High School Students Return to the Hilltop for Summer College Prep Program

A cohort of 42 students traveled to the Hilltop from around the country for the three-week, intensive college prep program. SCIP helps guide students who are applying to the most selective colleges and universities and who may not have the resources to assist them through the entire college application process.

The students were competitively selected out of a pool of over 90 applicants from the Cristo Rey Network and KIPP Foundation school systems. Throughout the three weeks, students participated in various class sessions, field trips, group discussions, seminars and workshops — a welcome change for many students.

A Return to In-Person Learning, On Campus 

Due to the pandemic, the majority of these students spent most of their high school career learning remotely. Many students said being able to sit together and see each other motivated them to dive into the immersive learning environment.

Mia Cox, a former SCIP student, now works as a mentor for the program. When she participated in 2020, her SCIP experience was completely virtual due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Years after completing the program, she is now a sophomore at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania and is finally able to visit the Hilltop.

“This program has actually been one of the most impactful things I’ve ever done in my life,” Cox says.