DOHA: Sixty-eight high school juniors and seniors were steered through a four-week programme to prepare for college admissions, during the Summer College Preview Programme (SCPP) at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q).
The programme, in its seventh year, offers an all-round experience of what life is like at an elite institution and exposes prospective students to college-level courses to strengthen their academic backgrounds.
Participants are taught university-level maths and academic writing, preparing them for the SAT exam.
Personal and professional developmental workshops give students an edge on their college applications, while English classes train them in admission interviews, application essay and personal statement.
Every Saturday, student-led fun activities took place, immersing them into Carnegie Mellon University traditions such as a trivia quizzes, football matches and Carnegie Mellon carnival activities.
“I applied for the programme because I wanted to get a deeper understanding of biological sciences major taught at CMU-Q and to improve my score on the SAT exam. “I really enjoy working in the lab and taking part in extra-curricular activities. And we had a football match against Georgetown, which we won,” said a participant from International School of Choueifat.
This year, CMU alumni from Pittsburgh took on the role of instructors in biological sciences and business administration and offered first-hand insight into life at the university.
SCPP project leader in biological sciences, Bertrade Mbom, said: “I participated in a similar programme when I was in high school, it’s a really great opportunity for students to be exposed to college-level academics and get a real sense of what life is like at a high-level university.” Each participant selected a practical project aligned with one of Carnegie Mellon Qatar’s majors — biological sciences, business administration, computational biology, computer science or information systems.
Students who enrolled in the business administration project worked together to develop a business plan and experienced roles and responsibilities that real life business executives encounter. Others got a taste of computer science through working on the theory of design and programming. SCPP has proven it can guide students through the admission process, with more than 40 percent of SCPP participants enrolling at Carnegie Mellon Qatar after completing the programme. The Peninsula
