University of Dallas: Pre-College Summer Programs

Reviews (11)

• Arete: An Introduction to the Classics

  

  Reviewed on Sep/26/2017 by Kateri R.

  Arete: An Introduction to the Classics contributed to one of my best summers! Originally I wanted to attend because I was interested in The University of Dallas as a potential school and I wanted to see how I liked the classes and campus. However, it was such a fun and formative experience! I loved the lectures given by the incredibly brilliant professors at UD and they prompted me, within those two short weeks, to look at every piece of literature in a new light. They explained every piece of literature in such a prominent and unique way, and I carried what I learned throughout my senior year of high school and into my freshman year of college. They even introduced me to my favorite author, Flannery O'Connor! Not only did I learn so much, I made so many lasting friendships and I still keep in contact with many of the students who attended. We had so many fun experiences through the museum trips, slip and slides, Shakespeare in the Park, exploring the districts of Dallas and Fort Worth with our amazing group leaders and RA's, and just being on a college campus together. The time we had together was so much fun that we even talked about attending another UD high school summer program the following summer! I would highly recommend spending part of your summer at Arete: An Introduction to the Classics. It is such a worth while experience!

• Shakespeare in Italy 2017

  

  Reviewed on Sep/21/2017 by Ellissa K.

  "Shakespeare in Italy" are three words that sound too good to be true when strung together. Being obsessed with literature got taken to a whole new level on this trip! Shakespeare in Italy gave me three weeks of what I always wanted my English class to be, along with a taste of culture I'd never had before. The opportunity to study Shakespeare on a collegiate level as a high school student is great. The opportunity to study abroad, experience Italian culture, visit sites not only important to Western history but to Catholicism, and to walk the same roads as not only saints, but Shakespeare's characters? Incredible. Not to mention the types of people you get to meet on this trip! I've never met so many kids my age with so much character. They all had interests similar to mine, but were still deeply interesting and complex individuals at the same time, and I got to live with them for three weeks (i.e., we all got very close). These aren't friendships you lose after your trip, either. You get to experience the highlight of your summer (and in some cases like mine, your life) with a cool group of people that want to keep up with you afterwards. You don't get that just anywhere. The professors are beyond stellar, too, and you're genuinely learning so much while having the time of your life. Their passion for their work makes you question whether they even realize they're working, because you barely realize you're learning. I grew so much as a student, a reader, a writer, and as a person thanks to this program. I know it's clich'e, but it's true. All in all, if you want a taste of college, Europe, Shakespeare, and positive growth in every way imaginable, this is the place you need to be.

• Latin in Rome

  

  Reviewed on Sep/18/2017 by Patrick A.

  Where else in the world to seriously study Latin but Rome! This program offers the opportunity to develop your Latin skills in the place where Latin itself was developed by the great writers of antiquity. The fantastic texts, selected from the masters of the language, are in some sense the tour guides of the trip: they push you headlong through the advanced grammatical lessons, give a depth and color to the pale marble structures found around Rome, and teach you ultimately how to see human nature through history, language, and self-discovery. However, each student does not make this journey through the winding streets of the city of Rome and the language of Rome alone; they are accompanied by wonderful and brilliant professors who lead tours through a country that they know intimately well and teach a language which they have passionately studied. The students read, eat, play sports, study, and explore Rome all together in a small community which grows close so rapidly in the course of the trip. By the end of the program, you will come to the realization that to study Latin in Rome and to explore Rome itself are not independent pursuits, but two sides to the same beautiful coin. Thank you so much to the University of Dallas for giving me the opportunity to study Latin in Rome!

• Shakespeare in Italy

  

  Reviewed on Aug/16/2017 by RL

  Little did I know arriving in Dallas the 8th of July that I would be flying home three weeks later full of tears after heartfelt goodbyes to new friends, bursting with stories to tell those back home, and with a newfound love for Shakespeare. At first, I merely treated this program as a chance to travel, but it ended up as so much more. As an incoming UD freshman, I not only developed a relationship with some of my future professors, but improved upon my writing, reading, and speaking skills. I was even given the chance to experience a taste of drama - something foreign to me, as I had always been focused on athletics. The professors are incredible and want you to succeed. They give you all the tools and more to do well in the course, and they inspire you with their passion for Shakespeare and all the history and language that comes with it. The campus, situated near a vineyard, is beautiful. The Mensa staff is welcoming and their kindness is contagious. I couldn't have asked for a better place to stay. It doesn't matter if don't you read Shakespeare for fun, if you don't plan on attending the University of Dallas someday, or if you have never been involved in drama. Shakespeare in Italy is for everyone.

• Latin in Rome 2013

  

  Reviewed on Dec/13/2016 by Kat

  If you are serious about improving your Latin, this is the program for you. Students meet every day in small groups to discuss the assigned readings with a professor or tutor, so there is no place to hide if you haven't done your homework. In three weeks, you definitely earn your three hours of college credit. Despite the hard work, Latin in Rome is the most enriching and enjoyable summer program I've ever attended. The excerpts read are interesting and often site-specific (what's cooler than reading about the temple of Apollo ON the foundations of the temple of Apollo?), and there is ample opportunity to practice your sight reading skills in Rome, as you go into the city almost every morning. The professors and tutors are accessible and very enthusiastic about Latin. In 2013, there was a tutor/student ratio of about 1:5, so I was always able to find help when I needed it. This program cemented my decision to pursue a degree in Classics. I also gained friends from across the country, a deeper understanding of Latin beyond the page, and an inestimable love for Rome. I cannot recommend the Latin in Rome program enough.

• Shakespeare in Italy 2016

  

  Reviewed on Sep/03/2016 by Cristina

  I participated in the Shakespeare in Italy program in July 2016. As an incoming freshman to the University of Dallas, I viewed the program as a sort of "trial run" for college: practicing time management, living with a roommate, being away from my parents, getting to know future professors and classmates, etc.

  I had liked Shakespeare in my high school English classes, but never before had I engaged in such a critical study of his works. We didn't just read the text, but explored Shakespeare's background and the historical connotations of certain phrases and images, and performed excerpts. It's one thing to learn about the Jewish Ghetto in a classroom; it's another to stand in the Venetian Ghetto itself discussing the social and political implications of Anti-Semitism and their role in The Merchant of Venice.

  I made such amazing friends on the program. I became instant friends with my suite-mates (four of whom were also incoming freshman to UD like myself). From pick-up soccer matches to wandering the streets of Rome, we had plenty of opportunity to get to know each other. I've kept in touch with other friends from the program, should they live in California or Kentucky or Guatemala. Everyone on the Due Santi campus was so friendly, from the Mensa staff to the resident professors and their families.

  The program staff was incredible. To improve our writing skills, the professors offered one-on-one tutoring to discuss our preliminary essays and taught writing workshops, in addition to helping us explore our personal questions about Shakespeare's works. They were extremely knowledgable and enthusiastic about their work. The drama component of the program was particularly interesting; learning how Shakespeare intended the play to be performed revealed yet another layer of Shakespeare's genius.

  When people ask me how the course went, I like to reply "Shakespeare is my new hero!" and I'm only partially joking. Before this program, I had never imagined the kinds of themes and facets of human nature Shakespeare deftly explores and rationalizes in his works. I didn't think that I would be attempting to answer the question "Why is Rome falling apart?" with an essay about Brutus' flawed worldview regarding honor (and have so much fun doing it!).

  All in all, the Shakespeare in Italy program is an excellent choice for students wishing to combine their studies with travel and amazing friendships.

• Shakespeare In Italy

  

  Reviewed on Aug/17/2015 by Megan Mickley

  I went on the Shakespeare in Italy trip a few weeks ago. I can honestly say that it was the best three weeks of my life. The professors on the trip are just fantastic individuals and have so much knowledge about Italy and Shakespeare. My writing skills were greatly improved through workshops and practice. I made amazing friends on my trip, I enjoyed every second with them and I have so many amazing memories. The campus quickly became a home to us and the Mensa staff are some of the nicest people you will meet. The entire experience is indescribable. This trip helped me grow and realize that there is so much more to the world than I ever knew. I highly recommend going.

• Latin in Rome

  

  Reviewed on Aug/05/2015 by Jacquelyn

  This is a fantastic program! In the mornings we toured around the Italian countryside, visited the Capitoline, Aventine, and other hills of Rome, climbed Vesuvius, walked along the ancient Roman roads, and visited more beautiful churches than I've ever seen in my life. Then in the afternoons we studied while looking out on UD's very own vineyard. After dinner we gathered for an hour long tutorial session where we read samplings of several Roman authors -- Livy, Tacitus, Seutonius, Vergil. The professors and tutors were all incredibly friendly, helpful, and knowledgable. It was three weeks of blissful leisure. Don't come if your parents are making you, or if you aren't serious about Latin and see this as an opportunity to pick up cute Italians. (Wandering around Rome in a gaggle of 30 Americans is a very good way to ward off all Italian prospects.) But certainly come if you want to improve your Latin skills! I feel I improved just as much in three weeks as I did in the past year of taking AP Latin.

• The University of Dallas Arete...

  

  Reviewed on Dec/04/2013 by Sophie A.

  The University of Dallas Arete program was one of the most influential experiences of my life. In this program, classic and instrumental works are read and discussed in a setting conducive to the development of heightened awareness of the noble life. Not only are the professors and seminar leaders knowledgeable about the texts, but they are willing to talk to you and want to hear your views, even, if not especially, when they challenge theirs. The seminar leaders gave me some of the best writing advice, and I made some of the best friends I have. I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to explore and learn more about the works that set the stage for Western Civilization as we know it. You won't regret it.

• Going into the Arete program...

  

  Reviewed on Nov/30/2013 by Amy Y

  Going into the Arete program, I was used to being one of the smartest kids in my school and always being bored. This program allowed me to grow in ways that my high school wouldn't let me. We studied texts that were more liberal than anything I had read before. The philosophies and ideas we discussed helped me to realize what our society we based off of.

  Not only did my academic side grow, but also my social side. As a shy student, being thrown into a group of kids my age that I had never met before helped me to come out of my shell and become more of a 'people person'. This skill has been one of the most helpful that I've gained.

• The Arete Summer Seminar at...

  

  Reviewed on Nov/07/2013 by Ben G

  The Arete Summer Seminar at the University of Dallas was the most life-changing academic experience of my life, prior to being an undergraduate. During my several weeks at the University of Dallas I was exposed to not only formative texts in Western Civilization, but their lasting impact on various aspects of life. Students will be challenged by the texts and assignments, but also by faculty and staff to develop a strong understanding of the material, so much so that it begins to influence aspects of thought outside of the classroom. In that sense, the Arete Summer Seminar can be called preparation for a Noble Life, not solely because it calls upon young scholars to develop intellectually, but also socially and morally.

  In addition to the unique and rewarding experience, students will make life-long friendships and learn, however briefly, what it is like to go to college and live away from home, while still in high school. The experience helped me evaluate various schools as I tried to choose a university to attend. It also taught me valuable reading and writing skills that left me better prepared to succeed at an academically rigorous university.