Pre-College Program

New York City public high school students who meet the admissions criteria and application requirements are eligible to participate in the program. Classes in the pre-college component of College Now meet on the Queens College campus on Saturday mornings, 9 am – 12:30 pm, for 12 to 13 weeks between October and January and between March and June.

Participants have the opportunity to earn elective high school credit.

  • MATHEMATICS (Algebra I; Geometry; or Algebra II/Trigonometry)
  • COMPREHENSIVE ENGLISH for English Language Learners
  • U.S. HISTORY & GOVERNMENT for English Language Learners
  • LEADERSHIP FOR SOCIAL CHANGE (Workshop)
  • VIDEO PRODUCTION (Workshop)

The purpose of these courses is to help high school students:

  • Improve language, problem solving, and analytical skills
  • Become more confident students
  • Improve high school grades and aim for a Regents score of 75+
  • Develop skills for success in college

The courses are:

  • Companion courses to the high school classes
  • Regents-related
  • Academic enrichment designed to deepen the participants’ understanding of the topics and required skills

Pre-College Instructors

The courses in the pre-college component are taught by experienced high school teachers who are licensed in the subject area they teach. All hold at minimum a master’s degree. Some of the mathematics teachers are graduates of the nationally acclaimed Queens College TIME 2000 program.

STEM Research Academy

The College Now STEM Research Academy at Queens College is a two-part program designed to provide high school juniors with an opportunity to prepare for advanced courses in all disciplines of science. Students engage in a deep study of science content and authentic science inquiry activities and participate in college-level laboratory-based research.

  • Spring Semester: Students attend an introductory science research course, “Explorations of Aquatic Ecosystems.” Much of the instruction in the science content will happen through hands-on activities, field trips, and experiments performed in a Queens College science lab.
  • Summer Session: Upon successful completion of the spring course, selected students will have the opportunity to participate in a six-week structured laboratory internship in which they are matched with a Queens College faculty researcher and a lab team.