Yes, a pre-college program can meaningfully support a college application by showing academic drive, providing genuine essay material, and demonstrating that a student is ready for the rigors of higher education.
But the honest answer is a little more nuanced than a simple yes. Pre-college programs aren't a shortcut to admission. They're an opportunity that pays off most when students choose a program that genuinely matches their interests and engage with it fully. Here's what high school students and their families should actually understand about how these programs factor into the college application process.
How Admissions Readers Think About Summer Experiences
College admissions offices don't evaluate activities in a vacuum. They're often looking for patterns or evidence that a student knows what they care about and takes initiative to pursue it. A summer spent studying public health, architecture, or creative writing at a university shows that initiative when connected to a student's broader application narrative.
What admissions readers value most is being able to show and contextualize what a student did with the experience. A student who attended a pre-college course, reflected on what it taught them about their interests, and channeled that reflection into a specific essay topic about what they want to study will often stand out more than one who checked a box.
Our FAQs page and experiences page are good starting points for understanding the pre-college experience at Tulane and what we offer.
Where Pre-College Programs Show Up in an Application
A pre-college program touches more parts of a college application than most students realize going in.
| Application Component | What a Pre-College Program Contributes |
|---|---|
| Activities List | Documents meaningful academic use of summer |
| Personal Essay or Additional Info | Provides specific, reflective, story-driven material |
| Academic Transcript | Credit-bearing programs translate to earned college credit |
| Portfolio | Produces original work, such as hand drawings, physical models, or finished design pieces |
| Demonstrated Interest | Connects to intended major or academic focus area |
| College Readiness | Shows the ability to handle college-level coursework |
| Interpersonal Skills | Residential experience builds communication and self-advocacy |
The College Credit Advantage
For rising 11th and 12th graders, Tulane Pre-College offers credit-bearing courses that mirror the structure and expectations of a first-year university class. Students who successfully complete these two-week courses earn three transferable college credits and receive an official Tulane University transcript.
That transcript is a concrete, verifiable data point — separate from a high school GPA — that shows an admissions office that a student has already succeeded in a college-level academic environment. For competitive applicants, it's one of the most tangible things a summer program can add to an application. In addition, that transferable college credit helps meet the requirements for certain introductory courses or elective requirements depending on the college. This can not only strengthen a student’s college application but also help them get ahead.
Browse available credit-bearing options on the Tulane Pre-College Programs courses page.
The Enrichment Experience Advantage
For rising 9th through 12th graders, Tulane Pre-College's enrichment courses offer a lower-stakes but no less valuable way to spend a summer. Without the pressure of grades or exams, students are free to explore subjects they're genuinely curious about, from architecture and social justice to STEM and the humanities, and discover what actually excites them before they ever have to declare a major.
That freedom to explore is its own kind of advantage. Trying a new subject often helps students discover what they love, and that discovery gives them specific, authentic material for college essays and interviews. Enrichment courses also build the foundational skills like critical thinking, communication, and collaborative problem-solving that colleges look for in applicants and that students need to thrive once they arrive.
Browse available enrichment options on the Tulane Pre-College Programs courses page.
Building the Essay: What the Experience Gives You to Write About
The college personal essay rewards specificity. A student who can write about a turning point — a moment in a classroom, a field excursion that reframed how they see a problem, a conversation with a peer from a different background — has something vivid and authentic to say. Generic activities produce generic essays. Meaningful experiences produce the opposite.
At Tulane Pre-College Programs, students engage with instructors from the Tulane community, take part in field excursions tied directly to their coursework, and live alongside peers from across the country and internationally. That environment generates the kind of specific, personal, reflective material that makes a college essay worth reading.
According to Forbes, the programs that benefit students most in the application process are the ones that align with genuine interests, not the ones that simply look impressive on paper.
A Note on What Pre-College Programs Cannot Promise
No summer program can guarantee admission to any college, including Tulane. Admissions decisions are holistic, multi-factor, and highly competitive. A pre-college program is one element of an application, but it doesn't exist in isolation, despite how meaningful of an experience it may be.
What Tulane Pre-College Programs can do is give students the experiences, skills, and self-knowledge to present themselves more clearly and confidently in every part of the application. For many students, that's exactly what makes the difference. Learn more at the Tulane Pre-College Programs admissions page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will attending Tulane Pre-College Programs improve my chances of getting into Tulane as an undergraduate?
It can be one way to show your interest. Tulane’s Office of Undergraduate Admission lists attending on-campus programs, including Tulane Pre-College, among the official ways to demonstrate interest in Tulane, which it considers when making admission decisions. Participation does not guarantee admission, since each applicant is reviewed holistically.
Is a pre-college program worth it for a rising 9th or 10th grader, or only juniors and seniors?
Yes, it’s worth it at every grade level. Rising 9th and 10th graders get an early chance to explore academic interests and build college readiness that carries through high school. Rising juniors and seniors can draw on the experience right away, while it’s still fresh—before they submit their undergrad applications.
Do enrichment courses — with no grades — still help with college applications?
Yes. Enrichment courses demonstrate intellectual curiosity and productive use of summer, and they often generate strong essay material. The absence of grades doesn't diminish the experience in the eyes of admissions readers.
Can I write my college application essay about a pre-college program?
Yes, if the experience was genuinely meaningful. The strongest essays are specific and reflective. If your time at a pre-college program clarified your direction or changed how you see a subject, that's a story worth telling.
How do I list a pre-college program on my college application?
List it in the Activities section as an academic summer program, note whether it was credit-bearing or enrichment, and briefly describe what you studied. If you earned college credit, include that detail, and have your official transcript sent to schools that request it.