A Special Summer Program for High School Students
In 2023, the School of Engineering at Santa Clara University will host its 34th annual Summer Engineering Seminar (SES) program. Named as one of 2022 Inspiring Programs in STEM from the INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, SES is proud to announce an expansion to the program.
SES will now be offering an advanced, second summer, SES program. Thus, allowing us to offer SES as a two-year program. This will allow participants to dive deeper into the majors they are interested in.
However, with this addition comes a change in the application pool. Only current high school sophomores will be able to apply for our longstanding introduction SES program. The new, advanced second-year SES program is only available to those students who participated in the summer of 2022.
This outstanding, five-day immersion summer experience is for current high school sophomores who are interested in exploring the field of engineering. The program offers specially designed introductory workshops taught by our engineering faculty that are presented as a mix of lecture and interactive work, spanning several fields of engineering. Participants will also get a taste of university life and the academic expectations of college. Along with living in the dorms during the program, students will interact with our faculty, students, and other members of the SCU community throughout the week.
The 2023 SES program will be offered three times over the course of the summer. Participants can apply to attend one of the following beginner session options:
SES Beginner (Year-One):
- Session One: July 9-13
- Session Two: July 16-20
SES Advanced (Year-Two) Returning Participants: Past participants will receive a separate invitation
- Session Three: July 23-27
You can view our Summer 2022 SES Instagram Reels Here:
The SES program is designed to motivate young people to pursue science and engineering majors in college so they can ultimately participate in the scientific and technical workforce. It provides participants with a chance to explore the many possibilities of engineering as a career. Participants attend special workshops, complete their own engineering projects, and experience outside-of-class aspects of Santa Clara University through afternoon and evening recreational activities.
During the week participants attend introductory level workshops spanning several disciplines of engineering that are facilitated by our engineering faculty. Topics will include: Bioengineering; Civil, Sustainable andEnvironmental Engineering; Computer Science and Engineering; Electrical and Computer Engineering; and Mechanical Engineering. Participants attend all core workshops for a broad exposure to the various disciplines and careers within the field of engineering. Workshops will be held by the School of Engineering, the focal point for engineering education at Santa Clara University.
To access the application form, click on the tab labeled "Application" below.
*Please note that selected participants will need to provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination. Fully Vaccinated means that it has been at least 14 days since the second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, or 14 days since your sole dose of Johnson/Janssen vaccine.
The eligibility criteria for SES are determined by the purpose and content of the program, as well as Santa Clara University's Strategic Vision. This program aims to motivate more students to pursue engineering study and workshop content is on a broad, introductory level. Santa Clara University's Strategic Vision also emphasizes education in "service to society, especially on behalf of those in greatest need," which is in line with our Jesuit identity. As such, the following criteria have been set for program participants:
- Students who will have completed their sophomore year of high school by July 1, 2023
- Students who are interested in broadly exploring the field of engineering and its various disciplines
- Students who have not been exposed to the engineering profession through high school coursework, extra-curricular activities, similar programs and close role models working in engineering
- Students who may lack the means to access engineering courses and programs, due to limited financial resources and/or a lack of school & community offerings.
- Student areas listed below are highly encouraged to apply.
- First-Generation to go to college
- Women
- Underrepresented groups in the field of engineering
- Low-Income
Please note that students will only be able to participate in one of our high school engineering programs (SEEDs or SES), as the academic content of both programs is very similar. Information on the Spring Engineering Education Days (SEEDs) Program can be found here.
All on-site fees for the SES Program are paid by the School of Engineering along with gifts from various corporate sponsors and foundations (to be listed once announced), resulting in no costs for participants who are accepted into the program.
To be considered for this program, applicants must submit a complete application consisting of the following:
- The online application must be completed by 9:00 p.m. PDT on Sunday, March 12, 2023. The application is available here.
- An essay (500 words) as part of the online application addressing the following questions: What makes you an ideal candidate for the SES program? How do you think you could benefit from the program? Questions to consider in your response may include:
-What are you passionate about?
-What drives your curiosity for engineering?
-What kind of impact do you hope to have on society?
Each year the SES program receives hundreds of applications from across the globe for a limited number of spots, making acceptance to the program very competitive. For program consideration, applications will be evaluated based on academic performance (particularly in math and science), and the alignment with program eligibility criteria (with particular emphasis on applicant need). Applicants are informed of their status via email by Thursday, March 30, 2023.
*Please note if you applied to both SES and SEEDs the evaluation for both programs will happen simultaneously. So you will know your standing in both programs at once.
For more information or questions, write or call:
408-554-4728
E-mail: summerengineeringseminar@scu.edu
If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation, please call 408-554-4728 or California Relay at 800-735-2929 (TTY) two weeks prior to the event.
The School of Engineering provides an outstanding theoretical and practical experience for both undergraduate and graduate students in the heart of Silicon Valley. Distinguished faculty, academic excellence, personal attention, and a culture of social responsibility are hallmarks of our program.
Disciplines in the School of Engineering include applied mathematics, bioengineering, civil, computer, electrical and mechanical engineering, and engineering management and leadership. More information can be found at www.scu.edu/engineering.