Pre-College Programs

All commuter students are required to complete a series of intake forms and upload required health documents. These items appear in the “Pre-Session Checklist Items” section of the BentleyConnect portal. Once a form or document has been submitted, allow 3-4 business days for the checklist item to show as received. 

Parents will have a separate parent portal to complete onboarding forms and waivers. See parent email for login information.

• Session B: June 16 to June 20
• Session C: June 23 to June 27
• Session D: June 30 to July 4
• Session E: July 7 to July 11
• Session F: July 14 to July 18

Sunday 
4:00 to 6:00 p.m. - Welcome picnic, campus tours, and admission presentations for commuter students and families

Monday-Thursday
8:00 a.m. - Commuter students arrive on campus
8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. -  Classroom content in Smith Hall
12:00 to 1:00 p.m. - Lunch
1:00 to 5:30 p.m. - Classroom content, guest speakers, and group work
5:30 to 6:00 p.m. - Commuter students depart
 

Friday
8:00 a.m. – Commuter students arrive on campus
8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. - Classroom content
12:00 to 1:00 p.m. - Lunch
1:00 to 4:00 p.m. - Group presentations.  Students can invite guests to attend virtually
4:30 to 7:00 p.m. - Awards, dinner, and reception with parents invited to attend. Must pick up by 8:00 p.m.

Course Capacity
Each course has a cap of 30 students, and there will be multiple courses running during each session, for a maximum of 120 students. Students from all classes will mix for parts of the program, and commuter students will depart at 5:30 p.m. each evening. We anticipate 50-100 students in residence each session with the rest attending as commuters.

Course Curriculum
Each instructor has autonomy in designing their course plan. Program Director provides guidance as needed. Let us know if you would like more details about a particular course in advance

All commuter and residential students must demonstrate proof of health insurance and vaccinations and provide a detailed health history including dietary requirements, allergies, and medications. This information is collected as part of the intake forms during the onboarding process and is referenced by program staff in preparing for students’ arrival as well as in responding to any health emergencies during the program.

Physical Requirements
Students will spend most of the day (from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.) in academic classrooms and/or labs where they will be expected to sit for extended periods, possibly in front of a computer, with minimal breaks. They will be listening to lectures and speakers, working with computer software, interacting with classmates, and giving presentations. The Bentley campus is hilly, and students are expected to traverse campus daily between the dorms or commuter drop-off/pick-up locations and the classroom and activity spaces.

It is our goal to ensure your child safely and successfully completes their program. In the unlikely event of a serious incident, it is our expectation that the parent/guardian, or their emergency contact, is available at any time throughout the program to receive a call and, if necessary, to promptly retrieve their child or arrange for their departure. Any transportation costs associated with early departure are at your own expense. Before your child leaves home for their travel to Bentley, devise a contingency plan for providing their safe return home, or to a local friend or relative, should it become necessary.  

You and your emergency contact should add the following information to your mobile phone for easy reference: 

Bentley Pre-College Programs 
Phone: 781-981-2545 
SMS: 781-786-7694 
Email: precollege@bentley.edu 

Discipline 
If your child violates a program policy, we will evaluate to determine appropriate disciplinary action, which may include warning/probation or dismissal from the program. We may decide to give the participants a warning and place them on probation. You will be notified of any disciplinary actions imposed on your child. 

Healthcare 
You will be notified of any incident that prevents your child from participating in program activities.  

Campus Emergency 
Parents and emergency contacts are encouraged to subscribe to Bentley’s emergency alert system, RAVE, to receive automatic notifications of any emergency situations that occur on campus. These are infrequent and are typically related to severe weather conditions. Follow the instructions to subscribe.  

Opt-in: Text BentleyAlert to 226-787 to receive alerts from Bentley University. Message and data rates may apply. Text messages are sent on an as-needed basis. This service is provided per the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.  

Opt-out: At the conclusion of the program, text Stop BentleyAlert to 226-787 or HELP for tech support.   

Meals/Dining
Commuter students are given lunch and midday snacks provided by Bentley’s dining partner, Sodexo. Students with dietary requirements must articulate their restrictions in the intake forms provided during the onboarding process. Students are welcome to bring their own snacks to supplement, but we ask that they avoid bringing personal snacks into shared spaces where food allergies may be present. If you have any concerns, please contact us to clarify.  

Dress Code 
The academic rigor of Pre-College programs calls for appropriate attire but should not require a large investment on the part of the families. Offensive or inappropriate clothing is never permitted. Proper undergarments must be worn. Practical and comfortable shoes are strongly encouraged, as some days may include a substantial amount of walking. We expect students to always demonstrate good judgment and discretion, and those not dressed in accordance with these standards may be asked to change clothes.  

Check online weather predictions for the city of Waltham before the program commences, and pack with layers in mind. While June temperatures are typically moderate in the Boston area, the weather is unpredictable and indoor facilities can feel chilly. Students are expected to follow the guidelines below for suggested attire based on activities for each day.  

Sunday – Travel Attire, casual and comfortable 

Monday–Thursday – Business Casual during the day; Casual for evening social events 

Friday – Business Proper; Semi-formal optional in the evening 

Saturday – Travel Attire, casual and comfortable 

Travel & Casual Attire:  

Casual attire may be worn on travel days, in the residence hall, or during any scheduled downtime. Athletic pants, jeans, shorts, t-shirts, athletic shoes, flip-flops, etc., are acceptable, as long as they are neat in appearance. Students are encouraged to bring athletic clothing/footwear. 

Business Attire:  

Business Casual attire is suitable for most days. This includes medium-to-full-length dresses, skirts, or pants with collared shirts, polo shirts, blouses/tops or plain t-shirts.  

Business Proper attire for presentations includes a pant/skirt suit, dress, or medium-length skirt or slacks with a coordinating shirt/top and blazer; ties are optional.

Articles that are not permitted include logo t-shirts, miniskirts (skirts more than 3 inches above the knee), denim, athletic pants, leather, strapless or halter tops, tops with plunging necklines, and midriff-baring styles. For personal safety as well as conformance with business attire, flip-flops, slides, and other shoes with no strap around the heel are not permitted. 

Semi-formal Attire (optional):  

Semi-formal attire is an optional alternative to business attire for the closing reception on the final night of the program. Semi-formal attire may include a dress, slacks with a shirt and tie, or a business suit. Dresses or skirts should not be shorter than 3 inches above the knee, nor should outfits have bare midriffs or plunging necklines. 

All students should bring:

• Water bottle
• Pen and notebook

Provided Items

At check-in, each student will receive a welcome kit with standard supplies including (but not limited to):

• Student ID badge and lanyard 
• Drawstring backpack 
• Student journal and pen 
• Bentley t-shirt 

• Commuter Students and their parents/guardians are responsible for ensuring the student’s safe and timely travel to/from campus each day. Students must arrive by 8:00 a.m. and depart at 6:00 p.m. daily from Smith Academic Center. Any variation to this schedule must be approved by Bentley Pre-College Program staff. Commuter students and their families should plan to attend the Welcome Picnic from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday at the start of the program. Commuter students must check in and out with program staff every day and are not permitted to remain on campus outside of the program times. Commuter students who drive themselves to campus must park in designated locations with a permit provided displayed in their vehicle. Students are not permitted to operate vehicles during the day while checking into the program.  If you are making your own way to campus, refer to campus directions and map on the Bentley website; note that the Waverly Express shuttle does not operate in the summer. This site also includes an alphabetic list of local hotels for families staying in the area. Once on campus, follow the directions below for navigating through campus to program checkpoints. Please use this map for a detailed view of parking, pick-up and drop-off locations.  
• Sunday Arrival by car 
• Once you arrive at the Forest Street entrance, refer to the campus map to make your way to either the move-in checkpoint (Lot L17: Forest) for residential students or to event parking (Lot L11: Miller 1) for commuters. No permit is necessary to park in the designated lot on this day. Commuters will proceed to event check-in (B57: Smith Academic Technology Center) where they will receive their ID badge and welcome kit. 
• Commuter Arrival Monday-Friday 
• Allow extra time in the morning to navigate local construction! You should plan to arrive no later than 8:00 a.m. each morning to ensure you are in your classroom before the day’s activities begin. Commuters may be dropped off in short-term parking (L14: Jennison) on class days; those driving themselves must obtain a parking permit for use in designated student parking (L11: Miller 1). Proceed to the classroom building (B57: Smith Academic Technology Center) for check-in. 
• Commuter Departure Monday to Thursday 
  On Class days, commuter students will sign out between 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. from Smith Academic Center.
• Commuter Departure on Friday 
  Families and guests attending the awards ceremony on Friday may park without a permit near the event space (L2: LaCava Center). Students will be checked out by 7pm from LaCava

Connecting with Students 

Students are expected to avoid any disruptions during class times. Refer to the Program Schedule for anticipated breaks and downtime when personal calls and emails may be feasible. Students will always have Wi-fi access to the Bentley network on campus, so a messaging app is often the best way to stay connected. 

Connecting with Staff 

The Pre-College Office is available by phone, text or email.  

Phone: +1 781-891-2545 
Email: precollege@bentley.edu 
Text: +1 781-786-7694