UC Davis Pre-College Programs students smile in excitement

Pre-College Testimonials

high school senior Sigourney poses with friends from the UC Davis Summer Pre-College Program

Rising Senior Test-Drives ETOX at UC Davis

“I was considering applying to UC Davis in the fall and chose to use this opportunity to finalize that decision. The environmental toxicology program also stood out to me, as no other pre-college programs I was looking at offered that topic. This helped me to identify what I am interested in for college and pinpoint my interests. Overall, it was a really positive experience that I would highly recommend.”

More Testimonials from Students Like You

What did you like about the UC Davis Pre-College Program?

"The equine pre college program at UC Davis is an amazing opportunity to gain hands-on experiences with horses and explore the veterinary field. There are several interactive labs and lectures along with fun non-academic activities. It is super fun and I definitely recommend applying!" — Ashley

"I liked everything about the UC Davis Pre-College Program. The rooming was great. The professors and facilities were great. The field trips we went on were fantastic." — Shawn

“I really like that the UC Davis Pre-College Program allowed us to be really hands-on with all the animals we had to work with. In other programs that I've been to, we weren’t always allowed to. We would have to stand behind the glass and the instructor would just lecture, but with this program we got to really get involved, do labs. It was all just really fun.”— Mitchell

"What's best about this Program is that everyone is connected as one. I never felt left out of anything, and it was always just super fun." — Samantha

"It really felt like college and it was incredible." — Palavi

“The program has given me a sense of college, especially UC Davis, as in sleeping in the dorms or riding bicycles all around.”— Brenda

What did you think of the professors?

“The instructors were incredibly helpful and understanding. They all really wanted us to get the most out of this experience.”—  Ainsley

"Can I just say how passionate they are about what they do? That's what made us enjoy it [the classes] the most. They were just so passionate and driven about what they did." — Samantha

"[The professors were] very passionate. I could tell all of them loved their jobs, loved what they were doing and they loved teaching us. They wanted us to find what we loved." — Riley

"Dr. Bellone, our veterinary genetics professor, was super good and was able to take her big, complicated research and make it smaller for us to understand." — Lexi

"The lectures were informative and easy to understand, and we all had a good time in class. I also really enjoyed Dr. McLean. She is a fantastic teacher, and I am glad that I had the opportunity to learn from her." — 2023 Equine Science participant

"The instructor and TAs were very helpful in explaining everything thoroughly and were wonderful to be around. They are such nice people and made class a joy. Some concepts were hard to understand but they did their best to help us and answer any questions students had." — 2023 Environmental Toxicology participant

What's one thing you learned or will take away from this experience?

"The thing I'm going to take away from this Program is that research is something that I really want to look into as I go into college, because it was so cool to be able to actually do it and see what these people [professors] actually do for their jobs." — Sera

"For me, it was living on my own. I learned a lot of responsibilities that I didn't have before. And when I go home I'm going to really understand time management and how to deal with things. I think I've become more well-rounded." — Samantha

"I feel like I was exposed to a lot of different sides of science that turns out I'm interested in. I didn't really know veterinary genetics was a field at all and something I could get into. And after being exposed to that, I really feel like it's something I could end up doing with my life." — Paloma

"I took a lot away [from the Program] about my future and it's a good direction into what I want to do for my future career." — Lexi

"The program made a big impact on what I want to do in college and my career. It’s made me very motivated to get a job at a vet clinic to see if it’s truly what I want to do." — 2023 Equine Science participant

"I learned a lot from the program and I feel more prepared to face college and go down the medical pathway." — 2023 Pre-Med participant

"UC Davis was high on my college list even before the program, and it remains high afterwards because I was able to see different opportunities that I can pursue here and can definitely see myself thriving at UC Davis as I pursue my goals." — 2023 Environmental Toxicology participant

Would you recommend the UC Davis Pre-College Program to your friends?

"I would absolutely recommend the UC Davis Pre-college Program to my friends. You learn so much and you're really immersed in the college environment. It's definitely the best summer I've had so far." — Shefali

"I would recommend [this Program] to every single one of my friends. I really enjoyed this Program. I feel like anyone who would come here would have a good time. The Pre-College Program prepared me for college." — Soman

"I would recommend this Program to anyone, because they will be coming into direct contact with professors who work on campus and do active research." — Shawn

"I would recommend the UC Davis Pre-college Program, for sure. This is by far the best Program or anything I've ever done. This has made me fall in love with the professors and the campus and everything here. It's perfect." — Riley

"I turned down several other programs to come here, and I'm so glad I did that. I do not regret a single moment here." — Palavi

"I want to encourage others to do it. I loved being here and I am so surprised at all the hands-on activities and labs. The lectures were so educational and very fascinating to me. This program made me want to become a vet even more, and I can’t wait to start my college journey." — 2023 Equine Science participant

"I absolutely loved this program. It allowed me to learn so many things that I hadn’t even come to know my senior year. I met so many people that I will never forget. Being able to do hands-on activities really put so much confidence in my decisions to be in this program. I would 100% do this again!" — 2023 Pre-Med participant

"I highly recommend coffee. I expected something much less engaging and hands on; a lot more lecture based, but it was almost entirely hands on. In the end, being able to try the results of things you did entirely yourself really makes you feel like an engineer." — 2023 Chemical Engineering with Coffee participant

"Yes, It is a great experience for anybody even remotely interested in marine studies." — 2023 Marine Science participant