PACT 2024 Summer Program

PROGRAM IN ALGORITHMIC AND COMBINATORIAL THINKING

Course in Theoretical Computer Science for High School Students

STAY INFORMED FOR SUMMER 2024

Program In Algorithmic and Combinatorial Thinking for High School Students

Spend five weeks at the University of Pennsylvania with like-minded students hard at work solving math problems. The Algorithmic and Combinatorial Thinking summer program is designed for high school students interested in studying theoretical computer science.

The program teaches students about the mathematics and algorithms fundamental to the computer science field. Modeled after college courses, you’ll study topics in Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science and Data Science.

Plus, you’ll live the life of a college student on Penn’s campus, located in University City in Philadelphia, PA. Experience dorm life, campus living, attend incredible hands-on sessions, lectures and classes, and make life-long friends!

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS (Summer 2024)

ELIGIBILITY TO APPLY:
You must be entering Grade 10, 11 or 12 in September 2024.
You must have completed a High School Level algebra class prior to start date.

THE FOLLOWING APPLICATION MATERIALS MUST BE SUBMITTED PRIOR TO THE POSTED DEADLINE IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED:

Statement of Interest: a brief description about yourself and why you are interested in participating in the program.
Transcript: a copy of your transcript; unofficial can be submitted.
Recommendations: the program requires two letters of recommendation, at least one of them should be from your math teacher. The other one could be from a Math or a Science teacher or from your guidance counselor. The letters must be uploaded by the respective teachers.

Apply today on the PACT website.

Experience Your Summer
at THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

At the PACT program

Students will learn the Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science. Topics such as Combinatorics, Probability, Proofs, and Graph Theory will be covered. Homework will be assigned on most weekdays and students will have the opportunity to work on homework problems in small groups.

Typical Day at the Program in Algorithmic and Combinatorial Thinking Summer Program

Morning

7:45 AM – Rise and Shine

8:15 AM – RA check-in and Walk to Breakfast

9:00 AM – Walk to the academic building

9:30 AM- study time (reviewing lectures, recitations, work on homework)

11:30 AM – lecture by Dr. Gandhi

Lunch

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM

Enjoy your lunch hour selecting from over 15 dining options around Penn’s campus. Select from restaurants, cafes, healthy take-out options or the incredible line up of food trucks that park on the main streets

Afternoon

2:30 PM – Classes begin

4:30 PM – End of Afternoon sessions

Students will continue their study time (reviewing lectures, recitations, work on homework)

Evening

4:30 PM – Classes are out and it’s time to relax and have fun before dinner. It’s your choice: shower, do your laundry, listen to music, get coffee, visit the campus bookstore, play frisbee, join a pick up soccer game, – it’s your choice!

5:30 PM – Look out for group announcements regarding packages, team games, signing up for the movies or the line up for the evening!

6:15 PM – Dinner

7:30 PM – Evening Activities, local Trips or Social Time with friends (examples: Competitions, Fashion Show, Dance, Karaoke, Talent Show, Photo Scavenger Hunt, Bowling, Dave and Busters)

9:00 PM- Recitations for approx 90 minutes (not mandatory)

Campus Life

From meeting your new roommate, walking to class on the beautiful campus, eating in the dining halls, and taking classes in the historic buildings, you’ll get a taste of what life as a college student is really like. You’ll love the modern amenities, air-conditioned dorms, snack shops, WiFi and state-of-the-art academic buildings.

DIVERSE EXPERIENCE

Many students come from around the world to join us each summer. Every year we hear how much students enjoy meeting people from so many different places and how it opened their eyes to different traditions, cultures, countries and more.

WEEKEND TRIPS

Trips are offered every Saturday to regional destinations such as New York City, The Jersey Shore, Washington, DC, Hershey Park or Six Flags. Sundays are for relaxing and exploring the Philadelphia area. Our trip schedules are somewhat flexible and will be adjusted based on weather and current events in each location.

EVENING ACTIVITIES

Bowling, dances, casino night, talent shows, competitions, sports and more – most evenings there is a planned event offered.
Sometimes we stay on campus and on other nights we’ll travel to a local venue for an off-campus activity.

I knew nothing about theoretical science before I joined the course. PACT is accessible, enriching, intensive… and immensely fun. I started PACT without any experience in theoretical computer science and finished my second year of the program understanding talks on research-level algorithms. It’s a fantastic course for anyone wanting to learn college-level math and computer science. PACT brought me up to speed on college-level probability, combinatorics, graph theory, and algorithms. It gave me the skills needed to succeed in computer science.

Summer 2023

Participant