College Preparation
An important component of the Secondary School Program involves helping 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 prep workshops, talks, and trips are scheduled on a flexible and recurring basis so that SSP students don’t miss out on these events because of class or exam conflicts. See a complete list of college prep activities.
A schedule of all SSP college prep activities will be available during Opening Weekend.
College Fair and College Visits
Colleges from around the country send representatives to meet students 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.
Trips to New England colleges provide an opportunity to tour campuses and speak with students and admissions personnel. In 2006, many SSP students visited Amherst, Brown, Dartmouth, and Yale.
Harvard College Admissions
Though 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. In addition, interviews are granted to qualified SSP students who live far from Cambridge.
Harvard Course in 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 managing time, preparing for examinations, and taking notes. The course meets one hour a day, Monday through Friday, for three weeks. Tuition is $150. For more information, visit the Bureau of Study Counsel website; call (617) 495-2581; or write to the Bureau of Study Counsel, 5 Linden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA.
College Prep Workshops
Many secondary school students take advantage of the noncredit SSP workshops, which provide background and instruction in several strategically important topics:
- Writing the College Application Essay
- College Financial Aid
- Breaking Through “Writer’s Block”
- Speaking Up: Freeing Your Voice in Class
- Time Management Skills
- Preparing for and Taking Tests and Exams in College
- Reading Strategically: When Is It OK to Scan, Skim, or Skip?
- Reading Strategically: Remembering What You Read
- Taking Effective Notes