![Pre-College Course Pre-College Students](https://nccnews.newhouse.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8449_1280x720_acf_cropped_1280x720_acf_cropped-3.jpg)
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Participating in the pre-college summer program at Syracuse University has been transformational for high school students like Lila Finnegan and Jacob Orlick. Next week, high schoolers from all across the country finish up their summer here at Syracuse.
“It’s been like summer camp, but college,” said Lila Finnegan, a rising high school senior from La Grange Park, Illinois.
With classes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the pre-college program offers a variety of academic rigor and personal growth. Memorable experiences, such as touring the campus radio station, WAER, have given students a glimpse into potential careers.
“It showed me my future,” said Finnegan, who works at a radio station, and found the tour particularly inspiring. “I’m learning a lot of things about how the journalism side of things work and working with different mediums of media.”
Jacob Orlick, who is also in the program, has deepened his passion for sports broadcasting.
“About two or three years ago I learned that I wanted to be a sports broadcaster and that I wanted to pursue it as a full-time job,” said Orlick. “I love all of the things that I’ve learned. I love all the news packages that I’ve put together. It’s really fun and I want to do this one day.
The journalism students report gaining confidence in interviewing, recording, and story preparation.
This experience provides a taste of college life reality and assists students in preparing for the transition from high school. Programs like these across the country highly influence college decisions because they allow students to experience these institutions daily.
Syracuse University offers in-person, online, and hybrid programs ranging from two to six weeks.