UC Berkeley Press Release

High schoolers try out college this summer

By Yasmin Anwar, Media Relations | 07 June 2006

BERKELEY – One hundred or so high school students will soon arrive at the University of California, Berkeley, for a customized new summer program that offers them college credit and a sneak preview of campus life.

UC Berkeley's Pre-Collegiate program, which starts June 26, is open to students who have completed the 10th grade and sport a B average or better, as well as a positive recommendation from their respective high schools. Those who qualify can take undergraduate, lower-division courses.

"I can't think of a school that wouldn't look at a high school student's college application positively if it included a transcript with a good grade from UC Berkeley," said Summer Sessions Director Richard Russo, who introduced the pilot program as part of a package of initiatives to attract motivated students of all ages and backgrounds to the campus this summer.

While scores of high school students have taken summer courses at UC Berkeley over the years, the Pre-Collegiate pilot program includes a special orientation, access to tutors at the Student Learning Center, guided tours, workshops on how to apply to college and write application essays, plus a wrap-up session where students can share their campus experiences.

Popular entry-level courses for high school students coming to UC Berkeley this summer include biology, chemistry, math, philosophy, political science, psychology, statistics and physics. While the Pre-Collegiate program does not guarantee admission to UC Berkeley, it can offer a better chance of being accepted to a top college, Russo said.

As of this week, nearly 12,000 students have enrolled in classes through UC Berkeley's Summer Sessions program, which offers more than 600 courses. The season is divided into five staggered sessions that run between May 22 and Aug. 18.

Among a handful of evening courses offered to reach out to working people is "Students Rights in the Digital Age," a 10-week course that begins June 12. It will look at how the Internet, iPods, flash and streaming video have entered the learning environment, and how intellectual property protections such as copyright, trade secret, patent and trademark can empower students as they pursue creative endeavors through new technologies.