Pre-College 2024

GW Pre-College Program 2024

High school students in the Pre-College Program spend a summer in Washington, D.C., taking advantage of GW's expertise in global development, international relations, public policy and administration, politics, diplomacy, history, biomedical engineering, museum studies and the arts. Top-tier faculty and scholar practioners guide, inspire and empower students through immersive programs that connect academic experience with real-world practice. Our summer programs are intensive and exciting, allowing students to experience the academic rigors of learning in a college environment. They are academically-challenging courses that integrate lectures and seminars with exploration of area organizations.

Pre-College also offers a transformative introduction to college life. Students develop confidence in their ability to become part of a new community, participating in recreational and social activities while making friends with peers from around the world.

Please note that each session has a specific deadlines as you are looking to apply.

APPLY NOW

Summer Immersion: Residential Programs

Summer Immersion is a two-week, full day, non-credit program for rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors that integrates lecture-based instruction with experiential and applied activities. Students expand and deepen their knowledge of a topic through collaborative learning and an exploration of the diverse intellectual and cultural resources of Washington, DC.

For Summer 2024, the following courses will run:
Immersion 1: CANCELLED

What do international borders, migrating workers, the rules of war, conflict resolution, and outer space exploration have in common? These critical issues, among others, lead to best practices that are often harmonized when enforced between two or more countries through multinational agreements, official treaties, and both intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. In this course, students will employ an interactive, hands-on methodology to learn how these different structures work and then think creatively about how to solve the most pressing problems of our era.

In an increasingly mobile world, major companies are growing globally. Business decisions and processes are influenced by global policies and regulations. This course aims to demonstrate the complexities of building a multinational organization and focuses on the challenges of cross-border commerce by competing interests in international policies and trade agreements. The course will also highlight visits to global business organizations such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Learn more about the world around and policies that affect your day-to-day. This course will provide students with an understanding of the programs, regulations and legislation that pertain to food production, food sovereignty, food safety, food security, dietary guidance, nutrition surveillance and assistance in the United States at the federal, state and local levels.

IMMERSION SESSION 1 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR SUMMER 2024

Immersion 2: June 16 - June 28

The world of medicine is complex and profound. This course will introduce students to the didactic rigors of biology, genetics, physiology, and anatomy as well as teaching them the applications of these topics in clinical research and global health. Students will explore these concepts with help from guests from and visits to places such as the Red Cross and PanHealth. This course is a survey of topics related to medicine, designed to help students understand the variety of areas that medicine touches and give them the information to decide if a career in medicine is right for them.

Being situated in Washington D.C., students are in the heart of the nation’s capital, where the worlds of politics, business, and technology converge and new, innovative ideas are being brought to life. In this course, students will explore topics such as technology innovations, social entrepreneurship and leading the business development process as they formulate an idea and learn how to pitch it to prospective investors.

The globalization of economic, political, social and cultural activity has increased society’s need for international understanding and cooperation. This course will take participants to foreign embassies, U.S. government agencies, and some of the nation's leading think tanks. Students are exposed to viewpoints and perspectives of international policymakers and explore multilateral approaches to international issues such as trade, borders, and conflict resolution. Students will gain a basic understanding of how to analyze and articulate America's foreign policy in an ever-changing world.

Immersion Session 2 Application Deadline EXTENDED: April 15, 2024

Immersion 3: June 30 - July 12

Introduction to Medicine

Social Psychology

The study of the mind, this course seeks to introduce students to the study of cognition through a review of data and theories on the topics of perception, role behavior, motivation, small group processes, communication, attitudes, reasoning, and decision making. Emphasizing working with diverse populations and developing strategies to promote social, emotional, psychological, and physical health students will be challenged to explore how these realms of health impact individuals and families and work through solutions.

Brazilian students posing in front of the World War 2 Memorial

The U.S. Intelligence Community: Global Terrorism and Nuclear Proliferation

Washington, D.C. is the hub of U.S. national security, and many of its most influential spaces are steps from our campus. Through our location, students will witness the relationship between national security and policy making firsthand. This course will highlight the complexities of the U.S. national security agenda from the perspectives of the legislative, executive and judicial branches, and the impact of national security practices by the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, and Pentagon agencies.

Immersion Session 3 Application Deadline: May 1, 2024

Immersion 4: July 14 - July 26

Photograph of students holding a brain while sitting at a table.

Cognitive Neuroscience

This course introduces students to the science of the brain, including areas of perception, attention, and memory, with an emphasis on the role of health and behavior. Students will explore psychiatric disorders and research methods, amongst which are patient-based testing, psychophysical scaling and animal modeling.

Cybersecurity

In the age of technology, the question stands: how secure are our systems? In this course, students will tackle that question through a highly technical, hands-on curriculum to learn the ins and outs of cyber challenges. Students will be able to merge research with current techniques and tools relating to cybersecurity.

Pre-College students outside the US Supreme Court

U.S. Law: Exploring D.C. and Federal Courts

Immerse yourself in the heart of the U.S. legal system with this hands-on course in the Nation's capital. Over two weeks, students will delve into the core principles of the U.S. legal framework while engaging in interactive experiences, including participating in a mock trial and moot court, as well as visits to local government institutions and courts.

Immersion Session 4 Application Deadline: May 1, 2024

A DAY IN THE LIFE

Students in the Pre-College program are constantly engaged. Connecting with their classmates, their topic of study and Washington, D.C, Pre-College students have the opportunity to interact with this program in an immersive, hands-on experience. Both in and out of the classroom, students are kept busy as we arrange opportunities for exploration through class site visits and residential programming. Students also receive a certain amount of free time to explore DC independently. Here is a sample Pre-College student schedule:

Weekdays
7:30am - 8:30am: Breakfast

9:00am - 5:00pm: Class, Study Sessions, Co-Curricular Activities

12:00pm - 1:00pm: Lunch

1:00pm - 4:00pm: Class, Guest Lecture and/or Site Visit

5:00pm - 6:30pm: Dinner

7:00pm - 9:00pm: College Readiness Activities and Recreational Programs with Residential Staff

11:00 pm: In-Room Curfew (weekday and weekends)

Weekends
Recreational Programs with Residential Staff. Examples of Recreational Programs include 4th of July Celebration on the National Mall, DC Cupcake crawl, and Smithsonian museum tours.

Additional SUMMER Opportunities

Summer Session II: Online from July 1 - August 10, 2024

College Intensive programs offer rising juniors and seniors the opportunity to earn college credit by engaging in challenging online undergraduate level courses. Grades earned establish an official academic record at GW and may be transferable, depending on the policies of the receiving institution.

Students who wish to engage in credit-bearing online courses may apply for the 6-week online option. Students participating in this program are eligible to enroll in one 1000 or 2000 level course. To be eligible for enrollment, students must satisfy all prerequisites for a given course. For dates and times, please consult the GW schedule of classes, which will be posted later this spring.

Program Dates: June 30 - July 19

Caminos al Futuro is a fully-funded, selective pre-college and residential summer program for rising seniors in U.S. high schools offered by the Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute at the George Washington University, in Washington D.C.

During the 3-week intensive program, Caminos scholars examine the social, economic, and political transformations affecting the Hispanic/Latino community. Through lectures by university professors and expert leaders in their fields, scholars not only learn about pressing contemporary issues but also create their own project to bring change in their own communities.