Ohio State launches new Buckeye Precollege summer program for high school students

Molly Petrina
Wed, 01 Mar 2023 01:08:17 +0000
Campus, Instagram Page, News, administrators, astronomy, Buckeye Precollege, Christine Parker, college, Courses, environment, experience, graduate, high school, Humanities, Melissa Gilliam, ohio state, philosophy, program, quantum mechanics, residence halls, students, summer program, undergraduate, university

Ohio State will now offer a program aimed at High School students from 9th to 11th grade. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor

While some spend their summer breaks at the pool, Ohio State will offer high school students the opportunity to jumpstart their college-life experience this June.

Ohio State opened applications for Buckeye Precollege, a new summer program for high school students in grades nine to 11. Students will attend courses taught by university faculty members in residence halls and attend daily workshops and excursions on weekends.?

Executive Vice President and Provost Melissa Gilliam said in a Jan. 6 news release this opportunity allows students to see the university before they start applying for college.?

“The Buckeye Precollege Summer Institutes will enable high school students to learn more about Ohio State, benefit from our outstanding faculty and instructors, and consider Ohio State as a destination for college,” Gilliam said.

According to the program’s website, Buckeye Precollege offers two sessions of the program from June 5-16 and June 19-30. The deadline for high school students to apply is Wednesday, after which applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Students can also apply for a limited number of need-based scholarships, according to the website. The overall program fee is $3,900, which covers the cost of courses, housing, dining and residential activities.?

Christine Parker, executive director of academic summer programs, said in an email the program will allow students to focus on one course of interest.?

“They can dig deeply into more narrow subject areas of study not represented in a typical high school,” Parker said.

Parker said the courses are designed and selected by administrators to provide students with a wide range of disciplines which might interest them — including philosophy, astronomy, quantum mechanics and humanities.?

“We want to support colleges and departments interested in exposing younger learners to their disciplines — these kinds of programs can be effective recruitment pipelines if leveraged well,” Parker said.

According to the website, students will live in residence halls staffed by undergraduate and graduate students serving as residential counselors.?

Parker said Ohio State student employees will also organize activities on evenings and weekends for the participants.?

“In all these roles, there is ample opportunity to build skills that are immensely valuable in any future job and important to employers,” Parker said.?

The academic and social aspects of the program are designed to create an environment where students can learn to live and work in a college environment, Parker said.

“We hope this environment helps all participants better engage with each other, so that they all leave with a sense of connection as well as academic accomplishment,” Parker said.

According to the website, high school students in grades nine through 11 at the time of the application are eligible to apply. Applicants can view a previously recorded information session and see course offerings and financial information on the program’s website.

“Through these programs, participants will discover potential career paths, gain college-level academic skills and engage with thought-provoking, real-world challenges and ideas that can impact our world,” Gilliam said.