Summer Academy at Carnegie Mellon University Has Been a Valuable Tool to Recruit Black and Other Minority Students

Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh recently completed the tenth year of its Summer Academy for Mathematics and Science. Students come to Pittsburgh from across the United States to participate in an intensive two-week program where they take courses and conduct research in computer science, mathematics, engineering, and other sciences. Students also attend seminars to help them prepare for SAT and ACT college admission tests and to navigate the college admission process. There is no tuition or room and board costs for students accepted into the program.

This summer 55 new students and 15 returning students were accepted into the Summer Academy from a group of 730 applicants. Most of the students in the program are black, Hispanic, or American Indian.

Over the 10-year period since the inception of the Summer Academy more than 800 high school students have attended the program. And 83 alumni of the program have later enrolled at the university.

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