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Welcome to the Winter Start Program!
January of 2010 will mark the eighth year of the Winter Start Program at Colorado College. We are excited about the students who will enroll and look forward to your distinctive contributions to our campus community.
You may be wondering what the Winter Start Program is all about. It is important to know that it is a program established by the college to manage enrollment for the spring semester. While it is a practical program to utilize rooms left vacant by upperclass students studying abroad, it is also a way to increase the number of first year students we are able to admit in a given year. During the fall semester at Colorado College (and most other colleges in the US), the great majority of enrolled students study on campus. The spring semester is typically the time when students are more likely to study abroad or in other off-campus programs. As a result, there are fewer students on campus in the spring, and therefore, more room in classrooms and residence halls. Winter Start students fill those vacancies in the spring semester and generally stay on to study over the summer. They join the 'normal' academic calendar when they return for their second year in the fall. A number of other colleges (Middlebury, Colby and Berkeley are notable examples) have similar programs.
We expect as many as fifty students to begin their Colorado College studies as Winter Start students this year. This group is comprised of a wide variety of students, all of whom we are certain will thrive at CC. There is usually no particular reason why a student is offered winter rather than fall admission, but one thing is true - we believe you are uniquely prepared to be able to use this time off productively. All students who are admitted to CC, either as a Winter or Fall Start, are admitted because of their outstanding academic record, talents, and personal qualities.
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Orientation
Orientation for Winter Start student begins in mid-January and includes meetings for parents, a chance to meet college administrators, and an introduction to life at Colorado College. There will be plenty of time to move in, become familiar with the campus, and to meet your academic advisor. Complete orientation information will be sent in the fall.
Winter Start Calendar
A Winter Start student's first block will be Block 5, the beginning of Spring Semester, on January 18, 2010. Orientation will begin on January 9, 2010. As is true in the fall, Colorado College offers a variety of First Year Experience courses from which you will choose your first two blocks. These courses introduce you to the college's library, Writing Center, and other academic support systems specific to CC. You will also be provided with a student mentor, and get a chance to meet other first year students, as well as the larger college community. You will find descriptions of these courses in your CC Bound and on the FYE website. You may choose among any of the college's courses offered in Blocks 7 and 8 (the remaining blocks of your first semester). Please note prerequisites and course numbers.
Colorado College has an impressive Summer Session, which runs from mid-June to mid-August. Many Winter Start students choose to participate in the Summer Session following their first year. After the first year, Winter Starts can, and generally do, enroll in courses for the typical fall-spring calendar.
Pre-registration and academic advising
Winter Start students will receive their information binders, called "CC Bound", with pre-registration materials in mid to late June. There will be an advising questionnaire to fill out so that we can match students appropriately to advisors on campus. You will be assigned an advisor by the end of the summer and be given information about how to contact that person throughout the fall semester. There will also be a 'Snapshot' questionnaire to complete in preparation for First Year Experience excursions and activities. You should be in communication with your advisor in September and October so that you can complete registration choices for your spring semester classes. You will register for spring courses before the fall starts, and thus will have first choice for these courses.
Summer Session credit
You are encouraged to pre-register for classes in the summer session of 2009 or 2010 at Colorado College. Taking summer classes would allow you to begin the following fall with sophomore standing. This which will prepare you for courses with prerequisites and increase your range of housing options. Many CC students take classes in the summer and campus is a lively and vibrant place. Students may choose to take one, two, or three blocks in the summer. Summer Session abounds in study abroad programs, courses not offered in the regular year, and it offers a chance to take prerequisites toward your sophomore year courses (introductory chemistry and biology courses, for example). Many of these courses are difficult to get into during the regular academic year, but have readily available spaces in the summer. All summer credits may be used to satisfy general education requirements toward your degree or to satisfy major requirements. As soon as the course schedule is set, the Summer Session will reserve spaces exclusively for Winter Start students. Winter Starts will have a few weeks to take advantage of pre-registering for these competitive spots. This special pre-registration priority is offered to Winter Starts only the first year. You are also able to take classes this coming summer if you want to get a head start on your CC education. Feel free to call the Summer Session Office with questions. Phone: (719) 389-6655.
Residential life information
The Office of Residential Life & Housing enthusiastically welcomes you to Colorado College. We want your housing experience to be an exciting and pleasant one. You will receive your housing forms in the CC Bound binder. It is important that you fill out the housing forms as soon as you receive them. Room assignments are made in the order of receipt of your complete housing application. The room questionnaire that you will be asked to fill out is especially important. Every effort will be made to honor your interests and roommate requests. All assignments will be based on mid-year housing availability. You will be notified of your room and roommate assignment during the third week of December. We will include contact information with your assignment and strongly encourage you to contact your roommate and to get to know him or her. This past January, about a third of the Winter Starts were housed in the first year residence halls and the rest were in primarily upper class halls.
Ideas for the fall
The following is a list of fall semester options for CC students who are admitted under the Winter Start program. Some are credit-bearing (either a full semester's worth or offering partial credit), while others do not bear credit but offer other opportunities like volunteering and language learning. These are the only pre-approved options. Students who wish to take part in another academic opportunity will need to save all their work and petition for credit once they arrive at CC.
American University Mentorship Semester in Washington D.C.
Program specifically designed for Winter Start students, sixth year of existence. 181 students this semester, earn 15 regular semester credits – three classes and a credit-bearing internship/practicum two days a week.
Politics in the United States (3 sem/0.75 unit at CC)
Cross-Cultural Communication (3 sem/0.75 unit at CC)
Mentored Field Practicum (3 sem/0.75 unit at CC)
Two elective courses chosen from offerings (3 sem/0.75 unit at CC each)
NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School)
Semester programs in the Rockies, Pacific Northwest, Alaska, The Yukon, The Southwest, the Borders, Baja, Patagonia, Australia, New Zealand, India
Courses we'll accept:
2 semester hours Biology (0.5 unit at CC)
2 semester hours Environmental Ethics (0.5 unit at CC)
2 semester hours Wilderness First Responder/WFR (0.5 unit at CC)
Courses we won't accept: Leadership Techniques, Skills Practicum, or Risk Assessment
Semester-long program designed for gap year/winter start students, includes language immersion program classes, English-teaching internship/community service, housing and meals with families in each program. Some college language credit possible with starred programs.
Chile*, China*, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, France*, Japan, Spain
SEA Semester (ocean voyage semester)
The program will consider accepting Winter Starts on a case-by-case basis (courses completed, maturity, etc). Full semester of credit earned with all courses accepted for CC credit. (3 sem=0.75 unit at CC).
School For Field Studies (environmental studies)
Semesters in Kenya, Costa Rica, Mexico, Australia, Turks & Caicos Islands
Often requires a science prerequisite, although if students have already taken an AP/IB environmental science, biology, etc course then they may fulfill the requirement. Full semester of credit earned with all courses accepted for CC credit. (3 sem=0.75 unit at CC).
College Year In Athens – Semester program
Will consider Winter Starts on a case-by-case basis. Full semester of credit earned with all courses accepted for CC credit. (3 sem=0.75 unit at CC).
Contact information
If you would like to talk to a current Winter Start, please let us know. Some students have said they'd be happy to answer questions you or your parents might have. If you plan to visit campus during our Open House weeks, let us know you are a Winter Start and we will try to arrange a meal with one of our current Winter Starts. Of course, any of us at the college is available to help answer questions.
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