Get inspired.
“Man is born free
and everywhere
he is in chains.”
Get prepared.
Get accepted.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
(1712-1778)
What does this mean and
what does it have to do
with American society today?
Join us in July to find out and...
• Read intensively from canonical
texts of Ancient Greece, the
Enlightenment, and the American
tradition in our three-week
immersive college seminars.
• Learn in small classes taught by
distinguished professors for the
individual attention and support
you need to excel.
• Get a real college experience by
living in college dorms Monday
through Friday.
• Gain necessary college skills in
reading, writing, and studying from
dedicated Columbia undergraduates.
• Make a difference by advocating on
behalf of the issues that matter most
to you in our year-long civic
leadership project.
•Improve your college acceptance
chances by receiving expert application
guidance and letters of
recommendation from professors.
Apply Now!
Summer 2017:
July 5-28
Application Deadline:
February 28, 2017
View our summer syllabus,
learn more about student projects, and
download an application at:
freedomandcitizenship.columbia.edu
Questions about the program structure,
eligibility, applying, or commitment to
the year-long project?
Contact our recruitment representative
Verushka Gray at [email protected]
or 212.854.3897
Sponsored by the
Center for American Studies
319 Hamilton Hall, MC 2810
1130 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10027
Get college ready with
Freedom &
Citizenship
at Columbia University
From our students:
“I never ever expected I would
improve this much, honestly. I have
learned that you can really become
a better writer over time, you just
have to work hard.”
“It was one thing to feel that F&C
made an impact on my [college]
admission but it was even greater
to see it mentioned on my acceptance
letter as a 'contributing factor
to my acceptance.'"
“I learned that I am capable of more
than I expect. I learned that I
shouldn’t underestimate myself and
that I should speak my mind without
being afraid of being wrong.”
“My biggest surprise was that I
actually enjoy philosophy … this
class has allowed me to grow
as an individual to such an extent
that I want to take a class like
this in college.”
“Every day I think about what we discussed in the seminar. We all
thought we knew how to read and write before...Not true. Now I can
actually READ and develop a relationship with what I’m reading.”
The Freedom and Citizenship
college seminar and civic
leadership program began
in 2009 as a partnership
between Columbia’s Double
Discovery Center and the
Center for American Studies.
Our goal is to prepare New
York City high school seniors
for lives as informed citizens,
while also providing them with the intellectual rigor
and writing skills necessary to thrive in college.
Get a jumpstart
on college readiness
and acceptance by
learning upper-level
political philosophy
from Ivy League
professors
This year we will select 45 rising seniors representing
the first generation in their families to attend college.
In July, students will attend a free four-week summer
program at Columbia University taught by
distinguished faculty.
The program opens with an orientation led by
undergraduate teaching assistants to prepare
students for the program’s quick pace, advanced
reading level, and nightly writing assignments.
Following the week-long orientation, students split
into three small seminars for daily two-hour classes
and hour-long tutorials. In the first week we read
ancient Greek philosophy through Plato and Aristotle.
In the second week we enter the Enlightenment with
Thomas Hobbes and Thomas Jefferson. Finally, in the
third week, we encounter the American tradition with
readings from Frederick Douglass to Martin Luther
King, Jr. The syllabus is modeled on the “great books”
curricula required at many liberal arts colleges and
universities, including Columbia.
In September, students will reconvene to initiate a
year-long civic leadership project, building on the
themes developed in the summer. Past topics have
included gender inequality, immigration, human
trafficking, and mass incarceration.
All participants will receive college recommendation
letters from their professors that speak to their ability
to handle rigorous college work. Students are also
eligible for specialized college counseling from
Columbia’s Double Discovery Center.