Unparalleled summer camp programs, combined with Quinnipiac’s reputation as a top school -- ranked #91 overall in the nation by The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse – are drawing high school students from across the country and the world, said Program Director of Pre-College and Seasonal Programming Jacqueline Simpson Gilson.

“We are getting students from the tri-state area and New England area, but we also get them from Texas, California, South Carolina, and so many other states. We have a girl coming in from London, England this year. Last year, we had a student from Taiwan who’s coming back to Quinnipiac as a first-year student this year. We’re reaching far and wide,” Simpson Gilson said.

Each camp is designed as a stress-free opportunity for high school students to explore topics of interest at the college level while connecting with Quinnipiac faculty, staff and student counselors.

Campers come away with experience to add to their resume while also developing high-demand soft skills such as communication, critical thinking and confidence. Depending on the program, campers may also develop a portfolio of work within their academic field of interest or earn valuable certifications.

Simpson Gilson said Quinnipiac’s innovative new camp, Nursing: Explore Your Future, as well as the university’s popular Healthcare Career Exploration Academy are two among many summer programs which have received high student interest this year.

“With Quinnipiac being on the cutting edge of healthcare careers, some of our largest numbers have come in with our healthcare exploration program as well as our brand-new nursing section -- both filled right away. Because of Quinnipiac’s reputation in those fields, students were really enthusiastic about getting involved,” said Simpson Gilson.

The one-week nursing program brings students into the university’s state-of-the-art facilities for an introduction to the many different options in the field of nursing, including hands-on participation in several high-fidelity simulations.

The wide-ranging Healthcare Career Exploration Academy offers students the chance to explore 10 different healthcare disciplines over two weeks.

The interactive experience includes hands-on skill building with cutting-edge equipment, earning three first aid certifications, and the opportunity to earn up to two college credits transferable to Quinnipiac University.

Last summer, Healthcare Career Exploration Academy attendees took a day trip to visit the Hartford HealthCare Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation at Hartford Hospital. The high school students spent the entire day with professional hospital staff and had the opportunity to practice their newly acquired skills in simulated cases, from robotics to suturing and CPR.

Partnering with organizations such as Hartford HealthCare to offer exceptional summer camp experiences, as well as strong partnerships with student-centric academic pathway groups such as New Haven Promise, has also helped build enrollment.

Simpson Gilson said working closely with the Quinnipiac admissions team at open houses and teaming up with faculty partners has also greatly assisted in helping promote the university’s exciting camp experiences to students and parents.

Quinnipiac educators also partner with Pre-College and Seasonal Programming to develop exciting summer camps for high school students which meet a variety of interests, such as the hands-on Forensic Sciences: Crime Scene Investigation camp. The camp has received high interest and enrollment this summer, said Simpson Gilson.

“Working with our forensic science and archeology professors, we’ve been able to robustly develop that program. Students are really excited about the hands-on portion of the programming, and our faculty is excited to provide it so that the students are able to walk away with an experience they couldn’t get elsewhere,” said Simpson Gilson.

Quinnipiac’s new BA in Sports Communications, which welcomes its first students to Quinnipiac in the fall of 2025, provides much of the basis for another popular summer camp this year, Game Changers: Sports Communications and the Fan Experience. Other highly popular camps resonating with high school students include Game Design and eSports Lab; and Hacker High School: Introduction to Cybersecurity.

In addition, high school students are pursuing their artistic, academic and career interests at camps offering Creative Writing: Young Adult Novel Workshop; Data Sciences Lab; Entrepreneurship Academy: From Classroom to Corner Office; Media Masterclass: Exploring Careers in Communications; and Modern Storytelling: Movie-Making.

Faculty instructors for each camp are greatly assisted by their Quinnipiac student counselors. As a testament to the powerful impact these summer programs have, Simpson Gilson said more than a few of the counselors were once high school campers at Quinnipiac, themselves.

“I think one of the things that’s really unique with our Healthcare Career Exploration program is that 95% of students that become counselors were once campers,” said Simpson Gilson.  “Across all of our programs, a lot of our students are hand-selected by faculty because they were campers, and they understand what the experience is and the importance of the experience.”

Beyond the transformative educational opportunities each summer camp can provide in Quinnipiac’s top notch academic setting, the programming gives high school students an early opportunity to immerse themselves in the Quinnipiac college experience.

“We want to be able to show students what it’s like to be a Quinnipiac Bobcat,” Simpson Gilson said. “While they’re in academics during the day, during the evening hours, we like to show them how to have fun as college students -- whether it’s scavenger hunts, hiking up Sleeping Giant, an ice cream night, or a cupcake party. We want to show them what the whole experience is, from staying in the dorms to eating in the dining hall.”