Prep Camp Excel™ is for motivated rising 9th and 10th-grade students seeking to excel in high school so that when college application time rolls around, they have attained the best possible GPA, resume, and course of study.
This seven-day camp offers students exposure to many of the same principles that older students get at College Admission Prep Camp in a similarly relaxed and fun atmosphere. Prep Camp Excel uses a three-pronged curriculum to promote high school success, including courses in Essay Writing, PSAT Prep, and High School Success.
**An online version of this course is not currently available. If you would be interested in taking an online version of this course should it be offered, please use this link to express your interest.**
Specific Skill Development
Prep Camp Excel fosters skills that apply far beyond the college admissions process or success in high school. In this course, students will develop and build upon their ability to write clearly and concisely, research and gather information, think and read critically, ask questions, and organize their thoughts.
Argument Analysis Essay Writing
- Writing clear, convincing, and concise essays is a skill that extends far beyond college and will continue to serve students as they enter their workforce. Each student will add strategies and skills to their build upon their own process in order to make the writing process for efficient and effortless.
- In this course, students will learn to break apart a text-based argument and analyze what makes it effective and where there are gaps. Students will then write on-demand essays (similar to what is required on the SAT essay) that address this argument analysis. Students will learn about planning and executing their writing under time pressure, as well as how to be a succinct and persuasive communicator. In so doing, they will learn the tools they will need to more effortlessly completely essays when called upon to do so in their academic setting.
PSAT Preparation and Test Taking Strategies
- Student scores on the PSAT are a crucial component in early college recruiting, as well as for the National Merit Scholarship program, however, most students take the exam with little or no preparation. Excel campers take two full PSAT exams throughout the course of the week. The first exam allows our instructors to focus their week of instruction on the skills and strategies that will benefit your child most. In addition, this experience with the PSAT builds a strong foundation in math and verbal skills in preparation for the SAT. for The two-year average PSAT score improvement of Prep Camp Excel students, measured by entrance and exit exams, is 16.2 points- the equivalent of 162 points on the SAT!
High School Success
- The key to success for high school and college students extends beyond content knowledge and into socio-emotional skills, organizational executive functioning and the knowledge of how to use the resources already available. Our High School Success course invites students to reflect on their own learning and studying styles, set goals and introduces topics (like electronic management or advocating for yourself with a teacher) that likely are not taught in a traditional school setting. We know these “soft skills” are extraordinarily important for success in high school, college and career, and we prioritize their explicit instruction during Prep Camp Excel.
Curriculum & Instructional Environment
From the first day of class, students will be immersed in a rigorous and engaging environment led by our expert instructors. Because of Education Unlimited’s unique instructor to student ratio, students will receive frequent and consistent one-on-one coaching to develop their writing competency and hone their communication, test taking, and skills related to high school and college success.
Planned recreational excursions allow students to experience local attractions, and on-campus evening and afternoon activities balance the academic day. Living in the dorms together encourages students to build close friendships that last through high school and beyond.
Highlights & Deliverables
Over the course of the week, each student will take two full PSAT exams which will allow instructors to differentiate for the skills and strategies your students will need most. Students will leave with a much greater comfort in exam format, test-taking tips and strategies for both the written and multiple choice portions of the exam, and a valuable toolbox of study skills that will serve them well throughout high school and beyond.
