Intensive programs hosted at top universities aid transition from military to four-year colleges
NEW HAVEN, Conn., Dec. 10, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP) is now accepting applications for more than 150 spots in its 2015 academic boot camps, which help facilitate enlisted veterans' transition from the military to college.
The academic boot camps, scheduled for 11 major U.S. universities in 2015, are immersive, intensive programs designed to help military veterans develop and rediscover the skills and confidence necessary to successfully complete four-year undergraduate degrees.
WSP boot camps are open to enlisted veterans and transitioning current servicemembers who plan to enroll in or transfer into a four-year undergraduate program.
WSP donors cover all program costs for accepted students, except transportation. Qualified veterans and transitioning servicemembers can apply for a spot in the program by visiting the following link: https://warrior-scholar-project.slideroom.com/#/permalink/program/23562.
"According to the Department of Defense, approximately 160,000-200,000 enlisted servicemembers transition from the military every year," said Christopher Howell, WSP co-founder and executive director. "A vast majority of them have indicated an interest in pursuing higher education opportunities.
"Post-9/11 veterans have an immense degree of untapped potential to succeed in higher education institutions and to progress on to successful careers. Yet college can be a significant challenge, even when the GI Bill and other sources of funding are helping pay tuition. To tap that potential and reduce obstacles to success, our boot camps address veterans' misperceptions about college and build their confidence through an intense academic reorientation."
WSP originally launched at Yale University with nine participants in 2012. After steady growth in 2013-2014, WSP is making a significant leap forward in 2015, opening up spots for more than 150 veterans at boot camps scheduled for the following 11 schools (locations and dates remain subject to change):
- Vassar College (January 2015)
- Yale University (May-June 2015)
- Harvard University (June 2015)
- University of Michigan (June 2015)
- University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (June 2015)
- Syracuse University (July 2015)
- Cornell University (July 2015)
- Georgetown University (July-August 2015)
- University of Oklahoma (August 2015)
- University of Chicago (August-September 2015)
- University of Southern California (August 2015)
Each WSP boot camp is run by a veteran, and taught by university professors and graduate students. An intensive syllabus composed of both classic and modern scholarly works guides participants as they learn how to frame their ideas in an academic context, think critically, and formulate a scholarly argument. Participants not only learn the subject-matter material; they learn how to learn.
Because veterans are non-traditional students with unique experiences distinguishing them from their college peers, WSP also uses the boot camps to help prepare participants for the emotional and cultural adaptations required to succeed in a higher education setting.
The WSP application requests details from prospective students about their military experience, academic background and future academic plans, and requires them to answer a series of short essay questions. In the application, veterans can indicate their top three host-school choices for Warrior-Scholar Project boot camps, and if accepted, are placed in the most appropriate program based on preference, geographic proximity and availability during program dates.
Prospective students can apply through the following link: https://warrior-scholar-project.slideroom.com/#/permalink/program/23562. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and students may be asked to complete an additional phone interview. Applications will be accepted until March 16, 2015, and all students will receive responses in early April 2015.
About the Warrior-Scholar Project
Founded in 2011 by Yale University graduates, the Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP) runs immersive academic boot camps hosted at America's top universities for enlisted military veterans. The majority of enlisted personnel exiting the military have not been in a classroom setting for several years, and find it hard to transition, being unprepared for the fundamentally different social and cultural environment. WSP helps veterans rediscover and develop the skills and confidence necessary to successfully complete 4-year undergraduate programs in higher education. WSP unlocks their educational potential and transforms the way veterans view themselves as students. For more information, visit http://www.warrior-scholar.org, email info@warrior-scholar.org or call 203-937-2310.