27 Summer Programs at Colorado College for High Schoolers

Students and parents often think that “summer camps” are just for younger kids and that high schoolers are better off spending their summers working. However, there are summer programs designed specifically for high school students that give students the opportunity to learn and grow in ways that a traditional part-time job can’t do.

Summer programs are a way for high school students to develop their interests and learn more about college and careers. Plus, participating in a summer program can make a student’s application stronger by senior year. We’ve rounded up 25 summer programs at Colorado College to help parents figure out which program might suit their student’s interests.

Why Summer Programs Benefit High Schoolers

Summer programs for high school students are about more than having fun (although there’s plenty of that too!). One of the main benefits of summer program is that they allow high school students to specialize in an area of interest. They often give students an inside look into an industry or academic discipline that they wouldn’t be able to get in a traditional class setting and expand students’ awareness of opportunities in that field.

Many summer programs are at colleges and universities, which provide an additional bonus of helping students get a feel for what it’s like to be on a college campus. These programs often inform students of hard-to-find resources, such as specialized learning communities or even scholarships. Not only that, but students have the chance to connect with college faculty and students directly, which can make them more excited about college in general.

Colleges admissions officers care about students’ extracurricular activities and often consider them not only for admissions but for awarding merit scholarships. They want to see that students pursued their interests and took advantage of what was available to them. Summer programs are often more interesting to admissions counselors than just other types of activity because fewer students participate in them, and the experiences can be valuable material for an admission essay.

There’s also no need to have to choose between working over the summer and doing a summer program. Many summer programs are short, sometimes even as short as a day, which allow students to balance work and family obligations while pursuing their interests.

Perhaps the greatest advantage of attending a summer program at a college is the chance to connect with current students and faculty. One of our top recommendations for helping students get into their dream school is to connect with students who were successfully admitted to that school, and summer programs make that a much easier process for high school students. By attending a program at Colorado College, high school students get to know current students and can get the inside scoop about what it’s really like to get in and attend.

Summer Programs At Colorado College

Colorado College offers several courses as a part of their Pre-College Program, which is divided into three blocks. Block A and Block B run for three-and-a-half weeks, and high school students take classes alongside Colorado College undergrads. The Pre-college Block is two-and-a-half weeks long and is exclusively for high school students.

Each block is entirely residential, allowing students to be really immersed in the college experience. These are the dates for each block:

• Block A: May 29-June 21
• Block B: June 24-July 18
• Pre-College Block: July 15-July 30

These program costs are all approximate. There may be differences in cost based on whether a student stays on-campus or decides to commute, is an Indiana resident or not, or if there are scholarships available.

1. A Material Exploration of Drawing: On and Off the Press

This program synthesizes drawing and printmaking to give students valuable creative skills. They’ll master drawing fundamentals and printmaking basics during this Pre-College Block course.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $4,661
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

2. Physics in Biology and Medicine

During this Pre-College Block course, students delve into the physics of life sciences. They’ll apply physics equations to biological systems, such as human athletic performance and the circulatory system.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $4,661
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

3. Cross Genre Writing Workshop

Does your student keep a journal with their poetry and stories? Then this high-energy Pre-College Block course might be the perfect fit. They’ll get to explore different styles of writing such as prose, spoken words, and scriptwriting.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $4,661
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

4. Freedom and Empire: The Drama of Ancient Politics

Students interested in history and politics will love this Pre-College Block course. This program uses Machiavelli’s the Prince and Shakespeare’s Roman plays to explore the drama of ancient Roman politics.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $4,661
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

5. From Grasslands to Glaciers

Students will explore the rich natural history of the Pikes Peak region during this Pre-College Block course. They’ll focus on identifying the different climate zones of the Pikes Peak region and spend plenty of time outdoors.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $4,661
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

6. Global Health and International Development

During this Pre-College Block course, students will take an interdisciplinary approach to global health. This program introduces students to improvements and growing inequalities in global health from a variety of perspectives.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $4,661
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

7. Do #AllLivesMatter?: Historical and Contemporary Protest in the U.S.

Is your student fascinated by activism? Students will explore protest in the U.S. during this Pre-College Block course. This course focuses primarily on Feminist and Critical media studies to explore protests ranging from 1831 to 2017.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $4,661
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

8. Topics in Sociology: Globalization & Immigration Policy

Students will explore immigration policy during this Pre-College Block course. They’ll learns the reasons for why people migrate, and visit community organizations run by immigrants or serving immigrants in Denver and Colorado Springs.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $4,661
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

9. Latin for Beginners

During this combination Block A and Block B course, students will get a crash course on Latin. Perfect for students interested in pre-law, this course introduces students to the structure of Latin through reading short texts and considering its relation to ancient, medieval and modern culture.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $5,976
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

10. Book Arts and Letterpress

If your student enjoys the craftsmanship involved in the arts, then they will love this course. Students will learn how to design, print, and bind books as well as take a field trip to the Rocky Mountain Land Library during this Block A course.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $5,976
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

11. Fiber Arts

Perfect for the creative student who enjoys working with their hands, students will delve into fiber arts during this Block A course. They’ll work with on and off-loon fiber art processes and explore concepts such as transparency, texture, form, pattern, and color.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $5,976
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

12. Rewriting the Beats

Students will learn about writers who bucked the status quo during this Block A course. It focuses on writers such as Jack Kerouac, William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Joyce Johnson, and the connections between writing, art, film, and music during the mid-1940 to the early 1960s.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $5,976
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19
  

13. Topics in History: American History, American Film

Is your student a film or history buff? This interdisciplinary Block A course might be perfect for them. In particular, students will focus on the historical concepts of the American West and American Dream as they are portrayed in Hollywood Westerns and gangster films.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $5,976
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

14. Calculus 1

During this Block A course, students will hone their calculus skills. They’ll master differential and integral calculus of algebraic and transcendental functions. Perfect for any students interested in STEM majors!

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $5,976
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

15. Song Writing & Film Scoring: Finding Our Inner Voice

There are two tracks for this course; either film-music or songwriting, or combine both. Students will explore the role music has in film, compare music across dramatic genres, and use music technology and software to score their own lyrics and soundtracks.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $5,976
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

16. Astronomy

Students will explore astronomy during this Block A course. They’ll spend their time outside at night or in the lab, learning about the nature and formation of the universe through hands-on activities.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $5,976
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

17. Introduction to Psychology

During this Block A course, students will explore contemporary issues in psychology and learn how scientific methodology is applied to psychological phenomena.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $5,976
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

18. Introduction to Indigenous Studies

Students will delve into indigenous studies during this Block A course. This course reviews history from an indigenous perspective, with an emphasis on indigenous resistance, resilience to racial oppression, and representation of American Indians in culture.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $5,976
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

19. Topics in Literature: The 20th Century Short Novel in English

If your student loves English, then they will love this literature course. They’ll look at various short novels, such as Heart of Darkness, The Fox, Flowering Judas, Sula, Pavko at the Wall, Something Out There, and House on Mango Street.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $5,976
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

20. Basic Film-making

Does your student want to create Hollywood blockbusters or award-winning documentaries? Students will learn the fundamentals of filmmaking through developing various short projects in preparation for a final public screening.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $5,976
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

21. Geology of the Pikes Peak Region

During this Block B course, students will explore geological topics. Students will use the geologically intricate surroundings of the Pikes Peak region to explore the core concepts of geology.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $5,976
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

22. Probability and Statistics

Students will explore probability and statistics during this Block B course. This offers an introduction to concepts in probability and statistics, and draws upon statistical examples from the social and life sciences.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $5,976
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

23. The Science of Ethics and Genetics

Is your student fascinated by the future of genetics? If so, then this Block B course might be the perfect fit. It prepares students to develop an informed opinion on genetic issues that impact a wide variety of disciplines, such as the social, medical, legal, and biological disciplines.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $5,976
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

24. Topics in Asian Studies: Buddhism, Society and Ecology

If your student has an interest in religious studies or about finding solutions to pressing environmental concerns, then this is the course for them. They’ll focus on how Buddhist teachings can contribute to the global discourse about environmental sustainability for human wellbeing during this Block B course.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $5,976
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

25. Cosmology, Antigravity, and the Runaway Universe

During this Block B course,students will delve into questions regarding the universe. They’ll learn about our current understanding of the cosmos, how we know what we know, and make their own observations at the Colorado College Observatory.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $5,976
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

26. Liberty and Equality

If your student has an interest in law or politics, then encourage them to check out this Block B course. In it, students will critically examine defenses and critiques of democracy and whether American democracy is truly founded on human equality and provides for individual liberty.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $5,976
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

27. Topics in Sociology: From Title IX to “Me Too”: Gender Based Harassment and Assault

Students will explore issues of gender-based violence during this Block B course. They’ll specifically focus on how harassment occurs based on where it occurs, including areas such as college campuses, sports, workplaces, politics, religion, and the military.

• Grades: 10th & 11th Only
• Cost: $5,976
• Deadlines: Priority 3/29/19, final 7/7/19

Wrapping it Up

As you can see, there are plenty of opportunities for students to learn more about different industries and experience college firsthand.

If your student missed a deadline or isn’t currently eligible for one of these programs, there are plenty of other activities that students can participate in over the summer to stay engaged. These include getting involved in community organizations, volunteer service, and working. You can find some ideas for activities in our post Summer Activities to Strengthen your College Applications.

Check out some of our other posts about extracurriculars:

18 Summer Programs in Iowa for High Schoolers

25 Summer Programs for High Schoolers in Indiana

15 Medical Internships for High School Students

6 Pre-College Programs You Can Join in High School

Want access to expert college guidance — for free? When you create your free CollegeVine account, you will find out your real admissions chances, build a best-fit school list, learn how to improve your profile, and get your questions answered by experts and peers—all for free. Sign up for your CollegeVine account today to get a boost on your college journey.