College Readiness

Spend an intensive week working on your college application in the morning, then College-Level Composition in the afternoon. This one-week program will help you prepare for college. This program is for those who need to catch up after remote learning, want to broaden their academic skills or need guidance in preparing their applications.

Program at a Glance

Dates

July 21–27, 2024

Cost

Tuition: $2,660
Deposit: $532
Application Fee: $50

You’ll Gain

A polished application essay
Public speaking and interviewing readiness
Self-editing skills

Apply Now

Applications for all precollege programs are now open! Assessed on a rolling basis, applicants can submit their materials until May 2024.

Start Your Application
Ruth Penberthy ’21

You’ve Got This!

Learn how to personalize your applications so they—and you—stand out. Admission professionals will share the latest insider expertise on how to successfully navigate the college application process.

Workshops are led by Smith’s professional admission staff and visiting admission officers from other top-ranked colleges and universities.

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Details & Schedule

Tuition

Tuition: $2,660
Deposit: $532
Application Fee: $50

Deposit due within two weeks of acceptance.

Overview

Smith Precollege Programs are open to students entering 9th-12th grade in the fall of 2024. Smith is a residential women’s college. Our Precollege Programs offer a Smith experience for high school students. Review our Codes of Conduct for students and parents/guardians to ensure that this program is the right fit for you. College credit is not offered.

To learn more, see the Apply to Summer Programs webpage.

Program & Schedule

Program Dates

Class Days

Class Times

July 21–27, 2024

Monday–Friday

Morning sessions are 9 a.m.–noon
Afternoon class from 1–4 p.m.

Curriculum

What You Will Gain

A Polished Essay

You will finish the program with a complete, or almost complete, admission essay for the Common Application, as well as tips on ways to customize your essay for individual college applications.

Public Speaking & Interviewing Readiness

You will gain new confidence and skills for public speaking, and learn to talk comfortably about yourself and your achievements in a college interview.

Composition Class—Self-Editing Skills

By developing skills in critical thinking and writing—including critical reading, as well as revising, creating and defending an argument—you will learn how to write successfully for any personal, professional, or academic assignment.

Composition Class

In college, you will be expected to write longer, open-ended papers that are free from repetition, incorporate multiple sources, and most importantly, demonstrate a unique, in-depth analysis and understanding of the source materials. In college, great writing generates new knowledge and ideas that show critical and creative thinking that transcends simply understanding the reading.

This class will help you produce great writing: based on the Colloquia in Writing course for Smith undergraduates, you will study the stages of a college essay: deconstructing the assignment, creating an efficient outline, writing a rough first draft, making global revisions, and adding the finishing touches to the final draft. Class time involves in-class writing assignments, discussion, lecture, workshops and one-on-one teacher/student conferences.

Instructors

Peter Sapira

Jacobson Center

Academic Director, Creative Writing Workshop; Writing & Public Speaking Instructor; Lecturer in English Language & Literature

Peter Sapira