Georgetown Pre-College Online Program: Summer Program Spotlight
December 3, 2024
Calculus, English literature, history, Spanish, biology鈥f you鈥檙e a typical high school student, this is likely a good representation of your academic schedule. However, if you want to dive into a special topic or have a budding curiosity about a particular career path, you might be wondering where to begin. Perhaps your brief study of cellular structure in biology led to a fascination with biomedicine, or that after-school leadership workshop left you with more questions than answers about practical application. If that鈥檚 the case, look no further than . In keeping with its cura personalis (鈥渃are for the whole person鈥�) philosophy, Georgetown has created a set of courses that allows students to delve into special topics that are not typically part of the high school curriculum while receiving guidance from mentors with subject-matter expertise. In today鈥檚 blog, we鈥檒l explore the program鈥檚 many offerings and benefits.
Note: This is a sponsored post written on behalf of Georgetown University’s Pre-College Program. We have independently (and enthusiastically) recommended their offerings to our clients for many years. Our site only partners with summer programs that bring significant value to students and the material in this blog is 100% the genuine opinion of 国产第一福利影院草草.聽
Why should I take a class through the Georgetown Pre-College Online Program?
The offers excellent opportunities for and academic enrichment in myriad fields. Additionally, it gives you the rare chance to assess your overall inclinations toward a particular subject or multiple subjects. Your chosen course(s) may affirm your interests, introduce you to a new career path that you hadn鈥檛 previously considered, or even make it clear that you鈥檇 prefer a different direction, all in a low-pressure environment. Engaging in this type of academic and career exploration as a high school student can lead to enhanced focus in college.
Moreover, Georgetown鈥檚 program offers an optimal structure for learning, combining various types of multimedia alongside hands-on assignments. There鈥檚 also plenty of student choice; depending on the course, students can choose their own topics for final projects and also have full control over how those projects are presented (photography, text, video, etc.). Throughout their course, students also have the opportunity to make personal and professional connections with their course mentors.
With Georgetown’s , students dive deeper into subjects, while also receiving 3 college credits upon successful completion of each course. Students also have access to Teaching Assistants to provide support during each course.
Finally, colleges like to see that you鈥檙e genuinely pursuing your interest areas in ways that are accessible to you. Engaging in one of Georgetown鈥檚 courses is a fantastic way to demonstrate that intellectual curiosity on your application.
What type of courses does the Georgetown Pre-College Online Program offer?
Georgetown offers 19 different courses across a wide spectrum of subject areas:
Health and Medicine
Medicine (College Credit available) introduces students to the foundations of modern medical practice, exploring how physicians diagnose illness, evaluate patients, and develop treatment plans. Students examine major disease systems, ethical considerations in medicine, and the scientific principles that guide clinical decision-making, while gaining insight into careers across the medical field.
Medicine: An Inside Look at Treating Patients explores the patient journey, healthcare team roles, and treatment plans for three cases. Students learn about complementary vs. integrative medicine techniques and design a healthcare team for either congestive heart failure or thyroid cancer.
Becoming a Surgeon: Skills, Specialties, and Diseases lets students delve into the challenge of diagnosing a disease and treating it through surgery. Students also study abdominal diseases and learn about technologies like robotics and digital scanning.
Medical Research: Clinical Trials Resulting in Medical Discoveries teaches students about the medical research process, including the steps of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM), and gives them an opportunity to develop their own studies.
Explore Advanced Practice Nursing introduces students to the skills required for a variety of nursing roles, such as nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives. Moreover, they鈥檒l learn more about patient treatment.
Related: How to Become a Surgeon
Biology
The Science of Cells and Innovation (College Credit available) gives students the ability to delve into cellular structure, disease, and microscopy. Students also learn about emerging technologies in this field.
Related: Best Colleges for Biology, 49 Most Interesting Biology Research Projects
Anatomy and Physiology
How the Body Works in Harmony introduces students to the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, and gastrointestinal systems. They鈥檒l also explore how these systems interact and impact one another.
Psychology
How the Brain Influences Behavior (College Credit available) delves into the ways that psychology impacts our lives, from social media-induced stress to drugs and mental health disorders. Students also learn about neuroscience and how psychologists study human behavior.
Related: Best Colleges for Psychology, How to Become a Psychologist
Law
Law: Analyze, Argue, and Advocate Like a Lawyer covers how legal professionals counsel clients, investigate facts, build arguments, and advocate in the courtroom. Students explore foundational legal concepts and constitutional rights, and hear directly from experts about the diverse career paths and roles within the legal field.
International Law: Protecting the World鈥檚 Interests teaches students about treaty negotiation, the ins and outs of jurisdiction, and how international laws are enforced. Students also consider how issues like climate change and social media will affect the current landscape.
Related: How to Become a Lawyer
International Relations
How the World Works (College Credit available) teaches students about international relations, global conflict, and human rights. Students also gain valuable group discussion skills.
Related: Best Colleges for International Relations/Studies
U.S. Politics and Government
In To Form a More Perfect Union, students explore the history of the U.S. Constitution, examine how our political institutions work, and study the political party system. Moreover, they鈥檒l delve into the influence of media and public opinion.
Related: Best Colleges for Political Science
Cybersecurity
Protecting Our Digital Future (College Credit available) is a deep dive into the realities of the dark web, allowing students to take a closer look at the history of cyberspace as well as different types of cyberattacks. Furthermore, the course investigates AI鈥檚 evolving role in cybersecurity.
Related: 15 Best Technology Colleges in the US
Business, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Finance
Finance (College Credit available) introduces students to financial markets, valuation methods, and current trends such as cryptocurrency. Students also learn how to develop research questions and analyze financial data while completing an independent finance research project.
Becoming an Investor: An Inside Look at Finance teaches students about financial markets, valuation models, and the process of wealth creation. It also covers fintech, such as cryptocurrency.
Business of Sports: A Look Behind The Game (College Credit available) delves into the business of sports, exploring everything from franchise valuation and media contracts to stadium operations and marketing. Students will analyze the decisions that drive teams to greatness, and hear firsthand from team owners and sports executives.
Becoming an Entrepreneur: An Inside Look at Innovation gives students the opportunity to learn about the history of entrepreneurship, the importance of networking, and different types of business models. Moreover, they鈥檒l develop their business pitch skills.
In Discover the Power of Marketing (College Credit available), students learn about traditional and digital marketing channels as well as how to build a brand, analyze consumer insights, and identify a marketing strategy.
Related: Business School Acceptance Rates for Undergraduate Programs, Best Colleges for Entrepreneurship, Best Colleges for Marketing
Leadership
Becoming a Leader: Motivate, Inspire, and Persuade teaches students about different leadership styles. It also explores conflict resolution, the basics of motivation, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Writing & Journalism
The Power of Storytelling (College Credit available)聽teaches students the craft of storytelling, including narrative structure, character development, and revision techniques. Students also build a writing portfolio and refine their unique voice while earning college credit.
Journalism and Media in the Digital Age delves into how to find, research, create, and publish stories. Furthermore, it covers a variety of media platforms, including video, social, and mobile.
Related: Best Colleges for Journalism, How to Become a Journalist
What are the courses like?
All courses are completely remote and asynchronous, meaning you can engage in the material on your own schedule鈥攑erfect for busy high schoolers in any time zone. As such, there are no live Zoom classes to attend. Instead, courses are delivered through a set of engaging and dynamic video lessons and special assignments. The courses are designed by Georgetown faculty and often feature discussions with experts in the field. Moreover, the curriculum is designed for active learning; all courses conclude with a Final Capstone Project, showcasing all you鈥檝e learned throughout the program.
Who teaches the Georgetown Pre-College Online Program courses?
The courses are fully designed and recorded by Georgetown University professors, and feature experienced guest speakers and professionals who are experts in their respective fields. For example, Anatomy & Physiology: How the Body Works in Harmony was created by Dr. Elise Orellana, an assistant professor at Georgetown鈥檚 School of Medicine with expertise in gross anatomy, histology, and media production. Cybersecurity: Protecting Our Digital Future was designed by Dr. Frederic Lemieux, who is Faculty Director and Professor of the Practice for the Applied Intelligence, Cybersecurity Risk Management, Technology Management, and Information Technology Management programs. He specializes in intelligence, cybersecurity, and disruptive technologies. Rebecca Silderbrand, Professor of the Practice and Director of the Journalism Program, has over twenty years of experience in political and presidential journalism and delivers the course material for Journalism and Media in the Digital Age.
In addition, you鈥檒l have access to a mentor that will support you through the material, be available to answer questions, and help you brainstorm and create your final project.
What can I do with my Final Capstone Project?
First, let鈥檚 delve into a sampling of the projects you can create through Georgetown鈥檚 courses.
In Becoming a Surgeon: Skills, Specialties, and Diseases, students create videos and models related to abdominal anatomy and conditions, and also design a mock patient quiz.
Summer Program Spotlight (Continued)
In International Law: How the World Works, students analyze a simulation involving military force and recommend specific actions while staying mindful of legality.
In Anatomy and Physiology: How the Body Works in Harmony, students use their newfound knowledge of the body鈥檚 systems to create an informational pamphlet for diabetic patients.
Think of your Final Capstone as a way to practice important skills, such as synthesizing and presenting information, while providing you the opportunity to explore a topic of special interest in your own style. Moreover, your project could be the spark for further study of a particular topic, whether through a class at school, like AP Research, or a local internship. You can also list the project on internship and college applications.
What type of time commitment should I expect?
It depends on the length of the course. You can select from courses that are either one week, two weeks, or four weeks long. While all classes require approximately 20-30 hours of instruction and activities, that time will be distributed evenly over the length of the course you select. For a one-week class, expect to commit approximately 20-30 hours of time over the course of the week. For a two-week class, you should expect to spend 10-15 hours per week, and a four-week class would require a 5-7 hour weekly commitment. All courses are the same price, so think about what might fit best into your schedule as well as what might be optimal for your personal learning style. For example, some students prefer to do fast-paced deep dives while others prefer to spread work out over several weeks for maximum absorption.
In addition, while you must complete all required work by your program鈥檚 end date, you鈥檒l have access to the virtual lessons and materials for up to a month after the program鈥檚 culmination.
How old do I have to be to take a course?
Students as young as 13 can take courses year-round. Although summer is the most popular time for most students to pursue academic enrichment opportunities, it is possible to dive into courses during the school year if that is a better fit for your schedule.
How many courses can I take at one time?
As many as you鈥檇 like! That said, keep the recommended time commitment (above) in mind. If you do opt to take multiple courses, consider selecting options that directly complement one another or introduce you to a tangential subject area. For example, aspiring health professionals might choose to explore a range of potential medical careers by taking Becoming a Surgeon: Skills, Specialties, and Diseases alongside Explore Advanced Practice Nursing. Interested in journalism? Other than Journalism and Media in the Digital Age, you might also opt for a course in a subject area that you could see yourself researching or writing about, such as international law or relations. Moreover, the entrepreneurially minded might consider not only Becoming an Entrepreneur: An Inside Look at Innovation but also Discover the Power of Marketing.听听
How do I apply to the Georgetown Pre-College Online Program?
To apply, you鈥檒l need to provide basic personal information as well as a brief personal statement that discusses why you wish to enroll in your course(s) of choice. The application deadline varies depending on the course start date. However, applications are typically accepted until approximately a week before the course鈥檚 start date.
How much does the program cost?
Enrichment courses are $1,895, while college credit courses are $3,995. Each college credit course awards students with 3 college credits upon successful completion.
Is there financial aid available?
Yes. Need-based scholarships are available for students with high potential who are unable to pay tuition.
Final Thoughts 鈥� Georgetown Pre-College Online Program
If you鈥檙e on the hunt for an academic enrichment opportunity that allows you to engage in a specialized learning experience on your own schedule, the could be a perfect fit. Moreover, to soak up everything this program has to offer, you should be motivated to commit the recommended amount of time to your studies and be self-disciplined enough to follow through. Hoping to build those skills? This program would be an excellent way to do so in a structured yet supportive environment.
Looking for additional summer program resources? You might consider checking out the following:
