College to Offer High School Summer Program on both New England and California Campuses!

This summer the Thomas Aquinas College High School Great Books Program will be available for the first time on the College’s new campus in Northfield, Massachusetts, 100 miles west of Boston.

“For 20 years, the Summer Program has drawn high school students from across the United States and abroad to our California campus,” says Director of Admissions Jon Daly. “This summer, we are looking forward to welcoming them in New England, too.”

Over the course of two two-week sessions, rising high school seniors will join members of the teaching faculty on both campuses for spirited conversation, engaging firsthand some of the best works of the past 2,500 years. They will read and discuss texts selected from the masters of the Western intellectual tradition, such as Plato, Euclid, Kierkegaard, Tolstoy and, of course, St. Thomas Aquinas. They will forge new friendships, delight in the give and take of rational argument, and pursue truth — which civilizes, ennobles, and liberates.

“The two programs will be the same in all the essential aspects,” says Mr. Daly. “They will employ the same great books curriculum, and both will take place in a joyful, Catholic setting with plenty of time for fellowship and extracurricular activities, such as sports, swing-dancing, open-mic nights, and socials. Where they differ will be primarily in terms of local amenities and off-campus excursions.”

At the California High School Great Books program, to be held July 15 to 27, students will take advantage of all the natural beauty that the region has to offer. Among the daily sports will be beach volleyball on the College’s sand court, swimming in the spring-fed ponds, and hikes along the hillside trails surrounding campus. The group will also take in the best of Southern California’s cultural attractions. There will be an outing to the J.P. Getty Museum, a concert by the L.A. Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, a day trip to the beach, a hike in the Santa Monica Mountains, and an evening in the mission city of Santa Barbara.

At the New England Summer Program, which runs from July 28 to August 10, students will delight in the campus’ two ponds, athletic fields, and full gymnasium, complete with swimming pool, climbing wall, and basketball court. Off-campus ventures will include a trip to Boston, with sightseeing along the Freedom Trail and stops at the Museum of Fine Arts and Faneuil Hall. Students will also attend a concert with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, hike on New Hampshire’s Mount Monadnock, and take a canoe trip along the Connecticut River.

At both programs, Mass will be offered daily, and a chaplain will be available on campus at all times. In order to receive the full extent of religious-liberty protections under Massachusetts law, the College may admit only Catholic students to the New England Summer Program. Religious devotions, however, are voluntary, and the California program remains, as always, open to students of all faiths.

“The Summer Program offers a tremendous opportunity for students to grow spiritually, intellectually, and morally while also making lifelong friends with an amazing group of peers,” says Mr. Daly. “We are thrilled that, thanks to our new campus, we can now make it available to more people. Although there are still openings at both locations, they are filling up, so we encourage students to apply right away!”

The programs are limited to students between their junior and senior years of high school. Cost is $975, which includes tuition, housing, meals, books, and organized activities.