Senior Program Summer 2021

For students entering grades 9-12 in September

Choose Great Books Online or

On-Campus at Haverford College, Mount Holyoke, Occidental College, The University of Edinburgh, or University of Oxford 

World-Class Academics

Whether on-campus or online, the Senior Program provides bright students from all around the world the opportunity to hone their critical and analytical thinking skills and intellectual risk-taking. Advanced reading selections, formal discussion groups, and seminars led by experienced collegiate faculty help students take command of their own best thinking and powers of expression. The program delivers excellent preparation for seminar-style college classes, for the life skill of thinking well on one's feet, and in no small measure the SAT critical thinking section. Senior program attendees also meet with college professors and students from top universities to discuss college choices and experiences. Successfully completing a program of this caliber is an honor to note on college applications. Each student will receive a Certificate of Completion. In addition, an individual evaluation letter is sent to each student and their nominating educator to provide insight into their personal and academic accomplishments. The Great Books Summer Program is a positive academic influence for all of its attendees. 

Curriculum

Students in the Senior Program will read texts from authors and great minds such as Seneca, Homer, Jonathan Swift, Jorge Luis Borges, Toni Morrison, Kazuo Ishiguro, Plato, Ralph Ellison, and more. All reading materials are provided to students. No advance reading is required; we prefer that students do the reading together during the program. While we are a reading and literature program, we take care to choose selections and excerpts that can be digested during the reading period in each day to provide rich content for our seminars and discussions.

For students who are interested in honing their writing skills, we now offer Writer's Workshop Online. This can be taken as a stand-alone session or as a part of a multi-week Great Books experience.

Multi-week Program

Students who take part in multi-week programs get to experience two, three, or even four times the academics and fun at Great Books. Each week has a unique, thematic curriculum to engage and challenge the students to begin answering enduring philosophical questions like, "What is the good life? What do I owe my neighbors? What must we do in the face of injustice?" The enhanced educational and social opportunities afforded by a longer program are many. Students are able to hone new skills under the guidance of talented academic mentors and form even stronger bonds with new friends. On-campus students enjoy special weekend events too!

Community

Students in the Senior Program are assigned to pods which are comprised of 6-8 students along with one college-aged Program Assistant who serves as both a camp counselor and academic mentor. On-Campus, these counselors live on the hall with the students and are involved in all aspects of the student's day. While the students are allowed a sense of independence, counselors are present at all activities. Academically, Program Assistants facilitate the reading and initial approach to the texts for lecture, and they provide an adult presence to help the students transition to their time at camp. Socially, they help student's connect with each other and to take advantage of the opportunities.

Fun and Social Interaction

At Great Books, we are committed to providing a fun and engaging environment. On-Campus, there is plenty of opportunity each day for students to interact with each other outside their classes where they can play field games, take a supervised trip to explore the campus, swim in the pool, or enjoy other activities.  Social activities are integrated in Online programs too.  We understand that even the most intellectually curious students need time to play and make friends so we make certain that there is time each day for social events. Some activities that our students take part in are theater games, pod trivia night, and the final day art elective performances. Online activites include game nights, pod hangouts, open microphone performances, and more. While some students come with a friend, the vast majority come to Great Books alone. We help everyone make the connections with other students that lead to great camp friendships.

A Typical Day Online

A Typical Day On-Campus