Brown U. Pre-Baccalaureate Summer

Spend seven weeks of your summer on Brown University’s campus studying courses ranging from Cybersecurity Ethics to Linear Algebra. The Pre-Bacc Program is offered only to rising seniors or recent high school graduates. You’ll be taking courses with Brown undergrads, and can get a sense of what college level work is all about. Successful completion of the courses qualifies for Brown credit and make earn you credit at whichever college you ultimately matriculate.

The Brown University Pre-Baccalaureate Program is a highly selective program for rising or recently graduated High School Seniors ready to undertake the rigors of credit-bearing, undergraduate study. Pre-Baccalaureate students – known as Pre-Baccs – enroll in classes alongside Brown and visiting undergraduates in the University’s Summer Session. Courses open to Pre-Baccs are those open to first and second year undergraduates, and span the natural sciences and mathematics, the social sciences, the humanities, and the fine and performing arts.

The program attracts serious minded students – from across the country and around the globe. Together, Pre-Bacc’s form a close community of young scholars, sharing a residence hall and making Brown University’s campus their own and their home for an intense seven weeks. Their interests are as varied as the Brown curriculum, and what they share is commitment to learning and serious study. 

Summer Session courses are equivalent to semester-long offerings, compressed into a fast-paced 7 week-long summer schedule. Classes meet approximately 8 hours per week, and require at least as much work outside the classroom. And they are typically small, facilitating close collaboration between and among students and instructors. Pre-Baccs residing on campus are expected to enroll in two courses – equivalent to being a full-time student; commuting students may enroll in one or two courses.

Want to learn more? Check out their website.

HOT TIP: Summer is great opportunity for time-pressed teens to expand or deepen their narrative arcs. Are you a history buff that wants to deepen your understanding in a niche area? Or a budding science-major that would love a taste of college level science courses? This could be a good choice for you. Keep in mind, however, that there’s an opportunity cost to spending your entire summer in a rigid academic setting that might not be far off from what you’re experiencing during the school year. A lot of admissions officers are skeptical of “pay to play” programs on college campuses. Make sure this is truly the right course for you before you make the financial and time commitment.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SUMMER PROGRAMS: College admissions officers are very adept at identifying “resume padders”: expensive, one-off programs paid for by your parents which do not mesh with your narrative arc. Therefore, make sure any summer program or course you consider falls into one (or more) of these four buckets: 

• Highly selective/competitive

• Totally unique + linked to your narrative arc

• Evidence of adulthood (long hours, multi-year commitment or simply hard work)

• A jumping off point or expansion for an authentic narrative arc. 

If none of the above apply, a program could still have value to you if it allows you to test a potential interest. However, if it does not end up being a jumping off point for further interests, then you may not want to mention it in your high school resume