Menu
"At SSP, the message is 'Yes, this is hard, but with the help of your teammates and TAs, you can do it.' This was an ENORMOUS help when I went to Caltech. Many of my classmates panicked in the first few weeks. I didn’t. It actually wasn’t as intense as SSP had been."
SSP participants gain confidence and skills they will need to excel at any college. They learn to manage their time, to balance work and play, to value collaboration, and to recover from the shock of not understanding something the first time. Being surrounded by brilliant people working together motivates them to seek a similar environment in college.
In informal conversations with faculty, participants receive good advice on choosing a college and a major. The College Roundtable on Open House Day offers a more structured discussion of how to approach this important decision.
Participants become better applicants to college because they understand themselves better … what they want to study, why and where; how they compare to other high-achieving peers. Although SSP is not a “magic ticket” to get into any college, admissions officers know that our alumni are well-prepared to excel in a STEM major of their choice.
Following the program we provide a letter of completion, not a personal evaluation. Participants may request a letter of recommendation from a faculty member; those are provided at the discretion of the faculty member.
"At Caltech, our admissions committee seeks to find and attract candidates who have demonstrated a genuine passion for STEM beyond just great academics and school-based activities. SSP is an amazing program that truly inspires scientific inquiry and exploration in our prospective students!”
The Summer Science Program is an independent non-profit 501(c)3, operated in cooperation with its host campuses and affiliates California Institute of Technology, Harvey Mudd College, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
