Harvard Secondary School Program

Summer School
Cambridge, Massachusetts


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For More Information, Contact
Harvard Secondary School Program
51 Brattle Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138-3722
617-495-3192
http://www.ssp.harvard.edu

Type of Program: College-level academic
Participants: Coed residential or commuter students who are completing grade 10, 11, or 12 and are fluent in English
Enrollment: 1,000
Program Dates: June 21–August 15, 2008

Location

Harvard University Summer School is in Cambridge, Massachusetts. By subway, Harvard is only minutes from downtown Boston. Cambridge is popular with young people and is considered the ultimate college town. There are bookstores, music stores, sidewalk cafés, shops, and ethnic restaurants.

Background and Philosophy

The Harvard Summer School, the oldest summer session in the United States, was founded in 1871. The Harvard Secondary School Program was developed to offer academically motivated high school students a college experience, enabling them to make better-informed decisions about their academic future.

Program Offerings

Secondary school students take college courses along with college students, and they earn college credit. During the eight- or four-week summer sessions, Harvard offers nearly 300 courses in more than sixty liberal arts fields. Areas of study include anthropology, computer science, foreign languages, astronomy, natural sciences, classics, expository and creative writing, drama, economics, fine arts, studio arts, government, history, linguistics, literature, mathematics, and music, among others. Most Summer School faculty members have Harvard affiliations during the academic year, but instructors also are recruited from other universities.

Enrollment

Harvard’s academic resources and distinguished reputation attract people of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities. Last year, more than 5,000 students from all areas of the United States and ninety other countries attended Harvard Summer School. Selected on the basis of their high school grades, school recommendations, and College Board scores, secondary school men and women who have finished the tenth, eleventh, or twelfth grade make up one fifth of the Summer School population. Approximately 90 percent of the secondary school participants live in dormitories on campus; the remaining 10 percent commute.

Daily Schedule

Secondary school resident students must enroll in eight units of credit; 4- and 8-unit courses are offered. Sophomores must take a writing or math class; they choose a second class from a selected list. Four-unit courses meet either daily for 1 hour or twice weekly for 2½ hours. Eight-unit courses meet for 2 or more hours per day. Commuting students take either 4 or 8 units of study. Summer school students eat meals together in a campus dining hall three times a day, seven days a week. Students are given freedom and responsibility to establish their own priorities and manage their own time.

Extra Opportunities and Activities

Harvard Summer School, Cambridge, Boston, and the New England region offer a multitude of summer activities. The Summer School sponsors movies, concerts, dances, social gatherings, and day trips in Boston and around New England. The College Choices Program offers tours of other New England colleges, a workshop on writing college applications, and a college fair attended by thirty colleges. Students may audition to join the Summer School Chorus, or Orchestra; all students may join the Pops Band. Students can join intramural sports teams, learn to row, attend professional sports events, perform in the talent show or the trivial bowl, or volunteer for community service projects in the area.

Facilities

Harvard University’s resources are exceptional. A distinguished faculty, well-equipped laboratories, fine museums, many athletic facilities, and the largest university library system in the world are available to Summer School students.
Secondary school students live with other secondary school students in dormitories in and near Harvard Yard. Several of the dormitories are more than a century old, and the furnishings are simple.

Staff

A carefully chosen resident proctor (a Harvard College undergraduate) serves as an adviser during the summer to provide support and guidance—suggesting activities, helping students find their way around Cambridge and Boston, and inviting students to weekly study breaks. Proctors are assigned an average of 20 students each.
Each proctor serves under the guidance of an assistant dean. Assistant deans live in dormitories and work with their proctors to develop a sense of community and to guarantee appropriate conditions for study.
The director of the Secondary School Program, along with her staff and 3 assistant deans, is responsible for the campus life and academic welfare of Secondary School Program students. There is always a Secondary School Program dean on call.

Medical Care

All Summer School students are required to have health insurance against major illnesses and accidents. Students who do not have such coverage with an American carrier must buy it through the Summer School. The outpatient facilities of the University Health Services are available 24 hours a day for urgent care needs. The Stillman Infirmary, an on-campus hospital facility, is available for acute inpatient care.

Religious Life

Harvard University has no religious affiliation, but opportunities for worship are available on or near campus for members of many faiths.

Costs

In 2007, costs per 4-unit course were as follows: application fee, $50; tuition, $2275 ($4550 for 8 units); room and board, $3975 for the eight-week session, $2020 for the four-week session; health insurance, $110. Late fees also apply after payment deadlines.

Transportation

Harvard University is located approximately 6 miles from Logan International Airport in Boston. Transportation to and from the airport is available by taxi or public transportation.

Application Timetable

Applicants are admitted to the Secondary School Program and notified on a rolling basis until the program fills—i.e., there is no specific application deadline. The Secondary School Program welcomes inquiries at any time throughout the year.