Summer is a perfect time for motivated high school students to start thinking about college.

Wake Forest University offers pre-college online courses to help students ages 13 and older explore their interests. The summer application period is now open. Through participating in our courses, students can discover if an interest could lead to a college major or even a future career.

The Emerging Journalists Summer Program is a free, fun and immersive summer experience that’s scheduled for June 16-27, 2025. This on-campus residential learning workshop is open to rising seniors from diverse socio-economic, racial and ethnic backgrounds. And, again, it’s completely free. EJP pays for students’ travel, lodging, meals and instructional materials, so now’s the time for your students to submit their applications.

The Shelton Challenge is a six-day (July 6-11, 2025) residential leadership experience to help students expand their knowledge and skills of what it takes to be an effective leader. Offered to rising 9th-grade (transitioning from 8th to 9th grade) to graduated seniors (those heading into freshman year of college) with a 3.0+ unweighted GPA, hands-on activities focus on: personal leadership assessment and interpersonal dynamics, the role of values and ethics in leadership, leadership traits and approaches, empowering others, civic and social responsibility and goal setting. In addition to these aptitudes, students also engage in team-building activities like low- and high-ropes courses, rock climbing walls, service projects, and social activities in the evenings.

General Henry H. Shelton is originally from Speed, North Carolina, a town near Tarboro in eastern North Carolina. He graduated from North Carolina State University and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Infantry through the Reserve Officer Training Corps. He spent the next 38 years in a variety of command and staff positions in the continental United States, Hawaii, and Vietnam. General Shelton became the 14th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on October 1, 1997, and served two two-year terms, retiring on September 30, 2001. Throughout his tenure as chairman, U.S. forces were in heavy demand and participated in numerous joint operations around the globe. For his exemplary service to his country, the 107th Congress bestowed the Congressional Gold Medal on General Shelton on September 19, 2002. General Shelton is also the Executive Director of the General Hugh Shelton Leadership Center at North Carolina State University and serves as Director of the Hugh and Carolyn Shelton Military Neurotrauma Foundation, Washington, DC. In 2009 his book,” Secrets of Success, Values-Based Leaders”, was released and his autobiography, “Without Hesitation”, was released in October 2010.

The cost to attend the Shelton Challenge six-day residential program is $500. This cost includes all curriculum materials, lodging and food, low and high ropes training, transportation during the week, and night activities. With submitting the application, please mail a $100 deposit to hold space in the program. The deposit will go toward the final payment of $500. Please make all checks or money orders payable to the Shelton Challenge at N.C. Wesleyan University. Financial aid scholarships are available to applicants. 

NC Wesleyan University will offer a scholarship in the amount of $1,000 to students who complete the Shelton Challenge and enroll as a full-time undergraduate student at North Carolina Wesleyan University. The scholarship is renewable for each academic year (fall/spring) if the student maintains an overall GPA of at least a 2.70 (and is enrolled as a full-time student) for a maximum of four academic years.