Pre-College Program

July 1 – August 11, 2012

The six-week Penn Pre-College program is the perfect opportunity to prove that you have what it takes to succeed in the Ivy League.

Pre-College Students choose one of two challenging curricula:

• One college-credit course and a rigorous non-credit course designed to complement and enhance the academic experience
• Two college-credit courses

In both curricula, students attend classes alongside undergraduates. Academic advising is provided. The non-credit enrichment courses may include public speaking, critical reading and academic writing, online research techniques, digital photography, community leadership, and SAT/ACT preparation.

A preliminary list of Summer 2012 course offerings is now available. Courses will be finalized by January 31st.

Enrollment in the Pre-College Program is limited. Some courses may have educational prerequisites or require placement testing.

How to apply

College Credit Courses

Students select their college credit courses in consultation with the academic director, though registration in a desired course is not guaranteed. For complete course descriptions, including prerequisites and meeting times, see the Pre-College Courses page. Students must register, add, and drop courses through the Summer High School Programs office.

Penn college credit courses are offered in Penn Summer Sessions. Students earn one Penn course unit (1 CU, or the equivalent of 3 college credit hours) for each course taken. Biology 101 counts as 1.5 CUs due to the rigorous laboratory section. Students attend Penn undergraduate classes with Penn college students, taught by Penn instructors and distinguished visiting faculty. Most classes have homework, research papers, midterms, and/or finals. College credit classes meet 2 to 5 times weekly, Monday through Friday.

Enrichment Classes

Students in the Pre-College Program enrolled in one college course must also enroll in a non-credit enrichment course designed to hone the academic skills necessary to be successful in rigorous undergraduate study. The enrichment courses are taught by learning specialists with extensive experience preparing students for Ivy League coursework. (Those students enrolled in two college courses are considered fully subscribed to academic work and will not be enrolled in a non-credit course.) Enrichment courses meet four times weekly Monday through Thursday.

Grades and Evaluations

Students are evaluated by the same academic standards and procedures as undergraduate students. Completed college credit courses result in an official college grade. Upon completion of the program Pre-College students may request official transcripts from Penn’s Office of the Registrar (fee based). Non-credit courses are not subject to credit or grading; nonetheless, regular attendance and work is expected.