Welcome to the Summer Bridge Program
The Summer Bridge Program is an invitation-only summer program that empowers FLI (First-Generation and/or Low-Income) students who have been accepted to Amherst College to navigate educational opportunities on campus.
In addition to taking ownership over their academic journey, participants will benefit from opportunities to build an enduring intellectual and social community with one another, to make connections with faculty and staff, and to engage in conversations about the benefits and challenges of being FLI at Amherst.
2024 Program Dates
Summer Bridge 2024 runs from Sunday, August 4 through Saturday, August 24. Participants are required to attend the entirety of the program.
Summer Bridge enables new students to engage in courses and activities that ground them in the intellectual and social life of Amherst as they build meaningful connections to their peers as well as faculty and staff.” —Prof. Kiara Vigil, Faculty Director of Summer Bridge Program
Further Information About Summer Bridge
Looking for more information about the Summer Bridge Program? Select one of the sections below to learn more about how you can participate.
For Students
Summer Bridge is a 3-week program that welcomes first-generation and/or low-income students to Amherst before orientation.
For Faculty
Tenured and tenure-track faculty faculty, as well as senior lecturers, are eligible to teach 3-week courses in the Summer Bridge Program.
For Residential Tutors
Alums of the program are invited to apply to become a Residential Tutor after their first, second, or third years at Amherst.
Program Goals
During Summer Bridge, students will be introduced to:
- strong time management skills
- a growth mindset toward social and academic challenges
- methods of seeking support from mentors, peers, staff, and faculty
- academic and social activities on campus
- the college campus environment (including but not limited to: the Science Center, Frost Library, Book & Plow Farm, The Mead Art Museum, Valentine Dining Hall, and some dormitories, among other academic and social spaces)
- contacts in Financial Aid, Resource Centers, the Loeb Center, and other important offices on campus to support their continued enrollment and success
- social and academic leadership opportunities on campus
- faculty, staff, peers, and mentors
Participants in the Summer Bridge Program also will become part of the Intensive Advising Program and the Meiklejohn Fellowship Program, and will benefit from the Class and Action Resource Center. The Summer Bridge Program covers all costs related to participation.
