Program Details

*** This is an Unschool Adventures leadership program. ***
Learn more about our leadership programs here.

How Long: Two and a half weeks

When: September 25 - October 12, 2011 (subject to slight change)

Where: Portland, OR; Eugene, OR; Davis, CA; and Berkeley, CA. (All accessed via Amtrak train).

Arrival/Departure Locations: Portland / San Francisco

Who: 6-8 students ages 15-18 plus trip leaders Blake and another TBA.

How Much: $1,999 tuition includes room, breakfasts & dinners, transport, and group activities. Tuition does not include personal spending money, lunch money, or transport to & from Portland & San Francisco.

Application Status: Not yet open!

Priority Application Deadline: December 1, 2010. On this date we will make our first round of enrollment offers. Apply beforehand for your best chance at enrolling!

Program Purpose

Learning How to Take Full Advantage of College--Whether or Not You're Enrolled

College can be a life-changing experience, but it can also leave you with life-sapping debt. What if you could get a college education without ever enrolling? This program will teach you how to take advantage of college resources, students, professors, and social circles as a non-enrolled "independent scholar." Whether you choose to become an official college student or not, you'll gain invaluable tools for giving yourself a top academic education.

Our program will explore four west coast college cities:

Portland, OR: home to Portland State University, Reed College, Lewis & Clark College, University of Portland, Oregon Health & Science University, Art Institute of Portland, and others.
Eugene, OR: home to the University of Oregon
Davis, CA: home to the University of California at Davis
Berkeley, CA: home to the University of California at Berkeley and (nearby) UCSF, Stanford University, Academy of Art University, and others

We'll travel by Amtrak train between each destination, stay in youth hostels and student co-ops, and cook our own dinners. We'll spend approximately half a week in each city, interviewing college students & professors, crashing classes, visiting student groups, browsing libraries, and soaking up college culture. (In Portland and Berkeley, students may choose to explore many different colleges.) Students will be trained in multiple techniques for getting involved in the college community, and as the trip progresses, they will increasingly self-design their activity schedule.

During the days, students will explore college campuses in small groups or on their own. (Staff will be available to help students overcome hurdles and access resources.) In the evenings, the staff will run hands-on leadership workshops on topics relevant to program challenges. Workshops will include:

Creating short-term internships, mentorships, and interviews
Body language & communication
Attitude & mindset
Giving (and asking for) high-quality feedback
Values & goal-setting
How college research works
Applying to college as an unschooler
Getting work without formal credentials
...and more

Students will prepare for this program in a variety of ways. Before the trip, each student will identify 1-2 specific academic fields on which they'll focus. They'll then research (online) the professors, graduate students, classes, student groups, and research projects within their chosen fields at our destination colleges. Each student will devise a short list of goals for the trip. Armed with this resource & goal list, students will be prepared to immediately tap each college's resources in our limited time. Staff will guide this online pre-trip research.

What can you expect to gain from this program? Students will:

Build a network of contacts & mentors in the college community who can provide future guidance
Learn the process of self-educating at the college level
Gain concrete tools for approaching & building relationships with really smart people
Discover the current research and "big questions" within their fields of interest
Spend time with a group of fellow fun-loving and highly curious teen unschoolers
Gain first-hand experience in college life on multiple campuses (will will inform future college decisions)

If you're considering going to college on the west coast, this trip is especially for you!

Trip Itinerary

View College Without College 2011 in a larger map

Our two and a half weeks will be distributed among our four destinations in a flexible manner (depending on the opportunities available). A rough timeline for the trip is:

Sep 25: Meet in Portland

Sep 26-29: Explore Portland area colleges

Sep 30-Oct 2: Train to Eugene & explore University of Oregon

Oct 3: Train to Davis (all day)

Oct 4-6: Explore UC Davis

Oct 7-11: Train to Berkeley & explore bay area colleges

Oct 12: Depart from San Francisco

Everyday Activities

Group meeting
College exploration (structured & unstructured)
Assisting in meal preparation, cooking, and/or clean-up
Free time for exploration, R&R, and spontaneous fun

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to Enroll?

Apply by filling out our online application. We'll then get in touch and do a phone interview. Enrollment will be offered beginning on the date of the Priority Application Deadline (see above). After being offered enrollment, a $500 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your spot.