In a setting as idyllic as it is prestigious, a small group of Delaware students is submerging itself in a new world this summer, living three weeks at the private boarding school St. Andrew's while preparing to apply for and go to college.
Many of the teens have never had the opportunity to attend classes at a private school, let alone St. Andrew's, which costs $57,000 a year before financial aid. The program, called Delaware College Scholars, is specifically targeted at low-income 10th-, 11th- and 12th-graders who are eligible for free- or reduced-price lunch, said Executive Director Tony Alleyne.
The students begin after their sophomore year and attend the program for three consecutive summers.
Preference is given to students who would be the first in their families to attend college. They are selected based on their SAT scores and academic performance, and they take classes and live at St. Andrew's for free, as well as go on tours of area colleges.
