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Countdown to College
We’ll prepare you for college. And beyond.
Countdown to College (C2C) is an academic summer camp at Saint Mary’s for rising 9th-12th graders that prepares students to explore college as an option and prepares them for academic success.
Students at partner high schools visit the Winona campus for two weeks each summer to participate in college classes, field trips, and personal development activities with the purpose of orienting them to the possibility of college after high school. Campers at partner schools come to Saint Mary’s from all over the country, including Arizona, Montana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota!
Thanks to the kindness and generosity of benefactors, all campers participate in C2C free of cost. At the end of their four years, campers have the opportunity to earn up to seven college credits from Saint Mary’s, as well as the opportunity to apply for the First Generation Initiative Scholarship.
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Experience college life.
During C2C, you’ll get a feel for college by living in the residence halls, dining in the cafeteria, and learning how to manage your homework. In addition to attending classes and earning seven college credits upon completion of the program, you’ll develop routines and hone your time management skills. You’ll also learn the value of teamwork, building meaningful connections, and networking with benefactors, staff, and faculty.
Learn more, do more.
There’s so much to explore and do. You’ll complete a ‘Year 4 Science Poster Presentation,’ which serves as the capstone project for the credit-bearing class, B100 Watershed Ecology. Plus, enjoy painting, robotics, hiking, and so much more on the Winona campus.
Off-campus outings for classes and recreation have taken students to places around Coulee Region. Past trips have included:
- Quarry Hill Nature Center
- National Eagle Center
- Whitewater State Park
- Garvin Heights
- Cascade Meadows to gather scientific data
- Escape Room Challenge
- Watershed lab at Winona State University
- Canoeing, roller skating, cosmic bowling, and more
Juan Hernandez
Saint Mary's University '21
Shamauri Brown-Young ’20
Saint Mary's University '20
Jasmine Benavidez
Saint Mary's University '21
FAQ
The C2C Program partners with high schools across the country that select students who would benefit from the program. The program itself is designed for rising 9th-12th graders who identify as first generation (neither parent/guardian has graduated a 4 year bachelor degree) and who show promising attributes of academic and social skills.
Students attending Countdown to College are selected by their middle and high schools, our partner schools, for admission into the program based on five criteria we outline for selected students. Selected students will receive a Student Information Packet, which they must complete and return to Saint Mary’s.
There are two main goals; academic and social. Academic goals ensure college readiness in reading, writing, spelling, grammar, and vocabulary; science; and critical thinking skills. Social goals include familiarizing students with campus life and the greater Winona community and beyond.
Administrating individuals tests in reading, spelling, writing, and vocabulary on the first Sunday after arrival on campus with subsequent testing each year,
Students who cumulatively earn a C or better over a four-year period will earn a total of seven college credits.
- Three credits for B100: Introduction to Ecology and Watershed Management
- Three credits for QR101: Quantitative Reasoning
Students of Saint Mary’s start their college career with these seven credits applied toward their general education requirements. For those who attend another university or college, these credits would be applied to college transcripts as dual enrollment credits and would be applied.
Transportation is provided to and from Saint Mary’s. Pick-up and drop-off locations will generally be near the student’s school. Exact location and times are sent in early summer as part of the student’s camp packet.
All persons invited to campus (students, parents/guardians, counselors, and pattern teachers) stay in our residence halls.
- Students: Two in a room (male/male or female/female)
- C2C Counselors: Interspersed among students for supervision and support
- Parent/Guardians: Housed together in nearby residence hall
No with the exception of:
- Fourth-year parents/guardians who are invited to campus for their student’s posted presentations and graduation ceremony at the end of the final year of Countdown to College.*
*Tucson and Browning parents do not participate in the first-year parent overnight. Instead, parents of fourth-year students in Tucson and Browning are invited to campus a day earlier
First-year parents/guardians are provided with an informational session with Q&A and a campus tour, and they have the opportunity to meet the staff. Fourth-year parents/guardians attend their children’s poster presentations, and the graduation celebration.
All teaching staff are faculty members who hold a master’s degree or higher in their respective fields. Most teach in the college setting professionally. Professional staff also includes the planning committee, who serves as support staff during the duration of camp. Counselors are current college students who are trained extensively to supervise and protect all the campers.
The campers are supervised 24/7 by the counselor staff. During C2C, there is typically a 1:10 ratio of students to staff at all times.
- Campus Safety coverage is 24/7/365 with added patrol coverage surrounding the C2C student residence hall
- Wireless campus-wide emergency response system in place and we conduct periodic drills
- Police, Fire, and EMT services are within 3-5-minute response times through the city of Winona
- Police drive through campus regularly
- Automatic Emergency Defibrillators are available in key locations on campus.
- Winona is home to two urgent care facilities (Winona Health and Gundersen Health System). Both are within 5-10 minutes from campus.
- Saint Mary’s has a history of hosting a variety of high school residential camps and has developed procedures in place to deal with any emergencies.
First-generation students need not participate in the C2C program to be eligible to apply for college admission to Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and the FGI Scholarship.