The Early Bird application window for Christendom College’s 2026 Best Week Ever (BWE) summer program is now open and will be available through December 1. Applying Early Bird for the Best Week Ever — the most popular, well-attended, and highly ranked high school summer program of its kind — gives current high school juniors the chance to save 25% and secure a spot in this life-changing experience.
Summer 2026 marks the 28th year of this beloved program, which has welcomed nearly 5,000 participants since 1999. Each year, hundreds of young Catholics from across the country and beyond attend and consistently describe their week on campus as one of the best of their lives — giving the experience an impressive 4.74 out of 5 rating on exit surveys.
During each one-week session, participants attend classes with Christendom’s faculty, go to daily Mass and adoration, and enjoy a variety of fun recreational activities — from canoeing and hiking in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley to performing in talent shows, debating, playing sports, and learning contra and swing dance, all while forming lifelong friendships with like-minded Catholics.
Five one-week sessions, designed for high school juniors, will be offered in Summer 2026. The all-inclusive cost of $600 covers classes, activities, lodging, meals, airport shuttles, a program t-shirt, and more. Early Bird applicants accepted into the program will automatically save 25%.
For many participants, the week is truly transformative. Gwenevere, a 2025 participant from South Plainfield, New Jersey, shared:
“I was able to spend a week immersed in joy, wonder, and the transcendentals. I lived and prayed on a beautiful campus and adored in an ethereal chapel. I was surrounded by like-minded students from diverse backgrounds, all united by a common yearning for the Lord. This experience has changed me. Christendom didn’t simply label itself Catholic—it was rooted in it. The students lived it, breathed it, and invited everyone into it.”
Given its popularity, sessions fill up quickly and each year there is a waiting list. Interested students are encouraged to apply between November 1 and December 1 to secure their spot at the discounted Early Bird rate. The summer program committee will review all Early Bird applications after December 1, with acceptance notifications sent by Christmas.