Save the Date! QTC 2024 will be held on August 3-6.

What is QuickStart to College?

QuickStart to College is a free summer camp program to uplift and encourage high school seniors as they prepare for college selection, applications, scholarships, and financial aid processes. Students enjoy 4 days and 3 nights at WWU and visits from our friends at BTC, NWIC, SVC, and WCC to help them learn more about the various types of colleges available. Not only do we work hard, but we have fun visiting Western’s Camp Lakewood (boating, kyaking, swimming, volleyball, paddle boats, etc.), enjoy local food, visit the Rec Center and do various self-care activites. By attending QuickStart, our mentors and local college staff members will help students get prepared for milestones throughout their senior year, so they can confidently step into the path that lies beyond it.

FuturesNW helps students who qualify for the College Bound Scholarship, are 1st generation, and/or BIPOC by recruiting them into our QuickStart to College program. The QuickStart program nearly doubles (43%) the possibility that attendees directly enroll in college compared to their low-income peers who don’t participate in our supplemental program.

QuickStart to College was initiated in 2012 and modeled after a program in Chattanooga, Tennessee that provided a summer opportunity for students to begin the college application process for incoming high school seniors. Today, the program is hosted collaboratively between FuturesNW and Western Washington University and is partially funded by the College Success Foundation. Additional support is provided by Whatcom Community College, Skagit Valley College, Northwest Indian College, and Bellingham Technical College.

Email our QuickStart to College Program Assistant and Mentor, Karina Avila, at kavila@futuresnw.org with any questions!