HARVARD PRE-COLLEGE SUMMER PROGRAM

The Harvard Pre-College Summer Program is an immersive and collaborative residential experience where high achieving high school students work alongside peers from around the world, allowing them to thrive in a dynamic academic environment.  Students enroll in university courses taught by Harvard faculty, participate in seminars while experiencing world class facilities and resources Harvard has to offer. Students live in a historic undergraduate House, near Harvard Square with your fellow Pre-College students, resident directors, and proctors who provide mentoring and support. They also experience meals Harvard’s dining halls, which are a short walk from Harvard Yard.  Student’s also participate in the Pre-College Passport: Guide to Life Outside of the Classroom which include academic exploration, college readiness, social events, trips, and activities. 

My area of interest being politics and law led me to enroll in Constitutional Law, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. I was fortunate enough to be taught under the instruction of Gabriel A. Katsh - Lecturer on Government, Harvard University and Michelle Chun - Core Preceptor in Contemporary Civilization, Columbia University. This course provided a broad introduction to American constitutional law and debates around civil rights and civil liberties in the United States. We were introduced to fundamental principles of constitutional interpretation, the basic legal limitations on governmental power, the relationship between law and society, and controversies surrounding topics such as affirmative action, free speech, freedom of religion, abortion, and government surveillance. We developed a greater understanding of U.S. politics and how the judicial system functions as a key figure in our political system. We held class debates and discussions and developed persuasive arguments for our own understanding of these issues. We toured and held a mock trial at Boston Courthouse. 

Utilizing on campus resources at Harvard Law School for my culminating research paper, The Ambiguity of Death and Justice, I studied Roper v. Simmons and the complexities involved in the death sentence as it relates to freedoms expressed in the Constitution. I was provided with valuable feedback as well as a professor evaluation from both professors.

Experiencing residential life first hand, dinning in Annenberg Hall, taking trips into Harvard Square, canoeing along the Charles River, and making lifelong friendships is something I will cherish for a lifetime.