Brown University Pre-College Programs: An Overview
Each summer, Brown University welcomes high school students from around the world to participate in its pre-college programs. These programs offer a unique opportunity for students to experience college life, explore potential academic interests, and prepare for the challenges of higher education.
Purpose and Goals
According to Adrienne Marcus, the dean of the pre-college and undergraduate programs, Brown's pre-college programs are designed to prepare students for future college life. The application process itself mirrors a typical college application, providing valuable experience for prospective students. The programs aim to shift student focus away from formal grades and credits and, by creating student-centered learning experiences, towards the learning itself. This approach aligns with the principles of a Brown undergraduate liberal arts education and its open curriculum.
Program Structure and Offerings
Since launching in 1982 with a cohort of 99 students, Brown Pre-College has been re-imagining and redefining what’s possible for high school students. Today, Brown Pre-College enrolls over 6,000 students each year, representing all 50 states and territories and over 75 other countries. Brown Pre-College provides a large and varied selection of over 200 courses, which are designed and taught at the level of first-year college courses, and ranging in length from one to four weeks. These courses cover a wide array of subjects, allowing students to delve into specific areas of interest.
Past program offerings have consisted of courses titled: Women and Leadership; More than a Game: Leadership and Social Change in Sports; Leadership, Law and Social Movements; Leadership and Intercultural Communication; Leadership in Changing Business: Social Entrepreneurship; Leadership and Global Health.
Experiential Learning and Faculty
Experiential learning is a crucial aspect of the courses. Students in Brown precollege programs can experience learning in a variety of locations, including Berlin, Rome, Segovia, and Washington D.C. In addition to Brown faculty, over 270 instructional staff are graduate students, and over 60 undergraduate students from Brown serve as teaching assistants.
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Marcus notes that teaching provides the opportunity to understand subject matter in a precise and simple way, because one has to explain it to people who don’t share their expertise.
Student Experience
Ana Vissicchio ’26, a post- Magazine writer, attended pre-college while in high school to “get a glimpse into college life” and have “a chance to learn about something new,” she said in a message to The Herald. Despite that, she looks back on her time at pre-college fondly and says it helped with personal development and college preparation. “You’re living on a college campus and taking college classes for a month straight,” she said.
Students will learn how to balance engaging, ungraded academic courses with exciting social activities. Students in 2024 Pre-College Programs come from 48 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico. Local students are integral to the Pre-College community, as well. “Having a mix of local and international students is really meaningful for everybody on campus,” Marcus said.
Specific Programs
Brown Environmental Leadership Lab (BELL)
At BELL, students become socially responsible leaders and environmentalists. The Brown Environmental Leadership Lab combines concepts in environmental studies, ecology and leadership, with programs this year taking place in Alaska, the Eastern Sierras in Mammoth Lake, California, and in Rhode Island.
The Leadership Institute
The Leadership Institute prioritizes collaborative problem-solving combined with leadership skill development in areas such as social entrepreneurship, racial justice, law and social movements, and gender equity.
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Brown Undergraduate Summer Session
This program is a seven-week program that offers Brown Undergraduate Summer Session courses online. Students will explore new places and consider new perspectives in order to better understand the interconnectedness of the global community.
Benefits of Participation
Participating in a Brown precollege program can be a great way for high school students to enhance their college applications and prepare for the rigors of higher education.
Roma Shah is a section editor covering University Hall & Higher Education and Admissions & Financial Aid. She's a sophomore from Morgan Hill, CA studying neuroscience. Brown Pre-College Programs are designed for high school students to explore the challenges and opportunities of the college experience. Experience the rigors of college-level classes as you study alongside peers from around the world who are as motivated and curious as you are.
As Chloe Lerner, a rising high school junior from Puerto Rico, notes, instructors push students forward and do not hold them back. The programs offer a level of freedom that some students may not be used to, fostering responsibility and caring actions.
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