Countdown to College to welcome 92 students

Cohorts 3 and 4 of Countdown to College

Countdown to College students will continue to be on campus through Aug. 3. The first two weeks (July 6-19), SMU welcomed cohorts 3 and 4 on campus (21 incoming high school seniors and 23 incoming juniors). This summer will mark the first C2C graduation ceremony today, July 19. Parents of the seniors are invited to join the celebration.

On July 20, C2C will welcome a new cohort of  25 freshmen, and on July 21, 23 returning sophomores will join them. These two cohorts will study on campus through Aug. 3.

This two-week program for students from under-resourced communities is offered each summer for four years, beginning just after they complete eighth grade and continuing until their senior year — helping to assure each student is prepared for a successful college experience.

The camp is free to student participants from San Miguel and Nativity middle schools and Cristo Rey and Lasallian high schools, their parents (who come the first weekend) and teachers from their schools, who co-teach with SMU instructors, and help prepare SMU instructors on how to effectively work with this growing population of students.

This is one portion of the First-Generation Initiative, which helps students prepare for and succeed at college.