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Academics • Pre-College Programs

Architecture Discovery Program

The Architecture Discovery Program (ADP) is an exciting introduction to architecture and design for high school students. Our rigorous two-week program offers intensive individual instruction by Sam Fox School faculty. The explorations carried out provide you with quality material to add to your design portfolios.

Architecture
2 weeks | July 13 – 26, 2025
2 college credits

This program is for rising juniors and seniors in high school. Upon successful completion, you’ll earn 2 college credits.

Questions?

Visit our FAQ page

or email
samfoxschoolprecollege@wustl.edu

Student Work and Program Photos

Curriculum

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The heart of the program, Design Studio drives creativity and discovery to foster passion and compassion in design. You’ll learn how sustainability and the built environment are shaping the practice of architecture. Over the course of the program, you’ll undertake a series of short design exercises that will introduce you to the design thinking process, culminating in an architectural project for review by faculty and guest critics.

Drawing studio engages you with the art of seeing, as you learn how to better observe the world around you and communicate what you see through drawing. Faculty will engage you in multiple opportunities to practice drawing on site. Through observation and sketching, you will understand elements such as proportion, light/shadow, material and texture, spatial relationships, orthographic projections, and perspective.

FIELD TRIPS

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We’ll take field trips to some of the best museums, galleries, and historic sites in the city and explore the dynamic art + design scene in St. Louis. Past visits include:

– Award-winning architecture firms
– Professional artists’ studios
– Saint Louis Art Museum
– Gateway Arch National Park
– Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis
– Pulitzer Arts Foundation
– Laumeier Sculpture Park
– City Museum

PLUS movies in the park, bowling night, and more!

Application

Students apply for the Architecture Discovery Program online through Slate.

Admissions are rolling and early applications are encouraged. Scholarship assistance is available up to the full program cost, and awards are based on financial need and academic merit.

Requirements include:
- Essay
- 1 letter of recommendation
- Optional samples of your work
- $35 application fee

If the application fee presents financial hardship, students may request a fee waiver by contacting samfoxschoolprecollege@wustl.edu.

Dec 1, 2024

Applications Open

Mar 30, 2025

Application Deadline

Mar 30, 2025

Scholarship Application Deadline

Tuition and Scholarships

The estimated cost of the 2025 Architecture Discovery Program is $4,220. The Program Fee coves tuition, supplies, housing on campus, a meal plan for the duration of the program, and field trips. Upon acceptance to the program, a $250 nonrefundable deposit will be required by May 1, 2025, to reserve your space in the program. If you withdraw from the program after classes begin, no portion of tuition will be refunded.

Scholarship assistance is available up to the full cost of the program. Scholarships will be awarded based on financial need and academic merit. The program deposit is waived for students requiring scholarship assistance. The scholarship application package must be received by March 30, 2025, in order to be considered.

Scholarship application process:
- Submit scholarship application and program application by March 30, 2024 via Slate.
- If eligible, our team will be in contact to schedule a phone interview with the student.
- Scholarship recipients will be notified before May 1, 2025.

International Students

International students are welcome to attend WashU’s Art & Design Pre-College Programs. Previous students have come from many countries including France, Russia, China, Mexico, and Korea. Pre-College is a wonderful way to pursue your art and design while experiencing American culture and college life.

Once you are accepted, program staff will assist in getting you an I-20, so you can apply for a US visa. You are responsible for all visa application costs. If you are an international student already attending high school in the United States, your F-1 visa allows you to study in the summer at U.S. institutions and you won’t need to get a new visa.

Student Visa If you are not a US citizen or legal permanent resident, you are considered an international student and must obtain an F-1 student visa to participate in the Pre-College program.

You may not attend the program with a tourist visa (B1/B2) or visa waiver (ESTA) because while participating in the Pre-College program you will be studying full-time.

Student Visa & I-20 Process - Apply to the Architecture Discovery or Portfolio Plus Pre-College program and be accepted for admission. Once you have been admitted, pay your program deposit.
- Once Sam Fox School receives your deposit, we will email you the forms required for I-20 application. - Complete the forms and email them to the Pre-College program coordinator, along with bank documents that show that you have sufficient funds to support your education at WashU, a copy of the photo page of your passport, and English language test scores (see below). - After the above materials have been received, reviewed, and approved, the WashU I-20 will be created. We will send the I-20 to the address you provide. - Once you receive your I-20, pay the SEVIS I-901 fee (instructions will be included with your I-20) and make a visa appointment at the US Consulate closest to where you live. - You will then take your WashU I-20, the I-901 fee receipt, the original bank statement(s), and your WashU letter of acceptance to your visa interview to obtain an F-1 student visa for entry into the United States.

English Language Proficiency International students must have strong English language skills as the program is conducted in English only.

If you are applying from a country where English is not the primary language, you must submit test scores from the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test. A TOEFL score of 90 or higher is required, or the equivalent score on one of the other tests. Scores should be submitted with your I-20 required forms.

If you have any questions about your specific circumstances, please contact courtney.cushard@wustl.edu.