Illinois Tech's Elevate College Prep Program - Should You Apply?
As a high school student looking to prepare your profile for a robust college application, it is important for you to identify opportunities that provide a holistic combination of education, experience, and networking. Whether you’re looking to deepen your academic knowledge, seek out greater industry experience and exposure, or compete and network with peers, all of these routes can help you prepare for college.
This blog is a primer on Illinois Tech's Elevate College Prep program, which offers multiple avenues to enhance your college applications and prepare for future academic and professional success.
What is Illinois Tech’s Elevate program?
Elevate College Prep at the Illinois Institute of Technology is a set of programs, courses and internships designed to bridge the gap between high school STEM education and college readiness by providing you with a head start on college-level coursework and experience. This program is aimed at high schoolers and middle schoolers looking to challenge themselves and expand their horizons through a range of academic offerings and practical experiences. You can expect to engage in an immersive learning environment where you can explore advanced subjects, work on real-world projects, and receive guidance from university faculty and industry professionals. Whether you’re looking for a STEM internship, an academic program, some experiential learning, or are looking for a STEM competition to take part in to hone your skills, Elevate has you covered.
How is Elevate structured?
Elevate College Prep provides a diverse range of opportunities that we’ve summarized below:
Summer Programs: Elevate College Prep offers both in-person and online summer courses for middle and high schoolers, covering a variety of subjects such as STEM, law, business, and the humanities. These courses cover everything from computer programming, to architectural design, biomedical engineering, artificial intelligence, psychology, and even esoteric subjects like game design. Some of these courses even provide college credit, enabling you to get a head start on your college education. The full catalog of summer courses can be viewed here.
Dual Enrollment Courses: Through partnerships with selected high schools in Illinois and nationwide, Illinois Tech offers dual enrollment courses that help you start earning college credit early. Available in online, in-person, and hybrid formats, these courses are taught by Illinois Tech faculty and cover subjects such as mathematics, biology, engineering, business, IT, computer science, and chemistry. To enroll in one of these courses, you’ll need to consult your school counselor to check if your school participates, and you must be at least a sophomore to qualify.
Elevate Experiential Learning: This four-week online course is designed to impart practical skills in fields like data visualization, cybersecurity, game development, and project management, enhancing employability with training in professional writing, business etiquette, and presentation skills. Arguably one of its key benefits is that it is not only open to high school students, it also brings in college students, graduates, and professionals, meaning that through this course you will get incredible exposure and networking opportunities on top of the learning it provides. This course also offers you the chance to earn a $1,000 Edge Award applicable towards tuition at Illinois Tech or other Elevate programs. The courses under this program run monthly from April to September, and you’re eligible to accumulate up to five Edge Awards!
Apprenticeships: If you attend high school in Chicago, these 10-week apprenticeships should be near the top of your list. Here, you will receive mentoring from Illinois Tech faculty in disciplines such as computer science, design, and biology. Upon completion, you are also eligible to receive a $325 stipend.
DevUp Scholars: Exclusively for high school students from Chicago’s South Side, the DevUp Scholars program is meant to foster STEM education and offer ongoing mentorship throughout high school. This fully-funded initiative includes a mix of summer programs, workshops on social justice and entrepreneurship, prep for SATs and other competitive exams, lab days, personalized college counseling, assistance with FAFSA, and opportunities for dual enrollment.
Special Events and Competitions: Throughout the year, Elevate College Prep partners with academic departments at the university and other Chicago-area organizations and hosts various competitions where you stand a chance to win a $1,000 Edge Award. If your summer is tied up in other courses, then these events are still a solid option to consider to sharpen your skills as well as possibly earn some extra money.
Is it prestigious?
The Elevate College Prep program is moderately selective, and selective by geography as many of the programs and courses are exclusive to Chicago residents. That does not completely take away from its prestige however, as Illinois Tech ranks among the nation’s top 100 universities, and #1 in the Chicago region for occupational earnings power. If you participate in one of the Elevate programs, you’re sure to gain significant exposure to advanced academic work and networking opportunities with both peers and professionals.
Who is eligible to apply and how does the application process work?
The majority of Elevate programs are open to high schoolers, with some being available for middle schoolers as well. Each program has its own specific set of criteria, so you should definitely check the pages linked above for the program(s) you’re interested in.
Similarly, each program also has a different schedule, and you have options from in-person to residential to online courses. All the information is available on the dedicated program pages.
How much does Elevate cost?
The exact cost again depends on which track you choose.
Most Summer programs cost upward of $500 depending on the course, duration, and whether you apply as a residential or commuter student.
The dual enrollment courses cost $300, but Chicago residents can register for free.
The apprenticeships are paid and offer a flat stipend of $325.
Pros and Cons of attending
Pros:
Large selection of educational offerings available: Elevate College Prep offers an extensive selection of educational opportunities, including summer programs, dual enrollment courses for college credit, apprenticeships, and courses designed to enhance job readiness. No matter what option you’re looking for, you’re likely to find it here.
Good opportunities for scholarships: The Elevate Experiential Learning and DevUp Scholars programs in particular offer the chance to earn multiple $1,000 Edge Awards. These awards can be applied towards other programs within Elevate College Prep or towards undergraduate tuition fees.
Strong mentorship available: The DevUp Scholars program provides continuous mentorship throughout high school, covering grades 10 through 12. It offers benefits such as access to summer programs, college-level courses, college lab facilities, workshops, and personalized college counseling. This makes Elevate a great opportunity to secure continual learning for your high school journey.
Cons:
Limited options for middle school students: Although Elevate College Prep is marketed towards both middle and high school students, the reality is that middle school students have limited access. They can participate in certain summer programs, but are excluded from special events, mentorship programs, and most other courses.
Geographical limitations: The program's most inclusive offerings, such as the DevUp Scholars program and apprenticeships, are specifically available to students from Chicago’s South Side. Special events and competitions typically take place locally, and fee waivers for dual enrollment are exclusively for Chicago residents.
Cost constraints: While the program boasts a range of educational opportunities, most are fee-based, with some exceptions for students based in Chicago. Outside of the Edge Award and apprenticeships, there are minimal financial aid or scholarship opportunities available.
Our review
If you're a high school student in Chicago, the Elevate College Prep program is a solid option that should be at or near the top of your list. There are a variety of tracks available depending on your interest and time commitment, all of which will help you grow your knowledge, develop key skills, and holistically prepare yourself for college. Living in Chicago also means you have more access to the scholarship opportunities available and can participate in apprenticeships and internships. If you're outside Chicago or Illinois, you should probably consider other college prep programs that are nearer to you.
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Image Source - Illinois Institute of Technology Logo