About
The UA Little Rock Summer Bridge Academy (SBA) is a residential program aimed at preparing incoming freshmen for college-level work by eliminating the need for them to take developmental math and composition courses, as well as acclimating them to the university environment. This is accomplished by providing students with personalized instruction in math, reading, writing, and test-taking strategies, and a team of professional and peer mentors to provide encouragement and support as they begin their collegiate journey.
Why Participate?
By eliminating the need for developmental courses, you save time AND money and get to your goal of graduation faster. Since 2013, students and their families have saved more than $235,000 in non-credit bearing course fees, and a total of 291 courses have been bypassed.
Additionally, SBA participants get a headstart on adjusting to college life, connecting with fellow incoming students, and learning from current UA Little Rock faculty, staff, and peer mentors.
Students who attend can:
- Save money by eliminating developmental math and English courses;
- Earn incentives for completing program milestones while learning and having fun;
- Receive individualized instruction and mentoring from UA Little Rock faculty, staff, and student mentors;
- Attend motivational workshops and participate in fun activities throughout the week; and
- Build long-lasting relationships that will ease the transition to becoming a college student in the fall
Apply to attend Summer Bridge Academy
The application for the 2023 Summer Bridge Academy is now live!
The 2023 Summer Bridge Academy will be held in-person on the UA Little Rock campus from Thursday, June 22nd – Saturday, July 1st; students participating in SBA will be required to live on campus during the entirety of the session. We will host an SBA Informational Session in May; information will be sent closer to the date.
Apply by visiting https://bit.ly/SBA23app. Students participating in SBA must be admitted to the University and prepared to live on campus in an academically intense learning environment for the duration of SBA.
In the weeks leading up to SBA, students may also be expected to complete some assignments online, at their own pace, and they will have access to their mentors and instructional staff as needed.
If you have questions, please email multicultural@ualr.edu.
What our students have said:
What was the best part of your SBA experience?
“It was fun; I gathered a lot of information about college life.”
“It helped me feel better about the school, like I’m ready to come this fall.”
“I loved small groups with our mentors because I felt more comfortable talking to them and they were honest and helpful.”
What benefited you the most during your participation?
“SBA was the best decision of my life!!! I completed my goals and met my standards!! SBA will benefit me a lot once school starts because I have learned a lot more than what I learned in high school. If I could do it again, I WOULD!!!”
“SBA immensely helped my transition from high school English class into Composition I. My high school and SBA’s teaching styles were different. SBA classrooms had a higher interaction between the instructor and the student. We worked hard but also had fun while learning.”
“My SBA mentor has been a great role model that gives me guidance on what I need. My mentor follows up with me and keeps me accountable.”
Would you recommend this program to future students?
“Summer Bridge Academy was a[n] unforgettable experience. I not only got to get authentic college experience early, but meet some really great people who have supported me ever since. I would 100% recommend to incoming students and hope we can do it again this year!”
“YES!!! I’ve ALWAYS hated math and I was never really good at it. Now I am 100% positive that I can tackle any math course that exists!!”
“I would totally recommend this program to future students because it helps prepare for what is expected in college. One is in an intense learning environment and learning is made to be fun…
”I would highly encourage any student to participate in SBA, especially out-of-state students. The incentives SBA gave piqued my interest but my experience was far beyond what I thought the program would do for me. The college-like environment gave me a chance to get an idea of what college would be like in August.”