of study and feel what it would be like to be in that program. We recommend that all of our students, regardless of discipline, attend a pre-college program. It’s not only one of the best ways for students to fill knowledge gaps, learn new skills or further develop their portfolio, but also to experience what it’s like to be a college student. Whether they come back excited about what they studied, or determined to change direction entirely, a few weeks of summer is a small amount of time to invest for a big pay off.

Admittedly, not all summer programs provide an equal benefit. It can be tough to know which programs are worth your time and money. We’ve added a product to our lineup that is designed to help students and their families learn more about the options. We provide recommendations tailored to the student’s artistic needs, age, and academic interests. We maintain a comprehensive list of summer pre-college programs for every discipline our students practice: fine art, digital art and design, product design, fashion, film, screenwriting, acting, musical theater, technical production, creative writing and dance. Students fill out a short questionnaire, and then we craft a custom spreadsheet with our recommendations. The spreadsheet includes a full description of the program and what we like about it, why it would be a good fit for the student, as well as application requirements, deadlines, and cost. Armed with information about a variety of choices, students and their families can take charge of their summer and make sure they’re using the time wisely.  

Summers are the best time for students to expand their knowledge base and gain new experiences that will help to clarify their goals for their college education. Like everything else about the college process, deciding what to do with your summer is all about making informed decisions. The Summer Pre-College Spreadsheets will launch in the next few days.

Take the first step towards making your own informed decisions and check out our summer pre-college spreadsheets here!