A Just Future, Appendix C
Scholars Programs at Historically White Colleges & Universities
California Institute of Technology
First-Year Success Research Institute (FSRI) (established ca. 1970)
Duke University
University Scholars Program (USP) (established 1998)
Harvard University
Harvard College Rising Scholars Program (RSP) (established 2023)
Johns Hopkins University
Hop-In (established 2015)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Interphase EDGE/x (IP) and Interphase EDGE/x (IPx) (established 1969)
Northwestern University
Stanford University
Leland Scholars Program (LSP) (established 2012)
University of Chicago
Chicago Academic Achievement Program (CAAP)
University of Pennsylvania
Pre-First Year Program (PFP) & College Achievement Program (CAP)
Yale University
Science, Technology and Research Scholars (STARS) Program (established 1995)
Last revised August 2025 | Table Archive
In Chapter 6 of A Just Future, I argue that selective colleges and universities that enroll students who have attended under-resourced K-12 schools have a responsibility to offer robust scholars programs to support students’ transition to and success in college. I also point out that academic scholars programs have the potential to drive major curricular change at the institutional level and thus present an opportunity to recenter the college classroom in higher education equity initiatives.
As a corollary to Chapter 6, each year I update this table which surveys scholars programs at the top 10 colleges and universities listed in Appendix A. Considering the extreme turbulence that has gripped higher education since the start of the Trump administration, however, it is worth offering a prefatory note to this year’s table and highlighting certain trends visible in this year’s data (or lack thereof).
Following the infamous “Dear Colleague” letter sent out by the Department of Education in February 2025, many colleges and universities rushed to shutter diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices in the hopes of avoiding the fate of so many other institutions—namely, incurring the wrath of the Trump administration that views such programs as giving an unfair advantage to people of color and contributing to “the disenfranchisement of white men.” As of this writing, over 392 colleges and universities across 46 states including the District of Columbia have dismantled their DEI offices. Aggressive far-right government actors and their coordinated attacks on DEI efforts impact this study in a number of ways.
First, last year, many institutions were eager to participate in this study. By contrast, this year was marked by noticeable reticence. Johns Hopkins University opted not to participate in the study. Representatives from Stanford, Northwestern, and Yale did not reply to multiple email inquiries.
Second, information about scholars programs, or really anything related to DEI, is harder to come by on many university websites. This trend towards “disappearing” DEI information is most clearly reflected at Northwestern, which scrubbed their university website entirely earlier this year.
Third, even among those institutions that still offer scholars programs for students from historically marginalized backgrounds, there appears to be a subtle shift in language. As last year’s table demonstrates, many programs highlighted that their target student demographic came from first-generation and/or lower socioeconomic backgrounds. This year, that is less obviously the case.
1. California Institute of Technology
First-Year Success Research Institute (FSRI) (established ca. 1970)
| Program Components | Component Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Summer Bridge Program | Scholar Attributes | All incoming first-year students, including transfer students may apply* |
| Summer Program Length | 13 weeks: 5 weeks online, 8 weeks in residence | |
| Number of Student Participants | 60 students | |
| STEM Course | Two Non-Credit-bearing STEM Courses: (1) Computer Programming (2) Mathematics 0 units per course. Does not satisfy general education requirements. | |
| Humanities/Writing Course | One Non-Credit-bearing Writing Course: (1) Writing (2) Scientific Writing 0 units per course. Does not satisfy general education requirements. | |
| Co-Curricular Skills Development Programming | Yes. Sample workshop topics: social identity and imposter phenomenon, database search strategies, and healthy sleep cycles. | |
| Program Faculty Training and Development | Yes. Starting January, Regular STEM faculty planning meetings (e.g.: inclusive pedagogy, flipped classrooms, alternative grading, etc) | |
| 1st Year | Academic and/or Social Support Programming | Yes. FSRI Scholars receive: (1) Ongoing student support services from dedicated FSRI staff; (2) FSRI Peer Mentoring Program; (3) Professional development workshops and opportunities; (4) Faculty lunch talks; (5) Networking events with alumni; and (6) Field trips and fun social events |
| 2nd Year | ||
| 3rd Year | ||
| 4th Year | ||
| Additional Notes | *Prior to the 2023 Supreme Court decision reversing affirmative action, FSRI specifically targeted “students from historically excluded and marginalized communities.” Following the Supreme Court decision, program language changed and also began to include transfer students appeared. | |
| Source | (1) First-Year Success Research Institute, CalTech, https://ccid.caltech.edu/buildcommunity/signature-programs/fsri accessed August 5, 2025. (2) Omar Shamout, “Building Community: How the First-Year Success Research Institute Forges Long-lasting Bonds,” Caltech Magazine, November 3, 2023. (3) Correspondence with Lizette Álvarez, Program Director, First-Year Success Research Institute (FSRI),CalTech, August 29, 2025. | |
Last revised August 2025 | Table Archive
2. Duke University
University Scholars Program (USP) (established 1998)*
| Program Components | Component Description | |
|---|---|---|
| NO SUMER BRIDGE PROGRAM | ||
| 1st Year | Scholar Attributes | Incoming undergraduate students must demonstrate "excitement for interdisciplinary research, collaborative thinking, and innovative scholarship” and “must also demonstrate financial need" ** |
| Summer Program Length | 10 students (plus 30+ graduate and professional school students) | |
| Number of Student Participants | As of August 2025, the first-year curriculum has not been confirmed. | |
| STEM Course | As of August 2025, the first-year curriculum has not been confirmed. | |
| Humanities/Writing Course | As of summer 2025, the first-year curriculum has not been confirmed. | |
| Co-Curricular Skills Development Programming | NA | |
| Program Faculty Training and Development | As of August 2025, the first-year curriculum has not been confirmed. | |
| Academic and/or Social Support Programming | As of August 2025, the first-year curriculum has not been confirmed. | |
| 2nd Year | Academic and/or Social Support Programming | Yes. FSRI Scholars receive: (1) Ongoing student support services from dedicated FSRI staff; (2) FSRI Peer Mentoring Program; (3) Professional development workshops and opportunities; (4) Faculty lunch talks; (5) Networking events with alumni; and (6) Field trips and fun social events |
| 3rd Year | ||
| 4th Year | ||
| Additional Notes | * USP is one of eight merit programs in Duke’s Office of University Scholars and Fellows. In 2025, the role of Director of USP was eliminated due to Duke’s Reduction in Force efforts. | |
| Source | (1) Correspondence with Karen Weber, Executive Director, Office of University Scholars and Fellows, Duke University, August 11, August 13, August 14, 2025. **(2) Merit Scholarship for Incoming First-Year Students, https://ousf.duke.edu/merit-scholarships/merit-scholarships-incoming-first-year-students/ accessed August 5, 2025. (3) University Scholars Program, https://ousf.duke.edu/merit-scholarships/university-scholars-program/ accessed August 5, 2025. (4) University Scholars Program, Duke University, https://sites.duke.edu/dukeusp/ accessed August 5, 2025. | |
Last revised August 2025 | Table Archive
3. Harvard University
Harvard College Rising Scholars Program (RSP) (established 2023)
| Program Components | Component Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Summer Bridge Program | Scholar Attributes | Incoming students are “academically ambitious” who “attended high schools that offered them limited college-level academic enrichment opportunities.” |
| Summer Program Length | 7 weeks in residence | |
| Number of Student Participants | 30 students minimum | |
| STEM Course | One Credit-bearing STEM course: (1) Foundations of College Mathematics: Modeling Our World with Functions 4 units. Does not satisfy general education requirements. | |
| Humanities/Writing Course | One Credit-bearing Writing course: (1) Writing: How We Learn 4 units. Does not satisfy general education requirements. | |
| Co-Curricular Skills Development Programming | Yes. Sample workshop topics: time management, hidden curriculum, etc. | |
| Program Faculty Training and Development | No. | |
| 1st Year | Academic and/or Social Support Programming | Yes. Rising Scholars receive (1) additional cohort-based programming and (2) enhanced advising and funding opportunities for their second summer. |
| 2nd Year | No. | |
| 3rd Year | No. | |
| 4th Year | No. | |
| Source | (1) Correspondence with Katherine Veach, Assistant Dean for First-Year Academic Programs Harvard College Office of Undergraduate Education, Harvard University, August 6, 2025. (2) First-Year Academic Programs, Harvard University, https://oue.fas.harvard.edu/academics/first-year-programs/. Accessed August 5, 2025. (3) Rising Scholars Program, Harvard University, https://oue.fas.harvard.edu/academics/first-year-programs/rising-scholars-program/. Accessed August 5, 2025. | |
Last revised August 2025 | Table Archive
4. Johns Hopkins University
Hop-In (established 2015)
Although JHU established the Hop-In program for students from underrepresented backgrounds in 2015, in August 2025, program directors “declined participation” in this study. According to the program website, Hop-In did welcome a student cohort in summer 2025, and at least as of this writing (August 18, 2025), the Hop-In program webpage remains active on the university website.
Last revised August 2025 | Table Archive
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Interphase EDGE/x (IP) and Interphase EDGE/x (IPx) (established 1969)
| Program Components | Component Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Summer Bridge Program | Scholar Attributes | “All admitted MIT incoming first-year students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible to apply.” |
| Summer Program Length | Interphase EDGE (IP): 8 weeks in residence Interphase EDGE (IPx): 6 weeks online, 2 weeks in residence | |
| Number of Student Participants | Interphase EDGE (IP): 70 students Interphase EDGEx (IPx): 20 students | |
| STEM Course | 3 Credit-bearing STEM Courses: (1) Physics (2) Calculus (3) Chemistry (Interphase EDGE (IP) ONLY) 3 units per course. Does not satisfy general education requirements. | |
| Humanities/Writing Course | 1 Credit-bearing Writing Courses: (1) Communication & Writing (Interphase EDGE (IP) ONLY) (2) Communication & Writing (Interphase EDGEx (IPx) ONLY) 3 units per course. Does not satisfy general education requirements. | |
| Other Course | (1) Physical Education (Interphase EDGE (IP) ONLY) Students earn 1 point towards Physical Education requirement. | |
| Co-Curricular Skills Development Programming | Yes. Sample workshop topics include: time management, belonging, healthy sleeping habits, etc. | |
| Program Faculty Training and Development | No. | |
| 1st Year | Academic and/or Social Support Programming | Yes. Interphase EDGE (IP) and Interphase EDGE (IPx) scholars attend: (1) bi-weekly meetings with EDGE/x advisors (2) monthly professional and academic enhancement events, including programs that expose scholars to various career pathways. Sample First-Year Workshops: Study Skills, Time & Stress Management, Impostor Syndrome, Major Exploration, Industry Collaborations, Introductions to Resources Across Campus (i.e., Office of the First Year, UROP, S^3, etc.) |
| 2nd Year | Academic and/or Social Support Programming | Yes. Interphase EDGE (IP) and Interphase EDGE (IPx) scholars attend: (1) monthly meetings with EDGE/x advisors/professional coaches (2) professional and academic enhancement events, including programs that expose scholars to various career pathways. Sample Sophomore workshops: Professional Email Writing, Interview Preparation, Industry Collaborations, Introductions to Resources Across Campus (i.e., CAPD, PKG, S^3, etc.),etc. |
| 3rd Year | Academic and/or Social Support Programming | No. |
| 4th Year | Academic and/or Social Support Programming | No. |
| Additional Notes | Prior to the 2024-2025 academic year, Interphase programs were located in the Office of Minority Education. By summer 2025, the office had a new name: Office of Academic Community, Empowerment, and Success. According to the website, “The mission of OACES, building on the pioneering legacy of the OME, is to champion the success of students who have faced challenges on their paths to and through MIT. This may include, but is not limited to, students who are first-generation, low-income, transfer, underrepresented, and/or underserved.” | |
| Sources | (1) Interphase, Office of Minority Education, MIT, https://ome.mit.edu/interphase-edge/. Accessed August 5, 2025. (2) Interview with Krissandra Robinson, Staff Associate, Office of Academic Community, Empowerment, and Success, MIT, August 14, 2025. (3) Office of Academic Community, Empowerment, and Success, MIT, https://oaces.mit.edu. Accessed August 18, 2025. | |
Last revised August 2025 | Table Archive
6. Northwestern University
On March 3, 2025, The Daily Northwestern reported that the University had “erased mentions of DEI in nearly all of its schools and colleges, as well as other support sites.” The university’s DEI webpage would appear to confirm this information, referring to the institution’s plan to remove “outdated” information for purposes of "regulatory compliance.”
Northwestern University officials did not respond to inquiries about the state of their programs for historically under-represented students in 2025 and as of this writing no information about such programs is available on the University website.
Last revised August 2025 | Table Archive
7. Princeton University
Freshman Scholars Institute (established 1980s)
| Program Components | Component Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Summer Bridge Program | Scholar Attributes | Princeton FSI is invite-only. Primarily seeks students who are “first in their family to attend college and those hailing from lower-to-moderate income backgrounds.” Also seeks students who “have not yet had the chance to experience similar enrichment programs or mentorship experiences” |
| Summer Program Length | 8 weeks in-residence 7 weeks online | |
| Number of Student Participants | 100 students in residence “Approximately 200”students online | |
| Summer Bridge Program | 1 of several Credit-bearing STEM Courses: (in residence program ONLY) (POL/SOC 245: Visualizing Data MOL 152: Laboratory Research in the Life Sciences EGR/STC 150: Foundations of Engineering COS 125: The Art and Science of Computer Programming MAT 152: Mathematical Communication in the Quantitative Disciplines NEU 100: Thinking Quantitatively about Brains and Behavior ANT XXX: Monkeying Around: What Social Scientists Can Learn from Non-Human Primates Most satisfy general education requirements. | |
| 1 Credit-bearing Writing Courses: (1) HUM 250: Ways of Knowing Does satisfy general education requirements. | ||
| Yes. FSI residential provides many opportunities for students to explore the seemingly boundless number of resources and opportunities at Princeton. By engaging with the many offices and resources that Princeton has to offer, FSI scholars get a head start on defining their pathways through Princeton, both as scholars and future campus leaders. Throughout FSI, you will participate in meet and greets, office hours, and workshops with university staff, faculty, and fellow students that will connect you with the many opportunities available at Princeton and ensure that you take the best advantage of them. | ||
| No. | ||
| 1st Year | After the FSI summer program concludes, scholars have the chance to join the Scholars Institute Fellows Program (SIFP) during the academic year. SIFP provides students with mentorship, intellectual experiences, professional development opportunities, and social activities designed to enrich their Princeton journey. | |
| 2nd Year | ||
| 3rd Year | ||
| 4th Year | ||
| Sources | (1) Freshman Scholars Institute, Emma Bloomberg Center, Princeton University, https://fsi-ebcao.princeton.edu/faq, Accessed September 14, 2025. (2) Scholars Institute Fellows Program, Emma Bloomberg Center, Princeton University, https://sifp-ebcao.princeton.edu, Accessed September 14, 2025. | |
Last revised August 2025 | Table Archive
8. Stanford University
Leland Scholars Program (LSP) (established 2012)
| Program Components | Component Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Summer Bridge Program | Scholar Attributes | All incoming first-year students including transfer students may apply. “The program is specifically designed to support students who have attended high schools with limited course offerings, students who are the first in their family to attend college, and/or students who simply feel that they would like further academic preparation before starting their first year at Stanford” |
| Summer Program Length | Either 6 weeks in residence or 4 weeks online | |
| Number of Student Participants | Unconfirmed. | |
| STEM Course | Yes. Two credit-bearing elective STEM courses: (1) Mathematical Foundations for University Success: Building Strength for Calculus and Beyond (2)Exploring Research and Problem-Solving Across the Science 1 unit per course. Does not satisfy general education requirements. | |
| Humanities/Writing Course | Yes. One credit-bearing elective writing course and one required research course: (1) Introduction to Rhetoric at Stanford (required) 1 unit per course. Does not satisfy general education requirements. | |
| Co-Curricular Skills Development Programming | Unconfirmed. | |
| Program Faculty Training and Development | Unconfirmed. | |
| 1st Year | First-Year Academic and/or Social Support Programming | Yes. Students take a one-unit co-curricular course during the fall quarter |
| 2nd Year | Second-Year Academic and/or Social Support Programming | Unconfirmed. |
| 3rd Year | Third-Year Academic and/or Social Support Programming | Unconfirmed. |
| 4th Year | Fourth-Year Academic and/or Social Support Programming | Unconfirmed. |
| Additional Notes | *As part of the “Leveling Learning Landscape (L3) initiative, in January 2025, Stanford University centralized all the university’s FLI programs within one umbrella office: the Summer Bridge Program. The Leland Scholars Program was folded into the office, as well. According to The Stanford Daily, “The Stanford affiliate who requested anonymity said a potential reason for creating the new program is to “re-center” academics, which the University said had been overshadowed by community-building in previous programs.” | |
| Source | (1) FAQs, Summer Bridge Program, Stanford University, https://summerbridge.stanford.edu/frequently-asked-questions. Accessed August 5, 2025. | |
Last revised August 2025 | Table Archive
9. University of Pennsylvania
Pre-First Year Program (PFP) & College Achievement Program (CAP)
| Program Components | Component Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Summer Bridge Program | Scholar Attributes | Upon receiving a PFP invitation, incoming first-year students may apply. “Many of the 160-180 participants each year are students who are the first in their families to attend college; income-eligible students; and/or from large urban high schools and small rural communities." |
| Summer Program Length | 4 weeks: in residence | |
| Number of Student Participants | 160-180 students | |
| STEM Course – All students except Nursing and Engineering Majors | 1 Credit-bearing STEM Courses: (1) One of 4 mathematics courses; placement according to Math Diagnostic Exam | |
| Humanities/Writing Course – All students except Engineering Majors | 1 Credit-bearing Writing Courses: (1) “Place and Belonging” | |
| Other Courses | For Engineering Majors: Engineering Math; Engineering Programming; Engineering Lab; Engineering Physics For Wharton students: Economics; Management Communication For Nursing majors: Nursing Science; Nursing Lab For Arts & Sciences (Science and Pre-health): Biology For Arts & Sciences (Humanities and Social Sciences): Political Science | |
| Co-Curricular Skills Development Programming | Yes. Sample workshop topics include: “Workshops on topics of interest to first-year students.” | |
| Program Faculty Training and Development | Unknown. | |
| 1st Year | Academic and/or Social Support Programming | Yes. PFP scholars and other first-generation scholars who apply to PennCAP receive: 1) individualized counseling and advocacy; (2) academic advising and support through Tutoring and the Weingarten Learning Resources Centers; (3) invitations to educational and personal development workshops throughout the academic year; (4) peer mentoring from upper-class PennCAP students; (5) invitations to free cultural enrichment activities |
| 2nd Year | ||
| 3rd Year | ||
| 4th Year | ||
| Source | (1) Penn First Plus, Pre-First Year Program (PFP),University of Pennsylvania, https://pennfirstplus.upenn.edu/pre-freshman-program/. Accessed August 5, 2025. (2) Penn First Plus, College Achievement Program (PennCAP),University of Pennsylvania, https://pennfirstplus.upenn.edu/college-achievement-program/. Accessed August 5, 2025. (3) Correspondence with Marc Lo, Executive Director, Penn First Plus, University of Pennsylvania, 6 August 2025. | |
Last revised August 2025 | Table Archive
9. University of Chicago
Chicago Academic Achievement Program (CAAP)
| Summer Bridge Program Components | Component Description |
|---|---|
| Scholar Attributes | All incoming first-year students may apply. Program “encourages” applications from first-generation and/or low-income (FLI) students as well as students from under-resourced high schools. |
| Summer Program Length | 2 weeks: in residence |
| Number of Student Participants | Unknown |
| STEM Course | None. |
| Humanities/Writing Course | None. |
| Co-Curricular Skills Development Programming | No. |
| Program Faculty Training and Development | NA |
Last revised August 2025 | Table Archive
10. Yale University
Science, Technology and Research Scholars (STARS) Program (established 1995)
On June 27, 2025, Yale Daily News reported that the University “concluded” a five-year initiative established in 2020 “aimed to increase diversity, bolster a sense of inclusion and ensure equity throughout the University.” The article further noted “Public access to the initiative’s once-expansive website is now steeply limited,” adding, “The site, which the News accessed on Thursday through web archives, previously included pages of compiled resources on diversity, equity and inclusion; antiracism; Yale’s historic connection to slavery; prospective school-wide actions to increase diversity and a contact form soliciting ideas.”
Of note, in March of 2025, University leaders instructed department heads to “to report all diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in their units through a confidential survey.” According to the article, questions “target programs such as diversity-related mentorships, training seminars, workshops, fellowships, internships, summer programs, mandatory courses, orientation programs and faculty or staff training.” Another section “asks for descriptions of fellowships, internships, student jobs, support programs and educational or extracurricular programs that offer admission or preference on a demographic basis or are restricted to one demographic group.”
Yale University officials did not respond to inquiries about the state of their scholars programs for historically under-represented students in 2025.
Last revised August 2025 | Table Archive