the best education for your students

Giving your students the best possible education means giving them all the tools and direction they need for the best possible future. SU Summer College has just what most professional educators would recommend as the ideal next step for any aspiring student.

Top Ten Reasons Educators Value SU Summer College:

1. Experience firsthand what college is really like, then return to high school to perfect the skills needed to succeed in the first undergraduate year.
2. Discover and build intellectual excitement and experience authentic intellectual engagement.
3. Sample career and field-of-study options such as architecture, fashion design, and forensic science that may not be available in the high school curriculum.
4. Learn to manage time, and to balance academic responsibilities and social engagements.
5. Gain peer and community recognition for participation.
6. Get to know faculty and staff members - prospective writers of college recommendations - in small, friendly settings.
7. Enhance the high school transcript with proof positive of college success.
8. Develop portfolios and audition skills for college admission in the arts.
9. Test interest in Syracuse University as a potential college choice.
10. Learn the ropes of the college application process (securing recommendations, gathering documents, and so on) by experiencing a scaled-down version needed for Summer College.

To learn more about what Summer College has to offer your students, browse the web site, call 315-443-5000 or e-mail us at sumcoll@syr.edu.

Scholarships
Each year, more than a third of our students receive financial help to make their Summer College dream a reality. Although Summer College students are not full-time matriculated undergraduates, and thus not eligible for most federal or state scholarships or student loans, there are many other sources of possible support.

Foremost among these are independent organizations and foundations such as Summer Search, Minds Matter, Inc., Polonsky Brothers Foundation, Operation Link-Up, Right Angle Educational Foundation, Summer Fund, and others that make summer collegiate experiences a priority.

Summer College itself also provides partial scholarships. Each year we provide over $100,000 in scholarships. Summer College scholarships are awarded to students who are admitted and demonstrate financial need through tax documents and other evidence they may wish to supply, such as personal letters. Often, when a student wins a Summer College scholarship, he or she can use it to help acquire matching funds from school, church, businesses, or local organizations and foundations (e.g., YMCA, Rotary). And students' part-time workplaces - from small local businesses to nationwide chains - are a surprising source of matching funds.

To ask questions about funding or scholarships, call us at 315-443-5000 or e-mail sumcoll@syr.edu.

International Students
Summer College at Syracuse is an excellent way for international students to experience U.S. college courses and university life. Each year between 10 and 15 percent of our participants come from outside the U.S. In recent years, Summer College students have come from: China, Costa Rica, France, Guatemala, Japan, Korea, Panama, Singapore, and Turkey.

International students who are not studying the studio arts often enroll in Writing 104: Introduction to College Writing. This three-credit course in a small class setting is ideal for improving both written and spoken English. All students have free access to the University's state-of-the-art Writing Center for consultation and tutoring.

Our residence hall staff is experienced in helping students adjust to academic routines and campus life, and in fostering friendships. A wide range of social and recreational opportunities assures that all students enjoy activities and companionship. International students are also introduced to the staff of the University's Office of Multicultural Affairs and Center for International Services.

No question, from academics to visas, is too large or too small! Call 315-443-5000 or e-mail sumcoll@syr.edu.

Admissions Criteria
The Summer College application procedure asks students to supply:
1. A high school transcript supplemented with a copy of the most recent report card.
2. A letter of recommendation from a guidance counselor, principal, or head-of-school.
3. A letter of recommendation from a teacher.
4. A student essay.

Applicants for Acting and Musical Theater need a letter from someone who is familiar with their performance work. Studio Art applicants do not need to send transcripts but must submit a portfolio of recent work.

Students who apply to Summer College enjoy academic and artistic work. Many are gifted in various fields. We are not looking for a "magic" combination of grades and test scores, nor do we establish GPA or test score cutoffs. Rather, we are looking for students whom we believe will succeed in, and capitalize on, the intense academic experience Summer College offers. Many of our students are in the top quarter of their high school class, but a substantive and positive recommendation can help to balance a less-than-stellar class rank or GPA. Students whose high school performance has improved steadily over the course of two or three years are also seriously considered for admission.

For able but seemingly uninterested high school students, Summer College often supplies the right blend of intellectual provocation, rigor, and support to stimulate attention and improve high school performance. Participants have told us that the summer helps them "understand what high school is for," and look forward to college with knowledgeable enthusiasm.

To ask questions about Summer College admissions, the application process, or to discuss a specific student's qualifications, call 315-443-5000 or e-mail sumcoll@syr.edu.

Plan A Visit
Sometimes the best way to know if the Summer College experience is right for your students is to see for yourself, in person. That's one reason we welcome visitors throughout the year. If you come to campus during July, you can tour the Syracuse campus, visit Summer College classes, and talk with faculty and staff. You can even sample food in the dining hall and join us for a coffeehouse poetry reading or a baseball game.

A visit during the academic year won't give you as full a picture, but we can provide a tailor-made campus tour with special attention to the many facilities in use during Summer College. You can see academic buildings and studios as well as residence and dining halls and recreational facilities. Academic year visits also afford you the chance to see Syracuse University as it is with a full complement of undergraduate and graduate students, and to talk in depth with the Director of Summer College.

To arrange a campus visit, call 315-443-5000 or e-mail sumcoll@syr.edu.