Reflections from the F&M College Prep Program

Recently JB CIA member Matt Schofield attended Franklin & Marshall College's College Prep Program. Here are his reflections on the program!

 After school finally ends and summer vacation begins, the excitement only lasts a week, or maybe two weeks at best. After that, each day seems like a monotonous blur of sleeping, eating, and time wasted on the internet. Until recently, I spent each and every one of my summers in this manner, bored and ultimately eager for the school year to start again so that I would have something to do. Fortunately, this past summer, I was presented with the opportunity to end this trend and spend almost a month of my vacation doing something that was not only productive but also fun and unforgettable: Franklin and Marshall College’s College Prep 4.0.

                Every year, Franklin and Marshall hosts a three-week program on its campus with the intention of preparing around 70 competitively picked rising seniors for their college careers. During this time, students sleep in real college dorms, eat at the college’s dining hall, and attend two college-level courses a day taught by the school’s very own professors (more on this later). Additionally, the program presents students with workshops focused on self-development, school preparedness, and writing skills. However, aside from academics, the program also provides an incredible amount of recreation, such as field trips and special dinners.

                If I had to pick one thing that stood out to me about the program, it would definitely be the incredible opportunities it presented me with. In just three weeks, I was able to go to an art museum in Baltimore, a history museum in Philadelphia, spend an entire day with my new friends in DC, go canoeing, and go to Hershey Park. Not only that, but I attended a party hosted by the college’s president, ate dinner at the house of one of the school’s admission officers, and met innumerable incredible people. And these activities didn’t cost me a thing; in fact, aside from being an expense-free program, Franklin and Marshall’s College Prep provides each student with a check for $500 upon completion of the program.

                Of course, the trip couldn’t be completely recreational. I attended two different classes, two hours a day each, five days a week. I had The Meaning of Myth in the morning, which studied the origin of myth and what myth can teach as, and Archaeology of the Andes in the afternoon, which, unsurprisingly, regarded ancient human life in the Andes Mountains. Although I at first thought that the 2 hour classes would feel lengthy, they were entirely filled with intellectual and challenging conversation that made the time fly. Additionally, the environment of the classroom itself made the time more enjoyable; instead of sitting in a hard chair at a desk, I sat in a cushioned recliner. I left the classes after three weeks certain of one thing: the feeling of a high school classroom and the feeling of a college class are entirely different; the ambiance of the college setting just feels more advanced, inclusive, and fun.

                My own personal development in just three weeks of college life is astounding. Not only do I now feel prepared for college, but I left the program with a better sense of self and an incredible amount of new friends and connections. I substituted a forgettable summer of hours wasted on the computer for the unforgettable experience offered to me by Franklin and Marshall College. The experience without a doubt changed my life.