Summer Science Program - 11th Grade (Deadline February 28, 2011)

Click here > The Summer Science Program (SSP) is one of the oldest and most successful summer enrichment programs for academically gifted high school students, and the only one managed and largely funded by its own alumni. SSP takes place at campuses in Socorro, New Mexico, and Ojai, California. Enrollment at each campus is limited to 36 students, mostly rising seniors from around the U.S. and the world, chosen through an admissions process very similar to that of selective colleges. A program fee is charged for the six week residential session, with generous need-based financial aid available. For complete information including prerequisites, application deadline, and program dates, click here > Summer Science Program (SSP).

Click here >The Summer Science Program (SSP) is a residential enrichment program in which gifted high school students complete a challenging, hands-on research project in celestial mechanics.By day, students learn college-levelastronomy, physics, calculus, and programming. By night, working in teams of three, they take a series of telescopic observations of a near-earth asteroid, and write software to convert those observations into a prediction of the asteroid's orbit around the sun. Stimulating guest speakers and field trips round out the curriculum.

This prestigious program has drawn young scientists from around the world for 50 years, accelerating their intellectual and personal development, and inspiring them to seek equally challenging educational and career paths. Many SSP alumnihave gone on to distinguish themselves at selective universities, then to positions of leadership in their chosen careers.

Established in 1959 at Thacher School in Ojai, California, SSP became an independent non-profit in 2000. It now takes place at two campuses: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, and Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.

Click here > Admissions Overview

Click here > Program Fee and Financial Aid