Course Overview

Future Scholars Academy: Skills for College Success is a four-week, online asynchronous course designed for high school students who want to build the habits, skills, and confidence needed to thrive in college. Through guided activities, short lessons, and reflective exercises, you will explore skills such as note-taking, study strategies, academic communication, and self-advocacy. The course also introduces you to the mindset and routines that support success in a college environment, helping you prepare for the transition from high school to higher education with greater confidence and clarity.

You will complete activities at your own pace each week, making the course accessible to busy schedules while still encouraging meaningful engagement and personal growth. By the end of the course, you will have a personalized college success toolkit you can use as you begin to navigate academic life beyond high school.

Future Scholars Academy offers you a first look at the kind of learning experiences and community connections that are part of Arts & Sciences' broader summer pre-college programming.

Course outline

The Future Scholars Academy course includes four modules:

• Week 1: Introduction to College Success and the Student Experience: You’ll begin by exploring what it means to be a successful college student, including the expectations of independent learning, self-management, and academic responsibility. This week introduces key habits and mindsets that support a strong transition to college-level learning.
• Week 2: Building Essential Skills for Academic Success: This week focuses on practical strategies that help students succeed in college, including time management, organization, study habits, and communication. You’ll also learn how to engage with instructors, ask for help, and navigate academic challenges with confidence.
• Week 3: Navigating Challenges and Growing with Support: You’ll explore common challenges students face in college and how to respond to them with resilience and self-advocacy. This week highlights the importance of community, support systems, and personal growth as part of the college experience.
• Week 4: Planning for the Future and Looking Ahead: In the final week, you’ll bring together what you’ve learned to create a personalized college success plan. The focus is on reflecting on your strengths, identifying your goals, and building confidence as you prepare for future academic experiences.

Each weekly module includes a mix of short readings or videos, guided reflection, and practical activities designed to help you build college success skills. You can expect to learn through self-assessment, skill-building exercises, and opportunities to think about time management, communication, independent learning, and academic confidence. The course is designed to be flexible and manageable, with each week building on the last. By the end of the course, you’ll have a stronger sense of how to navigate college-level expectations.

Dates

The 2027 Future Scholars Academy course runs from March 1-26, 2027.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Future Scholars Academy course, individuals should:

• Be a current high school student.
• Be at least 13 years of age by March 1, 2027.
• Have a minimum 3.5 weighted cumulative grade-point average on a 4.0 scale.

International applicants for whom English is a second language should provide documentation of their ability to complete coursework in English by providing an official TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic, Duolingo, or GATEWAY score report. Additional guidelines for international applicants are available here.

Enrollment & Fees

We will begin accepting registration requests on November 2, 2026. Individuals interested in enrolling should submit a registration form, copy of their transcript, and signed parent/guardian liability waiver and release. A 250-word response to the prompt "What are you curious about, and how do you hope this course will help you explore your interests, strengths, or future goals?" is required. 

Registration requests are reviewed on a rolling basis until the course fills or the application deadline of February 8, 2027 at 4:00pm CT. Space is limited, so we encourage you not to wait until the deadline to submit registration request materials.

There is no fee to enroll in the Future Scholars Academy course.

Digital Badge

You will earn a digital badge upon successful completion of the course. This badge recognizes your engagement with the course and the learning you demonstrate as you build essential college success skills through Future Scholars Academy. It can be shared on resumes, academic profiles, and digital platforms as a record of your accomplishment.

To earn the badge, you will need to:

• Complete all required weekly modules
• Participate in course activities and reflections
• Submit the final culminating reflection assignment
• Demonstrate consistent effort and engagement throughout the course