About

The Emory Classics Gateway is a funded scholarship program run by Emory University's Department of Classics that places selected high school students into Emory's Pre-College Summer Program, specifically into the course Archaeological Investigation: Pompeii and Herculaneum during Session C (July 12–25, 2026). Now in its fifth year, the Gateway exists to expand access to classical studies for students who are traditionally underrepresented in the study of the ancient world, with particular priority given to students from Atlanta-area public schools. Applications are accepted from rising juniors and seniors nationwide, though Atlanta-area public school students receive preference in admissions.

The program provides departmental funding to cover participation costs — the two-week residential Emory Pre-College Program runs approximately $4,667 for residential students, inclusive of tuition, housing, and meals — though the precise scope of that funding (full versus partial) is not detailed on the primary source. Students interested in understanding exactly what costs are covered should contact program coordinator Dr. Emily Master directly at elmaste@emory.edu before applying. The two weeks are fully residential, with students housed in Emory dorms on the Atlanta campus and participating in the full Pre-College experience alongside peers enrolled in other courses.

The course itself — Archaeological Investigation: Pompeii and Herculaneum — is taught by Emory Classics faculty and uses the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum as a lens for studying Roman urban life, material culture, and the history of classical archaeology. The essay prompt required in the application is itself a window into the program's intellectual character: applicants are asked to reflect on the influence of the ancient world on their own education and beliefs, with the prompt framed around Martin Luther King Jr.'s use of Plato's Socrates in the 1963 Letter from Birmingham Jail — a choice that deliberately connects classical learning to contemporary questions of justice and civic life.

Eligibility requires that students have taken at least one high school course in Latin, Classics, or the ancient world. The application requires a completed form and essay, an unofficial high school transcript, and one teacher recommendation submitted directly to Dr. Master. The deadline for 2026 was March 31; future cycles are expected to follow a similar spring timeline. There is no application fee.

For a high school student already studying Latin or classical civilization who wants a serious two-week immersion in ancient material culture at a top research university — and particularly for Atlanta-area public school students who might not otherwise have access to that experience — the Classics Gateway is a direct and well-funded pathway. The program's explicit equity mission, the quality of the course, and the Emory residential experience make it one of the more distinctive access-focused humanities programs in the catalog.