This July, John Carroll welcomed 173 students from 16 states and 124 high schools for its second annual Summer in The Heights pre-college program.
Growing by nearly 26% from its inaugural year, the week-long experience offered both day and residential options that provided students with an authentic glimpse into college life through academic exploration, hands-on learning, campus activities, and excursions throughout the city of Cleveland. Students had the opportunity to connect with peers from diverse backgrounds, learn more about navigating the college admissions process, and experience what it’s like to live and learn at John Carroll.
This year, the program offered eight academic tracks for students to choose from, up from five the previous year.
- Building Future Business Leaders
- Consciousness vs. AI: What Makes Life Meaningful?
- From Vision to Action: Ignatian Leadership Strategies
- Health for the Whole Person
- Ignite! Engineering
- On The Air: Media & Broadcasting Bootcamp
- The Pre-Law Experience: Mock Trial in the Criminal Court
- Young Writers Workshop
Each track was guided by John Carroll’s expert faculty members and designed to spark intellectual curiosity and introduce students to potential career paths and areas of study.
“In my academic track, I learned how artificial intelligence doesn’t have a brain but can act as a human,” said Aleksandra H., a student from Holy Name High School in Parma, Ohio. “We ran a Turing test, and ChatGPT consistently passed as human, which was really interesting. I gained important insight into how AI will relate to my future major and career in Computer Science. Everyone I met was so nice and supportive, and I made friends on day one.”
Beyond the classroom, students were fully immersed in campus life. They swam at the Johnson Natatorium on campus, participated in volleyball and pickleball tournaments, held movie nights, and even gamed in the Esports Lounge.
Students also broke into groups for a special excursion to downtown Cleveland, where they explored some of the city’s most iconic locations, including The Cleveland Museum of Art, Playhouse Square, the Cleveland Zoo, Edgewater Park, and Progressive Field.
Throughout the week, students participated in pre-college programming designed to prepare them for life after high school. They learned tips for writing a standout college essay and navigating the college search, heard from current John Carroll students and admissions counselors, and met with academic success advisors who offered valuable insight on finding success during the transition to college.
“John Carroll’s Summer in The Heights program is more of an actual college experience than what you get at other pre-college programs,” said Ben B., a student from Belle Vernon Area High School in Pennsylvania. “You go to classes, eat lunch in the dining hall, and experience the social life of an actual college student. During our free time, we had access to the entire campus and the freedom to explore.”
Each academic track concluded with a two-hour capstone presentation, allowing students to create and share a project inspired by their Summer in The Heights experience. These final presentations gave students the opportunity to showcase what they learned and take a meaningful piece of their experience with them.
“We created Summer in The Heights to give students an authentic introduction to life at John Carroll while allowing them to explore their academic interests and Greater Cleveland in a hands-on and fun way,” said Mike Andelbradt, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment & Director of Admission at John Carroll. “We were excited to welcome so many talented students to campus again this year and look forward to the continued growth of the program. It’s a great way for students to get a jump-start on college prep and begin imagining what their lives could look like after high school.”
Summer in The Heights Academic Tracks
