W. P. Carey School to offer free summer college-prep programs

One of the top business schools in the nation is about to offer high school students four free summer programs to help them learn what college life is really like. The highly ranked W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University is now accepting applications for all four college-prep programs, each with a slightly different area of focus.

“All four programs take a closer look at how to apply for college, learn about financial-aid opportunities and succeed in both school and your career,” explains Amy Hillman, dean of the W. P. Carey School of Business, which is ranked among the nation’s Top 30 undergraduate business schools by U.S. News & World Report. “Participants will get to work with current W. P. Carey School students and faculty members, as well as local business leaders.”

• The Fleischer Scholars Program is designed for economically disadvantaged students between their junior and senior years of high school. Participants stay in residence halls with supervising mentors for a week, and they learn business skills, get college-application tips, network and prepare for college. The program is being expanded in its fifth year to run June sessions at both the Tempe and West campuses of ASU. The program is generously sponsored by local entrepreneur Morton Fleischer and his wife, ASU alum Donna Fleischer.

• The Business Scholars Institute is a brand new weeklong program for very high-achieving high school juniors who want to explore going to business school. Participants will learn about business careers and gain connections to honors programs, while working with ambitious peers on challenging business projects. This program will be offered at ASU’s Tempe campus in mid-July.

• The Polytechnic Business Preview showcases all of the W. P. Carey School’s programs at ASU’s Polytechnic campus in Mesa. Participating high school students will spend three days learning about degree options, financial aid, career opportunities and life at the unique Polytechnic campus. Human resources, food industry management, global agribusiness and technology are among the fields covered at this campus. The program runs in mid-June.

• The Accounting Career Awareness Program was created for underrepresented high school sophomores, juniors and seniors to build understanding about accounting careers. This is the seventh year of the program, which will be held at ASU’s West campus for a week in late June.

“High school counselors and teachers are asked to please identify strong candidates interested in business to attend these programs,” says Rudy Pino, director of undergraduate admissions at the W. P. Carey School of Business. “We provide housing and meals for all chosen students.”

For more information and specific program dates, go to www.wpcarey.asu.edu/summerprograms or call or e-mail Tim Desch at (480) 965-5187 or Tim.Desch@asu.edu. The application deadline for most programs is March 14, with the accounting program deadline on May 9.