Society-Ready Graduates
Horizons Unlimited: The Science Program

Issue
High school students who are deciding to enter college often feel overwhelmed about what course of study to undertake, particularly in the sciences. The University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences runs an interdisciplinary summer program that offers high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to experience one week of college, including residence hall experience, classes and after-class activities. The program is designed to introduce high school students to college life, to help them learn more about science majors, and to recruit more students to attend the UA.

What has been done?
Horizons Unlimited: The Science Program is a week-long residential science program offered each summer at the University of Arizona. The program offers high school students the opportunity to experience college life, gain self-confidence, and acquire academic credit through a residence program held on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson. The program is open to high school students who have completed their sophomore year with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and who are in the top 25% of their class.

Course offerings include fitness, nutrition and food technology; genetic engineering; environmental science; the science of human development; health and biology of animals; microbiology and health; and biotechnology and bioengineering. Most of the 120 students come from various parts of Arizona, but the program also accepts students from out of state as well.

Impact
A ten-year study of the program, completed in 1998, showed that out of 1,000 participants, 50% of the students later enrolled in the University of Arizona; of those, 25% attended the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

"This program gave me both the opportunity to learn a lot and have a fun time while experiencing college life." –participant

"It was really great, and confirmed my decision to come to the UA." –participant

"The program was well taught by the T.As, professors, and guest speakers, and the material was interesting. It was great because almost every lecture was followed by a lab to reinforce the material we had just learned." –participant

Funding
University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Participants pay a program fee

Contact
Bobby A. Browning, program director
Office of Academic Programs, University of Arizona
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
P.O. Box 210036, Tucson, AZ 85721-0036
(520) 621-1145 Office
(520) 621-8662 FAX
browning@ag.arizona.edu

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