Baylor University Announces New Accelerate Summer Program and Second Year of Innovative Summer of Discovery

Discounted summer courses help students advance academic goals

Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-709-5959
Follow us on Twitter: @BaylorUMedia

WACO, Texas (March 8, 2021) – Baylor University today announced plans for summer classes through Accelerate, the University’s pre-college program for rising high school juniors and seniors, and a second year of Baylor’s innovative Summer of Discovery program with discounted summer course offerings for current students as well as incoming freshmen and transfers.

“Summer of Discovery and Accelerate are great opportunities for students to make academic progress,” said Jessica King Gereghty, assistant vice president of enrollment strategy and innovation at Baylor. “Baylor’s inaugural rollout of the Summer of Discovery program last year was very well received by students, parents and faculty, and we are thrilled to offer Summer of Discovery courses again this year. Adding a more focused program like Accelerate for rising high school juniors and seniors provides them more opportunities to take courses that will help them pursue a degree at Baylor or will transfer to many other university academic programs.”

Accelerate

Accelerate summer classes will be taught online by Baylor faculty. Rising high school juniors and seniors in the program can begin laying a foundation for their college experiences with courses that apply to multiple majors. In addition, these college-level courses help students explore interests in an environment that prepares them for the rigor of university academics at a discounted price.

Summer Accelerate courses will be offered at a discounted tuition rate and available across two summer sessions – Summer 1 (June 1-July 6) and Summer 2 (July 8-Aug. 11). Students may choose to attend one or both of the summer sessions.

Applications for Baylor’s Accelerate program are open. Students who plan to participate in the summer program must first complete an Accelerate application. No ACT or SAT score is required for the summer Accelerate courses, but students must provide a transcript that reflects academic ability.

Accelerate seniors who earn a 3.0 GPA in at least nine Baylor hours and then apply to Baylor for their first-year University experience will "jump to the front of the line for admission to Baylor’s 2022 freshman class," King Gereghty said.

Summer of Discovery

For the second year, Summer of Discovery classes for incoming freshmen and continuing Baylor students will be taught by Baylor faculty in the supportive Christian environment that is a hallmark of a Baylor education. Courses offered through Baylor Summer of Discovery serve a broad range of student needs, are often smaller in size and provide students greater opportunities for interacting with faculty. Students will learn alongside their peers with the assurance that these classes will support most degree plans and majors.

This year, students may choose both in-person and online courses across summer sessions: May Minimester (May 12-28), Summer 1 (June 1-July 6), and Summer 2 (July 8-Aug. 11). Continuing Baylor students may select courses across any or all three summer terms, while incoming first-year students may select courses in either or both Summer 1 and Summer 2 sessions.

“Summer of Discovery provides discounted summer course offerings, including a wide variety of core curriculum requirements. Students who knock out these core classes earlier in their college career have more opportunities down the road to add a minor or certification, study abroad or accept internships,” King Gereghty said. “Also available are advanced-level courses for our current students that will help them get ahead on their degree. In fact, taking summer courses could help them graduate early, which provides another major cost savings.”

Current students register for courses through their regular advising and registration process. Academic advisers can help students select the combination of courses that is best for their academic and professional goals.

Incoming first-year and transfer students also will complete academic advising and can begin to register for Summer of Discovery and fall 2021 courses on May 3. This timeline means Summer of Discovery students have the added benefit of selecting their fall schedules a few weeks ahead of other incoming students.

Current and incoming Baylor students receive greater discounts as the number of Summer of Discovery classes taken increases.

For more information about Accelerate, visit baylor.edu/accelerate/summer. Current and incoming first-year students may visit baylor.edu/discovery for more information about Summer of Discovery.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 19,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.