Everything You Need to Know About Dartmouth's Summer Scholars Program
If you’re considering applying to a competitive university, what better way to demonstrate you’re ready for this challenge than by spending your summer at one? Residential programs are a great opportunity to to simultaneously experience the residential and academic aspects of college.
In this blog, we cover 7 courses offered this summer in one such residential program - the Dartmouth College’s Summer Scholars Program. Through this program, you will be able to take part in various interdisciplinary mini-courses, developing new skills while meeting motivated students from across the country.
1. Politics of Memory and Museums
Location: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Cost: $7,999
Dates: July 14- Jul 26, 2024
Eligibility: High school students interested in the social sciences
This two-week course introduces students to historical ways of thinking. It is taught by Dr. Esa Voytas, who teaches quantitative social science at Dartmouth College.
If you choose this course, you will complete two projects, combining your personal histories with instructional material from the course and asking them to practice their own time management skills. The first project is a journal with written content on a student’s familial history. The second project is a virtual museum exhibit completed online.
2. Art of Entrepreneurship, by Magnuson
Location: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Cost: $7,999
Dates: July 30-July 12, 2024, July 14-July 26, 2024, July 28-August 9, 2024
Eligibility: High school students with interests in entrepreneurship and business innovation
This two-week course is part of the Summer Scholars Entrepreneurship camp. It offers students interested in business an opportunity to learn about the industry at various scales. It will also empower participants to create their own business concepts and connect with like-minded entrepreneurs.
The program's first half is mostly instructional, where collaborative learning is encouraged, and students get to hear from guest speakers. The second week guides students through developing a pitch for a product or idea of their own design, which they will present.
3. Business Foundations
Location: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Cost: $7,999
Dates: June 30-July 12, 2024, July 14-July 26, 2024, July 28-August 9, 2024
Eligibility: High school students and experience with interests in business strategy, marketing, accounting, or finance. Access to Excel or Google Docs recommended
“Business Foundations” is a course intended to establish a strong foundation in economics, finance, strategy, and accounting to new students. Students will leave the course feeling more confident in their analysis skills and ability to deliver compelling presentations. It is offered three times over the summer, given its popularity as a course among Summer Scholars.
Participants will learn about important business concepts and apply their takeaways to discussions about real case studies. However, the core deliverable for the course is the hands-on valuation project: a team project that intends to mimic a real workplace structure. Each project will end with group presentations about each team’s findings and analyses.
4. Creative Writing
Location: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Cost: $7,999
Dates: July 28-August 9, 2024
Eligibility: High school students interested in creative writing
Taught by Dr. Barbara Krieger, a writing professor for nearly four decades, this course is for any student interested in improving their writing skills. The skills developed in this course could be useful for students interested in all academic disciplines, so the course is welcoming to all writing levels.
This two-week course will challenge students to become familiar with different genres and produce work in different categories of prose. The professor will offer personal feedback to students about their writing and teach them how to critically evaluate their own writing. Students will also read excerpts from writing and hear from guest speakers.
5. Data Science
Location: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Cost: $7,999
Dates: June 30- July 12, 2024 & July 28- August 9, 2024
Eligibility: High school students with high-level STEM knowledge and proficient English communication skills. A laptop or tablet (with an external keyboard) and access to the Internet are required.
Among Dartmouth’s Summer Scholars' most popular courses, this class is an introduction to data science and its capacity to influence different fields. It teaches valuable skills like Python programming, exploratory data analysis, and Natural Language Processing.
Beyond the instructional content in a classroom, participants will collaborate with their fellow students in exercises that reflect real scenarios and creatively find ways to solve them. There will also be a guided group project that encompasses the capstone experience of the two-week course. Mixing theory with practice is a great way to build a foundation for applying data science concretely in everyday life, regardless of what field one chooses to pursue.
6. Design Thinking and the Future of Education
Location: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Cost: $7,999
Dates: July 14, 2024
Eligibility: High school students interested in education. Beginners-level familiarity with Google Drive is required.
Suited for students who want to understand the merits of education and its role in society, this two-week course will align the personal interests of participants with their educational trajectory. It is co-taught by two lifelong educators who (combined) have decades of experience in various educational settings. Its “Design Thinking” approach is unique to the course: an interdisciplinary methodology using critical thinking to address complex problems.
Over the course, students will complete two separate projects that position students in the role of the teacher. The first, “Teach as You,” asks students to complete a lesson plan apt for a future year’s curriculum. The second project goes one step further: students will propose a school for the year 2031 and present it to the course.
7. New Essentials of Medicine
Location: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Cost: $7,999
Dates: June 30-July 12, 2024
Eligibility: High school students interested in healthcare or the medical sciences. Access to a laptop or tablet with Internet required
This course is a great opportunity for those interested in medicine. It is an interdisciplinary introduction to medicine and the contemporary healthcare landscape. It draws from psychology, anthropology, literature, and even subjects like medicine and sports to strengthen the skillsets of students interested in medicine. This course is co-taught by Dr. Elizabeth Carpenter-Song and Dr. Manish Mishra, who each have extensive experience in healthcare delivery and medical practice.
Divided into three themes, the course is described as thoroughly interactive and will challenge students to learn by engaging in discussions, panels, and small groups. Students will first be exposed to the process involved in becoming a physician, and the culture of biomedicine doctors enter. They use this foundation to then examine the patient experience, and creatively imagine solutions to current challenges in medicine.
Our Thoughts:
Ultimately, if you are interested in experiencing living on a college campus while enriching your academic journey, the Dartmouth Summer Scholars Program is a great fit for you! With courses in subjects ranging from data science to entrepreneurship, there is truly something for everyone! The program could be an enriching experience to gain expertise in a subject you are already passionate about or an opportunity to learn about something totally new! The connections you make with classmates and instructors are sure to be beneficial for students as they begin considering colleges and courses of study. Price-wise, this program is likely not suitable for students with limited financial resources. However, for those who can afford it, the experience of living on an Ivy League campus as a high school student is rare and beneficial. Noting this experience on your college applications can indicate to admissions offices that you are familiar with the rigorous academic and social environment of a high-performing institution in a positive way.
Aisha is a student at Princeton University, studying Anthropology and Global Health. On campus, she is involved with student groups centered around health equity and cultural affinity. In her free time, she enjoys podcasting, learning languages, and trying new recipes.