Strong Start - Office of Undergraduate Studies

Strong Start Summer Bridge Program

June 17 - August 1, 2025

Strong Start is a summer academic and residential program for admitted University of Utah students. Our goal is to provide you with the opportunity to get acclimated to life at the University of Utah earlier, learn and connect with important campus resources, and develop meaningful peer connections.

APPLY HERE

Applications close April 1

Housing at Kalhert Village

1 Baccalaureate & 2 Gen-Ed Courses

Exposure to Learning Communities

Strong Start Summer Student Testimonials

"Strong Start is living up to its name"

"I strongly believe that the Strong Start Program saved me mentally and socially. Strong Start gave me a group that I immediately bonded with, people I could count on and made the summer one of the best summers I've ever had."

"It is meeting my expectations because I am proud to have my schedule and not being stressed out when I arrive in the fall. I also am able to start my residency in time for the next fall semester."

"I have made great friends and I'm getting more comfortable with Utah"

"Being in the Strong Start Summer Bridge Program was a really useful experience. They help you to navigate around the canvas and see what classes will be like in the university. The staff also put on useful presentations for all the students like how to get scholarships in the university, or how to go to school abroad, and also how to get tutoring."

Program Summary

Here at the U, we believe a “Strong Start” leads to a strong finish. Our summer academic and residential program will provide an engaging and transformative experience for admitted University of Utah first-year students. Our goal is to provide you with the opportunity to get acclimated to life at the University of Utah earlier, learn and connect with important campus resources, and develop meaningful peer connections that will help you thrive in your college experience.

Students will enroll in 1 math or writing general education course and Quest 1110—fulfilling a baccalaureate requirement—all while building meaningful academic and social relationships that will last a lifetime at one of the top research universities in the country.

Strong Start participants will also be required to register and attend a designated Utah Bound Orientation session. (Date information coming soon).

*FAFSA completion is strongly recommended.

Anticipated Program Costs

Tuition & Fees: $2,831 - $3,106 (6-7 credits)
Housing : $1,326 - $1,837 (single, double, or triple rooms)
Meals: $843 - $1,058
Program Fee: $30

*Rates for Summer 2025 are subject to change and will be updated on this website as soon as they are available.

Additional Costs for Stayover Housing and Meals

Stayover is the 10-day time in-between summer and fall semesters ($40 per day x 10 days = $400)

To be eligible for financial aid for Strong Start, complete the 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. This is a different FAFSA than the one you might have completed for enrollment beginning Fall 2025. If you need more information on completing the form, view the How to Fill Out the FAFSA Form video. Or, if you’re ready to complete the form now, you can go here. Be sure to choose the 2024-2025 FAFSA to complete and submit; it is important to complete this as soon as possible. If you need any additional assistance, contact the U’s Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid with questions.

Here are just some of the many advantages of our program:

credits graphic

Earn 6-7credits

housing graphic

Stay on campus during program

goal graphic

Start your residency clock early

community graphic Get involved before fall semester with a built-in community of your peers

campus graphic

Learn how to navigate campus

Description: Students learn to read and write rhetorically, develop and support claims, and produce and evaluate writing in collaboration with peers. Course readings and assignments emphasize writing for diverse purposes and disciplines.

Fulfills Lower Division Writing General Education Requirement (WR1)

Description: In this course we analyze quantitative information about change and growth through specific case studies. The mathematics covered includes topics from financial mathematics, linear and exponential growth, geometric measurements and scaling.

Fulfills Quantitative Literacy General Education Requirement (QL)

Description: Functions, inverses and graphs; polynomial, rational, radical, exponential and logarithmic functions; systems of equations and matrices; applications; arithmetic and geometric sequences and series.

Fulfills Quantitative Literacy General Education Requirement (QL)

Description:This seminar course takes a global perspective on ethics as a philosophical exploration of self within different cultural contexts. Students will begin by identifying their own ideas of personal character and ethics, then consider pluralistic ideas of character and ethics both in their communities and globally. Particular attention will be paid to different cultural contexts and disparate social outcomes. Additionally, this course integrates embedded student success coaching, introduces interconnected core concepts of Information Literacy through embedded library support, and offers structured opportunities for exploring students to deeply consider and make purposeful decisions about major selection through embedded academic advising.

Fulfills International Baccalaureate Degree Requirement (IR)

For students interested in joining the Honors College, this is an Honors First Year Pathway course. Details about the Honors Pathways will be provided during class or may be accessed on the Honors website, honors.utah.edu