Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar introduces Summer College Preview Program

The Summer College Preview Program is a rigorous three-week experience targeting students who are currently in their 10th or 11th year of high school (students in 10th, 11th or 12th year in the British system), who maintain a grade point average of 3.0 (80% score) or above and have a high level of English proficiency. The non-residential, non-credit-bearing summer course will introduce participants to college level teaching, course content and the higher caliber of work that will be expected of them.

"A lot of students find the transition from high school to college quite difficult. Their schools spend a lot of time preparing them to gain admission to colleges and universities, but very little time and attention is spent teaching students what will be expected of them once they arrive on campus," says Gloria Hill, Carnegie Mellon University Assistant Vice Provost for Education.

"Our aim for this program is to give motivated students an introduction to college-level courses. This will help bridge the gap between high school and college, which will in turn contribute to academic success."

Admission to the program will be selective and only 15 rising juniors and 15 rising seniors will be admitted. These students will have a unique opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge about life as a college student. Classes will be coeducational and will be taught entirely in English by highly-regarded Carnegie Mellon professors and full-time graduate students. Students who are accepted will take classes to improve skills in math and English, and become familiar with American approaches to teaching and learning.

While some aspects of the program will focus on the math-based business administration and computer science majors at Carnegie Mellon Qatar, the experience will be useful for any highly-motivated, academically-talented student who is pursuing a college degree in any field. Participation in the course is not a guarantee of admission to Carnegie Mellon Qatar or any other university, however the skills learned by the students will help them better prepare for whatever academic challenges they choose to take on in the future.