College Preparation Programs

Prepare for your college experience

College preparation starts long before you apply. UC Davis college preparation programs help you explore academic interests, connect with mentors, build college readiness skills and preview the university experience. From special on-campus experiences to programs at local schools, you'll find opportunities to explore what inspires you and prepare for college.

College of Engineering

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C-STEM Girls in Robotics Leadership Camp 

C-STEM Girls in Robotics Leadership Camp, or GIRL, is a series of free, week-long day camps that introduce middle school students to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, through hands-on robotics activities. This program helps students explore STEM interests while they build confidence and collaboration skills.

College of Letters and Science

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COSMOS

California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science, known as COSMOS, is an intensive four-week residential pre-college program for high school students who demonstrate an aptitude for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM. Students explore advanced STEM topics through hands-on coursework and mentorship from renowned UC Davis faculty, researchers and scientists in state-of-the-art facilities. 

Applications open in January. 

Outreach and Community Engagement in Undergraduate Admissions 

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Early Academic Outreach Program, or EAOP  

Created in 1976, the Early Academic Outreach Program, or EAOP, supports students and families with free college planning, admissions guidance and financial aid resources. 

The UC Davis EAOP program connects and serves students from 32 select K-12 schools in Sacramento, Solano, Yolo and Yuba counties.
Two students testing a white model glider above a clear tank with green liquid

Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement Schools Program, or MESA 

The Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement Schools Program, or MESA, prepares middle and high school students for college and STEM careers through academic support, workshops, competitions and hands-on learning opportunities. 

UC Davis MESA advisors work with students in Sacramento and Yolo counties to strengthen math and science skills and expand access to STEM education pathways.
Teens in conference chairs, two teenage boys with lanyards and headphones focused on notes

Sacramento Area Youth Speaks, or SAYS

Sacramento Area Youth Speaks, or SAYS, is a social justice movement that empowers middle and high school students to develop communication and public speaking skills through poetry and performance. Participants strengthen literacy skills, build confidence to become agents of change in their own lives, engage with issues that matter in their communities and discover pathways to higher education. 

The UC Davis SAYS program serves students from select Northern California school districts. 

School of Education

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College Opportunity Programs 

College Opportunity Programs connect middle and high school students in select Northern California counties with college preparation resources, academic advising and outreach services. Programs include Educational Talent Search, Upward Bound and Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, known as GEAR UP. 

Participating counties include Colusa, Glenn, Sacramento, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Tehama and Yolo.
Young woman in purple T-shirt pointing to a projected spreadsheet on a whiteboard, smiling.

Young Scholars Program 

The Young Scholars Program is a six-week summer residential program that offers rising high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to participate in hands-on research at UC Davis. Students explore the biological, environmental, agricultural and natural sciences and work closely with university faculty and researchers.

Applications open in January.