General

What is the duration of the summer programs?

Both the Pre-College programs and APEA are six weeks long running from June 28-August 8, 2008.

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Where is Carnegie Mellon?

Carnegie Mellon is located five miles from downtown Pittsburgh in the Oakland business district. Known as the medical, cultural and educational hub of the surrounding area, Oakland is home to the Carnegie Museum complex, four colleges and universities and the nationally recognized University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Carnegie Mellon's campus is adjacent to two quiet, residential neighborhoods, Shadyside and Squirrel Hill, and is bordered by Schenley Park, a 500-acre public park. Pittsburgh's public transportation system provides easy access to any of the surrounding neighborhoods, and downtown Pittsburgh is a short 15-minute bus ride away.

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My child is in 9th grade.  Is he/she allowed to participate?

The program is designed for students who have completed tenth or eleventh grade in high school and who are also 16 years old. Commuting students from "Western PA" may be 15 years old. All Summer Pre-College students must be born between August 9, 1989 and June 28, 1992 and completed their sophomore year by the start of the program to reside in university housing. Younger students may participate, but they must commute from home.

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Can my child attend, having just completed 10th grade, being only 15 years old?

Every student who is academically prepared for the content and the style of independent learning customary of college classes can attend APEA. For many students, this level of intellectual and emotional maturity occurs after 11th grade, as they are begin to focus on attending college in a year, but for some students this readiness can happen at a younger age (and for others, can occur much later in life). While students will be admitted on an individual basis, be aware that most of their peers in the APEA Program will have just completed 11th grade or 12th grade. In addition, only students who are 16 or older are permitted to live in the resident halls, so younger students must commute from home.

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My child is very advanced.  How will we know if this program will be right for him?

Many students that attend the program are very advanced. These classes/programs are designed to be rigorous even for the high achieving student. They are college level classes and/or designed after the freshman year at Carnegie Mellon. 

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Where do the students come from?

Students come from all over the country and some travel overseas to attend our programs.

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Can I do two programs/combine programs?

Many of the programs have a structured schedule and have time-consuming workloads, so it is not possible to combine two different programs.

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Can I leave/arrive late/early?

Due to the rigorous nature of the programs, students typically are not permitted to leave/arrive late/early. Students whose flight arrangements necessitate early arrival may arrive after 6 p.m. on Friday, June 27th, the evening before the official start of the program. If they make prior arrangements with the Student Life Office, they may stay in their assigned room without additional charge for this night, but the meal plan does not begin until Saturday. Students who need to arrive before or after check-in, or depart earlier than check-out, MUST contact the Student Life Office to make necessary arrangements at (412) 268-2142 or by e-mail.

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Are parents required to attend Opening Day? If they do attend, how long should they plan to participate?   

Parents are encouraged to attend Opening Day if they wish, however, attendance is not required. After dinner on campus for students and families, the students meet with their counselor and hall groups. Parents are asked to depart at this time.

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Do you have any programs that are shorter, like two weeks?

Summer opportunities only include our six-week programs held from June 28 – August 8. 

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