The application for this year’s Best Week Ever high school summer program is now open online to high school juniors. Summer 2024 will mark the twenty-sixth year of the program, which is the most popular, well-attended, and highly-ranked pre-college summer program of its kind. The five one-week sessions fill up quickly each year and the college’s Admissions Office anticipates implementing a waiting list as early as February.
Due to ever-increasing demand, the Admissions Office initiated an Early Bird Priority list again this year for the Best Week Ever, with those who joined the list getting a jump on the application process and receiving a special discount. The Early Bird Priority list was a huge success again this year, with more than 280 students signing up.
During each one-week session of the Best Week Ever, participants take four classes in the fields of philosophy, theology, history, and literature from Christendom’s faculty. They attend daily Mass and adoration, and participate in a variety of recreational activities, including swimming and canoeing on the Shenandoah River, hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains, performing in a talent show, playing dodgeball, participating in a parliamentary-style debate, and learning to contra and swing dance–all while experiencing the joy of authentic Catholic culture and forming friendships with other young Catholics along the way.
For past participants, including Dominic Marra from New York, the Best Week Ever introduced them to a vibrant and authentic Catholic culture.
“During the week, I received a taste of the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley and experienced the vibrant and authentically Catholic culture at Christendom,” said Marra. “I was able to meet with Christendom professors, get a real feel for the campus, and experience some of the events hosted by the college throughout the year, such as dances and a parliamentary debate. Best of all, for one week I was able to attend daily Mass and adoration. For me, this alone was truly incredible, as the high school I attend does not have immediate access to the sacraments. The week really was the Best Week Ever.”
For summer program session dates, testimonies, frequently asked questions, and to apply, click here.