Winter Start / Ideas For the Fall
Each year about 40 first-year students start their CC careers in January as Winter Starts. Being a Winter Start gives you a unique opportunity take the fall semester to reflect, explore, and grow before jumping into your college experience at CC. In the past Winter Starts have chosen to spend their time in countless ways, whether it be working, traveling, doing an internship, or engaging through a semester program. We are confident that this time contributes to personal growth and will enhance students' unique adventure once at CC. Whatever you choose to do, we know that our Winter Starts will spend their fall semester in meaningful acts of learning and contributing. Check out Ideas for Fall to hear Winter Start voices and learn about some popular program offerings.
Winter Start Calendar
Winter Start Orientation (WSO) dates will be confirmed soon once the college has announced its official spring plan and any updates to the 2020-2021 Academic Calendar.
As is true in the fall, Colorado College offers a variety of First-Year Experience (FYE) 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 Colorado College. 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 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 also has an impressive Summer Session, which runs from early in June through the end of July. 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.
View the 2020 course schedule.
Orientation
While the Winter Start program is a little atypical, we have a number of programs in place to help make your college transition smooth. Once at CC Winter Starts kick off their experience with a New Student Orientation (NSO) trip to Baca, our satellite campus in the San Luis Valley. You will then join your CC peers on campus and begin your double block introductory course, the First-Year Experience, designed to facilitate the academic transition to the Block Plan. In terms of graduation time, many winter starts get extra credits during CC's summer block offerings, half blocks, or during their pre-CC semester and graduate in May with the rest of their class. However, others choose to finish in December, fulfilling a full four years on campus.
Registration
Winter Start students will receive access to pre-registration materials in mid-summer. There will be an advising questionnaire to fill out so that we can match students appropriately to advisors on campus. There will also be a 'Snapshot' questionnaire to complete in preparation for First-Year Experience excursions and activities.
Academic Advisors
Winter Start students will work with Dr. Aaron Stoller, the Director of Academic Programs and First-Year Experience, in mid-November to enroll in their Block 5 & 6 FYE courses. As part of Winter Start Orientation, Winter Start students can expect to receive an advising questionnaire, which will be used by our Student Opportunities and Advising Hub, to assign students to a faculty advisor. Students will receive the name and contact information of their faculty advisor in early January and will need to meet with their new advisor during Block 5 to select their Block 7 & 8 courses. Students will then meet with their advisor again during the all-college, fall pre-registration period from April 6 - April 24, 2020, to select their Block 1 - 4 courses for the following academic year.
Winter Transfer Advising
All incoming Winter Transfer students will work with the Registrar's Office and Advising Hub in early December to select their spring courses, Blocks 5 - 8. During this time, the Student Opportunities and Advising Hub will work to assign students to a faculty advisor within their intended major. Winter Transfer students should plan to meet with their faculty advisor as needed throughout the spring semester to discuss major requirements, transfer credits, and remaining all-college requirements. Winter Transfer students will also need to meet with their advisor during the all-college, pre-registration period from April 6 - April 24, 2020, to select their Block 1 - 4 courses for the following academic year. Students should continue to work with the Student Opportunities and Advising Hub as needed to change faculty advisors or majors.
Room Assignments
Room assignments are made after the deadline to submit the online housing agreement has passed. The preference questionnaire that you will be asked to fill out as part of the online process is especially important. We will make every effort to take your preferences into consideration; however, we believe strongly that first year students benefit by starting their on-campus residency in one of our large residence halls with their peers. Assignments will be based on mid-year housing availability in those halls. You will be notified of your room and roommate assignment when the college re-opens after Winter Break, immediately prior to orientation. We will include contact information with your assignment and strongly encourage you to connect with your roommate and to get to know him or her.
ideas for the fall
Fall Program Options for Gap Semester
If you will be joining CC in January as a Winter Start, you may have a variety of goals for your fall semester; these sometimes involve earning academic credit, but other times do not. We recommend that you think first about what your goals are for you, both academically and personally, and what your needs for transfer credit are in consideration with AP/IB credits you may already be bringing to CC. Remember all students at CC also receive one free Wild Card block of Summer Session tuition, as well as Half-Block opportunities to earn credits at no charge every January. Establishing your own goals will help you decide which options to pursue during the fall semester.
The following is a list of fall options for new Colorado College 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 are oriented towards service, personal growth & challenge, language immersion, or experiential learning.
For Credit Options
Colorado College offers our own international study options for the Fall Semester Away (FSA) programs, taught by Colorado College professors in locations around the world, specifically for students admitted to these options. Check with the Admission Office for more details as this program has very limited capacity.
Below are some other credit-bearing semester-long options that you may also consider.
CET
Gap
Year
Programs
CET
Academic
Programs
is
a
study
abroad
organization
that
has
been
developing
and
delivering
innovative
educational
programs
abroad
since
1982.
They
offer
language
intensive
gap
semester
programs
in
four
locations:
- Intensive Chinese Language in Beijing, China
- Intensive Italian Language and Intercultural Communication in Siena, Italy
- Intensive Japanese Language and elective courses in Osaka, Japan
- Intensive Arabic Language in Amman, Jordan.
SEA
Semester
Spend
a
semester
learning
to
sail
a
tall
ship,
being
part
of
a
small
and
rigorous
community,
doing
scientific
and
cultural
research,
and
developing
independence
out
on
the
open
ocean.
This
program
will
consider
accepting
Winter
Starts
on
a
case-by-case
basis
(courses
completed,
maturity,
etc),
and
doesn't
require
that
you
know
how
to
sail
before
you
begin
the
semester.
While
the
academic
focus
varies,
each
program
offers
an
interconnected
suite
of
courses
designed
to
explore
a
specific
ocean-related
theme
using
a
cross-disciplinary
approach.
Leadership
and
personal
growth
outcomes
are
tremendous
through
this
adventure,
and
most
all
of
the
SEA
courses
are
transferrable
back
to
CC.
School
For
Field
Studies
School
for
Field
Studies
is
a
leader
in
environmental
field
study
semester
programs,
offering
programs
in
Peru,
Cambodia
&
Vietnam,
Panama,
Bhutan,
Tanzania,
Australia
&
New
Zealand,
Turks
&
Caicos,
and
Costa
Rica.
A
full
semester
of
credit
can
be
earned
on
SFS
programs.
Gap
year
students
and
Winter
Starts
are
welcome
to
apply;
contact
the
SFS
Admissions
Office
early
in
the
process
if
you
have
any
questions
about
pre-reqs.
SFS
programs
require
a
college-level
science
course
as
a
prerequisite,
although
if
students
have
already
taken
an
AP/IB
environmental
science,
biology,
etc
course
then
they
may
fulfill
the
requirement.
Hebrew
University
in
Jerusalem:
Freshman-Gap
Year
Program
This
program
of
the
Rothberg
International
School
is
specially
designed
for
first-year
students,
whether
they
plan
to
continue
their
studies
in
Israel
or
back
home.
Students
may
enroll
for
the
entire
year
or
for
either
the
autumn
or
spring
semester.
A
variety
of
first-year
courses
are
offered
in
the
areas
of
Israel
and
Middle
Eastern
studies,
Religion,
Brain
and
Behavioral
Sciences,
and
Environmental
Studies.
All
Freshmen
students
participate
in
the
Freshman
Seminar,
which
provides
first-year
college
students
with
a
strong
foundation
to
assist
in
the
transition
from
high
school
to
college.
It
provides
academic
and
social
support
while
strengthening
the
students'
skills
in
academic
research
and
writing.
Student
take
the
following
courses:
- Modern Hebrew (8-10 hours a week; 6-7 credits)
- Freshman Seminar (during the Undergraduate Ulpan)
- Three Freshman level courses (4 hours a week; 3 credits per course) One course must be in Jewish or Israel studies. The complete list of first-year courses can be viewed online.
College
Year
In
Athens
-
Semester
program
This
program
will
consider
Winter
Starts
on
a
case-by-case
basis.
A
full
semester
of
credit
can
be
earned
on
the
CYA
Semester,
in
academic
areas
such
as
Classics,
Art
History,
Archaeology,
Economics
&
Business,
Politics,
History,
Philosophy,
Political
Science,
Psychology,
Literature,
Anthropology,
Environmental
Studies,
Modern
&
Ancient
Greek
language,
and
Urban
Planning
&
Sustainability.
Students
can
choose
from
a
homestay
(highly
recommended)
or
live
in
the
heart
of
Athens'
Pangrati
neighborhood
in
apartments
with
other
CYA
students,
a
close
walk
to
the
CYA
campus.
American
University
Mentorship
Semester
in
Washington
D.C.
(or
in
the
United
Kingdom)
This
program
is
specifically
designed
for
winter
start
students
and
is
currently
in
its
tenth
year
of
existence.
There
are
180-200
college
students
participating
this
semester,
and
students
earn
between
12
to
15
regular
semester
credits
-
four
classes
and
a
credit-bearing
internship/practicum
two
days
a
week.
Choose
from
a
variety
of
courses,
see
program
websites
for
more
information.
Please
note,
CC
does
not
accept
the
writing
course
taught
entirely
online
for
transfer
credit,
for
students
choosing
the
England
program.
Partial academic credit (less than a full semester) may be available on the following programs:
Global
Citizen
Academy
We
believe
that
learning
extends
beyond
the
classroom,
and
that
a
well-designed,
educational
gap-year
can
help
students
find
and
pursue
their
passions.
Our
partnership
with
Global
Citizen
Year
engages
students
in
an
immersive
global
gap-year
and
fall
semester
programs
in
Brazil,
Ecuador,
India,
or
Senegal.
Global
Citizen
Year
Fellows
live
with
a
host
family
and
apprentice
to
a
local
organization
working
in
education,
health,
or
environmental
sustainability.
A
number
of
Colorado
College
students
have
participated
in
the
program
and
shared
thoughtful
testimonials
about
their
experiences.
You
can
read
more
about
this
partnership
and
the
process
to
take
a
gap
term
on
this
CC
website.
Global Citizen Academy offers a Fall Semester option to enroll and receive academic credit for one course, "Systems and Societies" (4 semester credits, which equals one CC unit). Colorado College will accept this course for one unit of credit; please make sure to officially opt in for the credit-bearing option, and have your final transcript sent to CC upon completion of the program (transcripts are issued by Minerva Schools at KGI).
NOLS
(National
Outdoor
Leadership
School)
NOLS
offers
semester
programs
in
Patagonia,
the
Rockies,
the
U.S.
Southwest,
Baja
Mexico,
the
Pacific
Northwest,
India,
East
Africa,
and
New
Zealand.
Partial
credit
for
the
semester
can
be
earned
if
your
NOLS
program
offers
the
Environmental
Studies
course
and/or
the
Cultural
Studies
course
(4
semester
credits
=
1
CC
unit).
Students
must
specifically
request
the
academic
credit
be
issued
through
the
University
of
Utah
or
Western
State
Colorado
University
partnerships.
Additionally, Colorado College will also grant a maximum 0.5 units of credit for completion of the Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course, consistent with what we offer here at CC. We will not award transfer credit for Leadership Techniques, Wilderness First Responder (WFR), Skills Practicum, Cultural Studies, or Risk Assessment, as these are not liberal arts in nature.
Where
There
Be
Dragons
WTBD
gap
programs
are
designed
to
immerse
students
into
different
cultures
through
the
nine
core
program
components:
rugged
travel,
homestays,
trekking
and
wilderness
exploration,
service
learning,
survey
of
development
issues,
internship/independent
study
options,
language
study,
introduction
to
philosophy
and
comparative
religions,
and
focus
of
inquiry.
Some
of
the
coursework
may
be
transferrable
to
CC
through
Naropa
University.
CIEE
Gap
Year
Semesters
This
semester-long
program
is
designed
for
gap
year/winter
start
students,
and
includes
language
immersion
program
classes,
English-teaching
internship/community
service,
and
housing
and
meals
with
families.
Programs
exist
in
Australia,
Chile,
Spain,
China,
Dominican
Republic,
France,
Italy,
Japan,
and
Jordan.
Depending
on
the
level
of
language
and
classes
completed,
some
academic
credit
may
be
possible
at
CC
by
completing
this
program:
only
CIEE
gap
year
programs
which
give
students
the
option
to
receive
a
transcript
(not
certificate
of
completion)
from
an
accredited
local
host
university
will
be
considered
for
potential
language
transfer
credit
at
CC.
HMI
Gap
(High
Mountain
Institute)
HMI
Gap
semesters
are
designed
to
be
a
unique
and
refreshing
break
from
our
busy
world,
an
uninterrupted
journey
of
adventure,
self-discovery,
and
growth.
With
rock
climbing
and
wilderness
travel
focused
programs
in
Patagonia
and
the
American
West,
students
spend
three
months
traveling
to
some
of
the
world's
wildest
places,
gain
independence
as
outdoor
adventurers,
and
give
back
by
getting
their
hands
dirty
helping
with
real-world
conservation
projects.
HMI
emphasizes
building
a
strong,
intentional
community,
where
students
make
lasting
friendships
with
people
who
encourage
them
to
become
their
best
self.
HMI
offers
$1,000
scholarship
opportunities
for
Colorado
College
students.
Applications
are
accepted
on
a
rolling
basis.
Only
one
class
from
HMI
is
transferrable
to
CC
for
credit:
Land
Conservation
Ethics
(3
semester
credits
=
0.75
unit
at
CC).
If
you
participate
in
a
semester
where
this
course
is
offered,
and
wish
to
transfer
this
class,
you
must
request
the
transcript
from
Western
State
Colorado
University.
"One of the best decisions I've ever made was taking a gap year. Once at Colorado College, I knew I could follow my passion for international environmental studies and outdoor education. I had the awareness and strength to answer my calling because I had taken a gap year to explore who I was, work, travel, and deepen my connection to the outdoors. I am thrilled to be able to offer such a transformative experience through HMI Gap."
- Becca Schild, CC Alumna '05, Gap Coordinator, High Mountain Institute
Non-Credit Options
A number of experiential programs exist to challenge and inspire your growth and inquiry during your fall semester before you join us at CC. Past Winter Start students have enjoyed:
Outward
Bound:
Gap
Year
Expeditions
Outward
Bound,
founded
by
educator
Kurt
Hahn,
is
a
non-profit
educational
organization
and
expedition
school
that
serves
people
of
all
ages
and
backgrounds
through
challenging
learning
expeditions
that
inspire
self-discovery,
both
in
and
out
of
the
classroom.
Students
explore
unfamiliar
settings
as
a
way
to
experience
adventure
and
challenge
to
discover
that
they
can
do
more
than
they
thought
possible.
These
Outward
Bound
30-day
to
85-day
courses
are
opportunities
to
gain
real
wilderness
skills
and
develop
life
skills
in
decision-making,
problem
solving,
leadership
and
teamwork.
When I came to CC, I met 40 other students right away that were also winter starts, each with totally different experiences. It was easier in many ways to make friends with that core group, and then branch out to the rest of the freshman class and other students. You don't have to leave the country in order to have an amazing fall semester before college, but Indonesia changed my life and has shaped my experiences at CC. I came in to college with a deeper sense of self, and a fresh perspective on how to make the most of my new home."
- Naya Herman, Winter Start, Jan 2013
Study Abroad and Transferring Credits
If you choose to take part in a credit-bearing study abroad program before you join us, you may have questions about how those credits will transfer to Colorado College, and if the program you have chosen to participate in meets Colorado College guidelines for study abroad programs. This information is designed to help you know in advance what kind of credit you will obtain at Colorado College for your proposed international academic experience before you join us.
When choosing a study abroad experience for the time between your high school graduation and your start date at Colorado College, students are encouraged to select from the list of pre-approved options listed above. These programs have been reviewed by the Colorado College International Studies Committee, as well as by the Admissions Office, to offer constructive high-quality learning opportunities for students, with some options offering full credit, some offering partial credit, and some (volunteer/community-based learning opportunities) not bearing credit towards Colorado College. Information about what credit is possible, and any necessary steps you must take to receive transferrable credit, is explained here.
If the programs listed above do not meet your academic or personal goals, there are a number of other high quality, credit bearing options you may choose from around the world. As you select a program to participate in, if you are looking to earn credits that may be acceptable by CC, keep the following standards for off-campus study at CC in mind. Keep in mind that 4 U.S. semester credits = 1 block unit of credit at CC.
To be eligible for credit transfer in to Colorado College, your study abroad/gap year program should:
- Be offered by an accredited, degree-granting institution of higher post-secondary education, or an educational organization (often these educational organizations use an accredited "school of record" to issue their transcripts). They must be able to issue you an accredited transcript upon completion of your program; Colorado College cannot accept certificates, nor issue Colorado College credit for hours spent learning elsewhere.
- Offer coursework that is liberal arts in nature, if you wish for the class to be eligible for transfer to Colorado College. This means, broadly speaking, it should fall under a discipline/academic field offered here at Colorado College.
- Offer a curriculum that reflects or utilizes the resources of the area to a considerable degree, and provides a cross-cultural experience, with significant opportunities to interact with the host culture.
- Provide significant opportunities to advance knowledge of a foreign language if the program is based in a non-English speaking country.
- Provide robust health & safety support, including major emergency/hospitalization coverage, emergency insurance & coordinated evacuation coverage if needed.
If you have questions about the specific program you are considering, and to learn more about if the courses will be transferrable to Colorado College, we invite you to contact our Center for Global Education, who will coordinate with the Registrar at Colorado College to review the courses you hope to take and transfer back to Colorado College. You may email information about the program (please include a link to the URL, as well as specific course information if you have it) to:
Heather Powell Browne, Assistant Director
Center for Global Education & Field Study
(719) 389-6918
hpb@coloradocollege.edu