Imagine spending the summer walking the paths of Amherst College or Stanford University talking about Plato, Hemingway and Jefferson with distinguished professors and outstanding young people excited about literature and ideas;

... joining a discussion on Abraham Lincoln led by Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Doris Kearns Goodwin, Joe Ellis, Debby Applegate, Emmy Award-winning journalist Chuck Scarborough and other Guest Discussion Leaders.

... enjoying a preview of college life on one of the most beautiful campuses in America under the supervision of our  caring and dedicated staff.

The Great Books Summer Program is an experience like no other in American education. For the past seven years, the Great Books Summer Program has gathered exceptional middle and high school students from across the nation to read selections from the greatest works of literature, experience college-level discussions and seminars and enjoy summer fun with other literary-minded students. This summer, we’ll read from Shakespeare, Dante, Jefferson, Homer, Hemingway, Tolstoy, Jamaica Kincaid, George Orwell and others.

You can choose from three campus settings — Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, Stanford University in Palo Alto, California or The College of William and Mary in Wiliamsburg, VA. Amherst College, founded in 1821, is widely regarded as one of the premier liberal arts colleges in the world. The College of William & Mary, the second-oldest university in America educated US Presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Tyler, as well as 16 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Stanford University opened its doors in 1891 and has been one of the most highly regarded American universities ever since.