This is an archive. See the current website at www.ssp.harvard.edu.
College Preparation
This important component of the Secondary School Program is designed to help students navigate the college application process, gain admission to the college of their choice, and enhance their performance once enrolled in college. To assist students in making decisions about their academic future, we sponsor a college fair, host talks about college selection and admissions, schedule trips to New England colleges—and provide many other opportunities.
Most college preparatory workshops, courses, talks, and trips are scheduled on a flexible and recurring basis, providing SSP students several chances to avail themselves of the many opportunities the college preparatory component offers.
College Fair
Colleges from around the country send representatives to meet students, talk with them, and provide information. Representatives come to the Harvard campus from Amherst, Bates, Bowdoin, Brandeis, Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth, Duke, MIT, Middlebury, Rice, Smith, Stanford, Swarthmore, Tufts, the universities of Chicago and Pennsylvania, Washington University, Wellesley, Williams, and Yale, among others.
College Visits
Trips to New England colleges provide an opportunity to tour the campus and speak with students and admissions personnel. In 2004, many SSP students visited Amherst, Brown, Dartmouth, and Yale.
Harvard College Admissions
While attending the Secondary School Program is not a guarantee of admission to Harvard College, students can take advantage of being on campus by visiting the Harvard College Admissions Office and attending a talk given by a Harvard admissions officer while the Summer School is in session. In addition, interviews are granted to qualified SSP students who live far from Cambridge.
SSP Workshops
SSP workshops provide background and instruction in several strategically important topics:
- Writing the College Application Essay
- College Financial Aid
- Time Management Skills
- Doing Research at the University
- Breaking Through Writer's Block
- Speaking Up: Freeing Your Voice in Class
- Preparing for and Taking Tests and Exams in College
- Reading Strategically: When Is It OK to Scan, Skim, or Skip?
BSC Course: Reading and Study Strategies
Many secondary school students take advantage of the course offered by the Harvard Bureau of Study Counsel (BSC), Reading and Study Strategies. This intensive, noncredit course helps students develop strategies for increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of their reading, learning, and study. Students also learn techniques for time management, preparing for examinations, and notetaking. The course meets one hour per day, Monday through Friday, for three weeks. Tuition is $150. For more information, write the Bureau of Study Counsel, 5 Linden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA; call (617) 495-2581; or visit the BSC website.
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