Unveiling Opportunities: A Guide to Visiting Learner High School Programs

For prospective students, visiting learner high school programs, also known as fly-in programs, offer a unique and invaluable opportunity to experience campus life firsthand. These programs, generally sponsored by the institution, provide an immersive experience that surpasses the traditional campus tour. They are often specifically designed for students from underrepresented backgrounds, first-generation college students, or those who may not otherwise be able to afford a visit to the campus.

What Are Fly-In Programs?

Fly-in programs are short visits to a college or university, often overnight, that are fully funded by the institution. These programs typically cover travel expenses, lodging, and meals, and sometimes even provide a stipend for extra costs. The goal of these programs is to provide prospective students with a comprehensive view of the college or university's academic, social, and cultural environment.

The Benefits of Fly-In Programs

There are numerous benefits to participating in a fly-in program. These programs offer students an immersive college-like experience, allowing them to experience the campus atmosphere, attend classes, meet current students and faculty, and participate in various activities. This experience can help students make an informed decision about whether that college or university is a good fit.

Immersive College Experience

Fly-in programs offer students a place to experience the campus atmosphere, attend classes, meet current students and faculty, and participate in various activities. This experience can help students make an informed decision about whether that college or university is a good fit.

Access and Opportunity

For many students, particularly those from low-income families or rural areas, visiting a college campus can be financially challenging. Fly-in programs remove this barrier by covering the costs associated with the visit.

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Support and Resources

Fly-in programs often include application and financial aid workshops and information sessions to help prepare students for the college application process. This can be particularly beneficial for first-generation college students who may not have access to this information elsewhere.

Building Connections

Participants in these programs have the chance to meet other prospective students, current students, and faculty. These connections are not only helpful throughout the application process but can also be beneficial as students start their college journey.

How to Apply for Fly-In Programs

The application process for fly-in programs varies by institution but generally includes an application, essay, transcripts, and recommendations, as well as financial information. All of this information helps institutions determine which students are the best fit for the program. However, even if you aren’t selected for a fly-in program, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t a good fit to apply to that college or university when the time comes.

Visiting Student Programs: An Alternative Pathway

Beyond fly-in programs, prospective students should also consider visiting student programs offered by various institutions. These programs allow students enrolled in a degree program at another institution to take courses at the host university for a semester or a year. This provides an opportunity to experience the academic environment and resources of a different institution while earning credits that may be transferable to their home university.

Columbia University's Visiting Student Programs

Columbia University's Visiting Student Programs offer specialized, world-class instruction to students enrolled in a degree program at another institution. Visiting students are enrolled alongside matriculated Columbia degree students and earn credits that may be used towards graduation at their home institution.

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Students in the Visiting Student Programs work with an advisor to create a customized schedule reflecting their individual academic and career goals from a selection of the 3,000+ University undergraduate and graduate courses available. If you are looking for a more structured curriculum, you may apply to one of our structured programs open to visiting students. All visiting students have access to Columbia resources, including the libraries, writing center, academic advisors, fitness center, and student services.

Visiting students may enroll during the fall, spring, and summer semesters. High school students from all grades are encouraged to apply. As admissions to our program are highly competitive, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

The New School's Visiting Student Program

The New School also offers a visiting student program for degree-seeking students at other colleges or universities who want to enroll at The New School for a semester but plan to return to their home institution afterward. Financial aid and scholarships are not available to visiting students.

The application deadlines for the Fall semester, New York campus (late August to mid-December) are May 15 priority deadline; application closes June 15. For the Fall semester, Parsons Paris campus (late August to mid-December): April 26 priority deadline. Spring semester, New York and Paris campuses (late January to mid-May): October 15 priority deadline.

Applicants to The New School's Visiting Student Program must submit a visiting student application, a Statement of Purpose (500-750 words) outlining their reasons for applying to The New School as a visiting student, a tentative plan of study or area of inquiry in the field, and professional goals and an explanation of how the New School curriculum will help you realize those goals. Unofficial transcripts from all secondary and postsecondary institutions attended, and a portfolio, if applying to Parsons and Parsons Paris. A TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, Duolingo, or Cambridge score, is required for all international applicants and for students whose native language is not English.

Johns Hopkins University's Visiting Students program

Johns Hopkins University's Visiting Students program offers high school students and undergraduates at other colleges and universities the opportunity to take one or more courses at Hopkins during the fall or spring semester. International students interested in enrolling in coursework at Hopkins as a visiting student must have a current F-1 visa to be eligible for the program.

Visiting students can take advantage of learning from world-class faculty and access to state-of-the-art facilities with certain limitations. They may take up to nine credits per semester and study for a maximum of two semesters at Hopkins. While each visiting student is assigned an academic advisor to guide them through coursework selection, they are not eligible for other student services, such as counseling, health services, recreation, and housing.

The admissions process for visiting students is selective and space dependent. Admissions standards are comparable to those for traditional, degree-seeking students.

Coalition Member Schools and Their Fly-In Programs

Expanding college access to communities that have been historically under-represented in higher education is a shared goal among Coalition schools. Here are some member schools and their fly-in and virtual access-focused visit programs:

June Deadline

University of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania) - Penn Early Exploration Program (PEEP)*: Wednesdays - July 23-Aug. 6 or Aug. 13-27, 2025

July Deadline

Barnard College (New York) - Barnard Bound: Oct. 10-11, 2025
Carleton College (Minnesota) - Taste of Carleton: Sept. 28-30, 2025
College of the Holy Cross (Massachusetts) - September Perspectives Overnight Program - Sept. 27-29, 2025
Columbia University (New York) - Small-Town and Rural Students (STARS): Oct. 18-20, 2025
Columbia University (New York) - Engineering Preview: Oct. 12-14. 2025
Swarthmore College (Pennsylvania) - Discover Swarthmore: Sept. 25-27, or Oct. 23-25, 2025
Tufts University (Massachusetts) - Voices of Tufts*: Oct. 19-20, 2025 or Oct. 5, 2025 (virtual)
Wellesley College (Massachusetts) - AWE: Wellesley’s College Access Program: Oct. 18, 2025
Yale University (Connecticut) - Yale in MOHtion: Sept.26-28, 2025

August Deadline

Amherst College (Massachusetts) - Access to Amherst (A2A): Sept. 27-29, 2025
Babson College (Massachusetts) - Access Babson: Oct. 5-6, 2025
Barnard College (New York) - Barnard Bound*: Weekly Sept. 7 - Oct. 19, 2025
Bates College (Maine) - Prologue to Bates: Oct. 12-14, 2025
Bowdoin College (Maine) - Explore Bowdoin: Sept. 18-20 or Oct. 16-18, 2025
Bucknell University (Pennsylvania) - Journey to Bucknell: Oct. 16-18, 2025
Claremont McKenna College (California) - CMC Fall Preview: Oct. 5-7, 2025
Colorado College (Colorado) - Discover Colorado College: Oct. 11-13, 2025
Davidson College (North Carolina) - Access Davidson: Sept. 14-16, 2025
Emory University (Georgia) - Emory LEADS Experience: Sept. 25-27, 2025
Haverford College (Pennsylvania) - Have-A-Look: Oct. 26-28, 2025
Pomona College (California) - Perspectives on Pomona (POP): Oct. 5-7, 2025
Washington and Lee University (Virginia) - PATH: Sept. 21-31, or Sept. 28-30, 2025
Wellesley College (Massachusetts) - AWE: Wellesley’s College Access Program: October 18, 2025
Wesleyan University (Connecticut) - WesExplore: October 12-14, 2025
Williams College (Massachusetts) - Window on Williams (WOW): Sept. 28-30, 2025

September Deadline

College of the Holy Cross (Massachusetts) - November Perspectives Overnight Program: Nov. 8-10, 2025
Hamilton College (New York) - Home at Hamilton: Oct. 5-6, 2025
Miami University (Ohio) - Bridges Program: Oct. 26-27, Nov. 2-3, 9-10 or 16-17, 2025 (location dependent)
Middlebury College (Vermont) - Discover Middlebury: Oct. 12-14, 2025
Mount Holyoke College (Massachusetts) - Mosaic 2025: Sept. 27-29, 2025
Oberlin College (Ohio) - Oberlin Overnight: Oct. 9-11, 2025 or Nov. 6-8, 2025
Olin College of Engineering (Massachusetts) - Olin MIX & Mingle Fly-In: Nov. 9-10, 2025
Pomona College (California) - Perspectives on Pomona (POP)*: October 5-7, 2025
Smith College (Massachusetts) - Women of Distinction Program: Oct. 17-18 or Nov. 7-8, 2025
Union College (New York) - Getting to Know Union: Oct. 12-13, 2025
University of Vermont (Vermont) - Discovering UVM (Session 1): Oct. 26-28, 2025
Wellesley College (Massachusetts) - AWE: Wellesley’s College Access Program: Oct. 18, 2025

October Deadline

Mount Holyoke College (Massachusetts) - Mosaic 2025: Nov. 8-10, 2025
Reed College (Oregon) - Senior Scholars*: November and December, 2025
University of Rochester (New York) - Meliora Visitation Program (MVP): Nov. 9-11, 2025

March Deadline

Northwestern University (Illinois) - START-UP: July 9-11, 2026
Reed College (Oregon) - Junior Scholars*: October through April 2025-2026

April Deadline

Carleton College (Minnesota) - Carleton Liberal Arts Experience: July 5-11, 2026

May Deadline

Washington University in St. Louis (Missouri) - Explore WashU: Dates vary.

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