Summer Ox-perience pre-college program
Oxford College of Emory University has launched the Summer Ox-perience Pre-College Program designed to give high school students a taste of college life while sharing Oxford’s unique brand of liberal arts education. The program will offer three two-week sessions starting in June 2026.
“Our goal is to provide rising high school seniors with a rich, authentic Oxford experience that emphasizes intellectual engagement, community connection, and personal growth,” says LaTonia Taliaferro-Smith, associate teaching professor of Biology, who also serves as director of Biology Undergraduate Laboratories and faculty coordinator for Summer Programs. “Most similar programs have limited options, but Oxford’s Pre-College Program will give students a choice between two non-credit, college-level courses they take without the pressure of grades, so they can focus on exploration and discovery. Combined with activities to help build confidence and connections, they will be ready to dig in and start to chart their own paths toward their next chapter,” she says.
Up to 60 students from around the country will participate in each session, with courses chosen by a collaborative committee comprised of Oxford students, faculty, and a high school student from Newton County:
SESSION I: Sound & Vision —The Science and Storytelling of Music and Media (June 1-12)
SESSION II: Belief & Beyond — How Stories, Symbols, and Systems Shape Our World (June 22- July 3)
SESSION III: Strange Systems — Where Biology Evolves, Math Twists, and Everything Transforms (July 13-24)
After morning classes, students will attend workshops designed to help them prepare for college, including how to write a compelling essay and navigate the admissions and financial aid processes. “We also want them to start building the attributes that will help them be successful once they reach college, including time management, critical thinking, and leadership skills,” says Taliaferro-Smith.
Beyond the classroom, Oxford’s Campus Life and Library staff have teamed up to create arts and wellness programs, weekend excursions, and social get-togethers—all key components of student life. Rising second-year students and recent Oxford graduates will serve as residential advisors and mentors, organizing social activities, leading service projects, and introducing students to life in nearby Covington and Atlanta. “Who better to give these students an authentic experience than our own students?” says Taliaferro-Smith.
Faculty also will lead theme-related excursions. For example, students enrolled in the first session will travel to Macon, Ga. to visit the Mercer Music at Capricorn recording studio and the museum at the Otis Redding Center for the Arts.
"I am excited about the chance to engage intellectually with rising 12th graders during our inaugural Summer Ox-perience Pre-College Program,” says Marvin McNeill, assistant professor of Music and African American Studies, who is teaching a course during the first session. “An interdisciplinary approach to studying music is a vital part of a well-rounded liberal arts education. I look forward to the engaging interactions and meaningful discussions that will develop in our course as we explore how music influences culture, emotion, and identity."
The application process is now open, and students will be accepted on a rolling basis.
“At Oxford, we like to say that good things come to those who seek, so we want every high school student to leave inspired and prepared to explore what comes next,” says Molly McGehee, interim senior associate dean of Academic Affairs.“We look forward to welcoming our first Summer Ox-perience class and hope that we might even see some of them back here on campus to start their college journeys.”