How the Program Works

Program Overview

In the Young Scholars Program, you’ll:

Select one three-credit course University of Maryland introductory course.
Determine whether you’ll live on campus or commute from home.

For three remarkable weeks, you’ll attend class, enjoy field trips or guest speakers, study, work on projects, and prepare for exams. You’ll also participate in seminars, workshops, and social activities where you’ll meet, live, and study with other talented high school students from around the U.S. and the world in many of the same world-class facilities used by Maryland’s full-time college students. Whether you commute or live on campus, you’ll fully experience university life at Maryland!

The program was very challenging and our daughter learned a lot. She really enjoyed all of the planned activities. Thank you for a wonderful experience for our daughter! YSP parent

In college, finding a balance between social & academics is always tough. I think my son now understands just how tough it can be. He met lots of kids from all over the U.S. that he plans to stay in touch with through email and hopefully see again freshman year at UMD. YSP parent

Course Overview

For the three-credit University of Maryland introductory course:

Classes meet every day, Monday–Friday.
Expect to spend several hours a day on course-related assignments.
Field trips and/or guest speakers broaden understanding of the field through career discovery.
Expect to purchase books, class packets, or classroom supplies.

For complete information on courses, click here.

The course was wonderful--new ideas and material. The professor was excellent! She really knew how to balance activities with lecture and engaged every student. It was a very positive experience. YSP student

My 16 year old son was very eager to experience campus life—away from home in NYC. My husband and I wanted him to find out whether his career choice is what he truly wants to major in. I feel the academic side of the program, from what he tells us, was just right. I feel he has a much clearer picture now of what he wants to do. YSP parent

Residential or Commuter

College incorporates so many different experiences: living or commuting to campus on your own, interacting with new people, and tackling new areas of academic study. Whether you choose to live on campus or commute from home, your schedule is in YOUR hands, making choices, organizing your time, while you explore the independence of university life. With a modicum of supervision and guidelines in place, you’ll be responsible for attending classes and for productively managing your time with minimal supervision during the day.

Residential Young Scholars live in University residence halls and are supervised by program mentors. You’ll enjoy meals in the University’s dining hall, eateries located throughout campus, or at program events. For complete information, click here.

Commuter Young Scholars live at home and travel to and from campus on a daily basis. You’ll join all students for lunch at eateries located throughout campus and are expected to attend all seminars, workshops, and social activities. For complete information, click here.

This program was a great opportunity and really opened my eyes about college life. It not only prepared me but also gave me an idea of what I need to work on. YSP student

Seminars, Workshops, & Social Activities

Learning during this three-week summer program continues beyond the classroom. College seminars, workshops, and social activities encourage the exchange of ideas and lend to the development of lasting friendships.

Seminars

Seminars are designed to challenge you to think about everyday issues that affect your life. Seminars are offered once a week and include topics such as privacy issues, identity etiquette and more. You’re also invited to attend a special event just for Young Scholars. At the Young Scholars Open House, you meet faculty and staff from Undergraduate Admissions, Financial Aid, and University academic units that include Engineering, Arts & Humanities, Architecture, Journalism, and more.

Workshops

Stretch yourself—that’s what college is all about. Take a workshop and learn something new. Workshops meet twice a week in the afternoons and include topics such as Tai Chi, the ABC’s of Financial Planning, Club Salsa, and more.

Social Activities

This summer, high school students discover what Maryland has to offer! Social activities are fun and you meet other Young Scholars in a relaxed environment. There are planned activities that include weekend day-trips to Washington, DC, pool parties, mixers, and more. But, not every moment of your day is planned. In college, you’ll find lots of down time to make your own plans with roommates and friends. During YSP, you’ll be encouraged to hang out and talk, take a walk, work out, or get ice cream from the Dairy.

This experience was good for my son—he experienced college life, got an understanding of the high level of expectations of professors, met other young people like him, and had fun. You've exceeded my expectations with this program. YSP parent

Program Schedule

For a general overview of the three-week program, click here.

I absolutely loved my three weeks here at UMD. It was a perfect taste of what life at UMD really is. I look forward to hopefully living here as a real Terp!! YSP student

Getting to interact with people my age from all over the country and world, even, was definitely my favorite part. YSP student

Program Staff

Eric Johnson, Associate Director

With more than 10 years of career experience in higher education, Eric provides valuable leadership and experience to the Office of Extended Studies. Eric has a background in both student affairs and academic affairs and has made it his mission to provide students with a meaningful, memorable and fun summer experience. Having earned both an undergraduate and master’s degree from the University of Maryland, Eric is a true Maryland TERP. He also teaches Introduction to the University to incoming Maryland freshmen, empowering students with the tools to successfully transition into the college environment. Eric enjoys working with students from all over the world to help them "Get Ready, Get Started, and Get Ahead!"

Chris McKeown, Program Coordinator

Chris brings a unique perspective and diverse skillset to the Office of Extended Studies. As an undergraduate at the University of Maryland he was both an Orientation Advisor and a Resident Assistant. After completing his undergraduate degree he served for over 3 years as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya, spending much of his time teaching at the village high school and running programs for local youths. He has transitioned back to his alma mater and now wants to provide students from all walks of life with a rich and rewarding experience at the University of Maryland.

Mentors

Selected University of Maryland students serve as mentors, and work under the guidance of a professional staff member of Office of Extended Studies who lives on campus with the students. The mentors supervise students in the dormitories to ensure safe, appropriate behavior. Mentors also supervise activities, encourage students to explore the University and accompany those students to dinner who are uncomfortable going alone or cannot find a group to eat with, and provide participants with an insider’s view of what college life is like. The mentors live in the residence hall with the program participants and are responsible for responding to any situations that may arise, and for doing nightly curfew checks. Students will be responsible for attending classes on their own and for productively managing their time with minimal supervision during the day. This allows participants to explore the independence of college life while still having a modicum of supervision and guidelines in place.

I was impressed by the number and experience of the mentors and counselors. They are a critical component of a successful program and they did a great job. YSP parent

The Mentors were awesome! They were so down to earth. We loved them so much that we even had Mentor Appreciation Week in which each mentor got treated like a King/Queen for the day. Their sincerity and affability made my summer a lot better. YSP student