Admission Requirements

Before you apply, please read the following information carefully:

Summer program applications open annually on December 1st.

Don’t make a mistake that may lead to your application not being reviewed! Applications MUST BE complete with all supporting documents attached and submitted after December 1^st and before the program deadlines. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed! It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all required materials have been submitted as part of the application. Applicant materials (not including recommendation letters) submitted via email will not be reviewed. Please consult the table below for a list of required materials and deadlines by program.

*SOAR X recommendations ONLY may be submitted via email to summerprograms@xula.edu with the participant’s name in the subject line. Recommendations must come from the recommender, not from the applicant or parent.

SOAR X operates on a separate set of deadlines. Please refer to the table below for details.

Age Eligibility

The Star Programs are designed for participants to enroll the summer before they take the corresponding high school course. Because each school’s course progression is different, there is no specific age or grade range for Star Programs. We trust participants and parents to select the program(s) most appropriate for them.

Summer STEM Academy is an introduction to robotics for middle school students. The program is open to rising 6th-8th graders. This program is best for students with no prior experience with LEGO robots or coding.

SOAR X is for rising 11th and 12th graders who are at least 16 years of age. Students cannot have yet earned a high school diploma.

Achieve Dual Enrollment is for current 11th and 12th graders, with 10th graders considered on a case-by-case basis. Students enrolling in the summer term may not have yet earned a high school diploma.

Location Eligibility

The Star Programs & Summer STEM Academy are open to students from anywhere! Room and board is not provided for Star Programs or Summer STEM Academy participants. Non-local participants must secure their own off-campus housing in the New Orleans area. Local students may be eligible for the Gilead Sponsorship. See Gilead page.

SOAR X is open to students from anywhere! SOAR X is our premier residential program, and all participants live on campus. Local students may be eligible for the Gilead Sponsorship. See Gilead page.

 Achieve Concurrent Enrollment is open only to students in the Greater New Orleans Area.

 

The Gilead Foundation Creating Possible Fund allows us to sponsor program fees for Greater New Orleans area students with barriers to accessing our Pre-College Programs. Typically, students awarded will have financial barriers and/or be a first-generation college student.

We consider additional barriers to access that a student and/or family may have when granting the sponsorships. We encourage anyone with difficulty paying for our programs to apply for need-based assistance.