When it comes to choosing the right Pre-College Program, students and families have lots of questions. Here are answers to the most common ones. If you do not see your question below, we welcome you to contact the Wheaton Office of Summer Programming at:
508-286-8242 or [email protected].
How safe is Wheaton College and the surrounding area?
Safety is a top priority at Wheaton College. Our self-contained campus is located in the suburban community of Norton, Massachusetts. Norton (one hour south of Boston and 30 minutes north of Providence, RI) has been named one of the safest towns in Massachusetts—and among the top 10 safest in the U.S.—by the National Council for Home Safety and Security. Norton was listed third safest among the state’s 53 municipalities with more than 10,000 residents, and seventh in the nation according to a 2018 report by the council.
The college employs Wheaton Campus Safety to patrol the campus 24 hours a day and provide support for local emergency services for swift response to any situation. The Pre-College residential staff works with Campus Safety to educate all students on safety procedures and emergency contacts during their time in the program.
All of the courses in this program offer two credits that can be applied to undergraduate studies at Wheaton.
Wheaton Pre-College Programs offers students the choice to take any course for credit or non-credit. Students choosing to take a course for credit will receive grade transcripts with the corresponding GPA. Students who may be seeking a less-pressured experience can opt for a Pass/Fail designation which is reflected on their transcript without a GPA. The standards of the course remain consistent whether a student takes it for credit or non-credit.
Whether for credit or for curiosity, all students who complete the program will walk away not just with transcripts and certificates of completion reflecting their achievements, but also with a deeper grasp of their passions and a roadmap for success in college.
Note: Acceptance of credit at other colleges and institutions including a student’s home high school is up to that institution and based on their criteria, policies and the individual student’s academic standing. Students wishing to supplement their high school studies with one of our courses should review the course with their academic advisor, counselor or the appropriate high school administrator, prior to applying and registering for the course—for their acceptance of credit approval.
After completing the program students will receive information on how they can request official transcripts of their grades. Official transcripts are typically used for most college applications.
The emphasis in each of our classes is on in-class learning and exploration. However, these are college-level courses with college-level ambitions. Every course will have some homework or projects that require work outside of the scheduled class time. These could be team collaborations with peers, independent research or working in the studio or lab. Homework expectations will be outlined by the instructor during the first class meeting.
Along with Monday open lab and studio time to dig into your projects or assignments, the program includes workshops that can help you prepare for college life and beyond. Workshop topics may include advice on college essay writing, healthy relationships and time management.
All students will need access to a personal computer (for work outside of class) and some courses may ask that students bring a laptop to class. Students will be utilizing the Wheaton Canvas learning management system and should be able to perform basic printing and word processing capabilities. Students will access Wheaton’s Canvas portal for each class. The course syllabus, class outline, grading policies, expectations and assignments will be accessible through the Canvas portal.
Mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) are not suggested as they often will not integrate well with Canvas and other software. Personal computers should meet the following minimum system requirements:
- Chrome 110 and 111
- Firefox 110 and 111 (Extended Releases are not supported)
- Edge 110 and 111
- Respondus Lockdown Browser (supporting the latest system requirements)
- Safari 15 and 16 (Mac only)
- Students also should have an office suite installed such as MS Office or LibreOffice, or use an online office suite like Google Apps or Office 365.
The best way to get to know the college is to plan a campus visit. Wheaton is easy to get to, as we’re conveniently located between Boston, MA (35 miles) and Providence, RI (25 miles). For a quick look at the college, check out Wheaton’s history, mission and vital signs, and the more than 100 academic programs we offer today. You also will find lots of helpful information on the Admission section of our site.
Make it a summer to remember
This summer, connect with other motivated pre-college students who share your academic and extracurricular interests. Discover your passions. Explore new ideas. Create memories that will last a lifetime.
Questions?
For Pre-college inquiries, contact:
Wheaton Office of Summer Programming
508-286-8242
[email protected]
Learn more about Wheaton: