About

The SIS Community of Scholars is a selective, three-week hybrid pre-college program that introduces high-achieving high school juniors and seniors to international affairs at American University. Unlike an open summer session, students apply to the program with a 3.0 minimum GPA and must submit an essay and recommendation for review. The experience is built around a three-credit undergraduate course taught by AU faculty, with 2026 tracks focusing on U.S. Foreign Policy and Global Conflict & Cooperation. The program features a two-week residential component on AU's Washington, DC, campus—where students live in dorms and visit embassies and international agencies—concluding with a final week of online asynchronous instruction. Admission is selective and open to both U.S. and international students. This model is best suited for motivated students seeking to earn transferable college credit and gain hands-on exposure to the professional world of international relations in the nation's capital.