Students are immersed in life at Vanderbilt. They live on campus, eat in the dining halls, and spend their days in engineering spaces. They also experience the city of Nashville through taking part in activities across the city.
What is FEST?
Fall Early Start Transition (FEST) is the school of engineering's summer bridge program. The program is held in person with students staying in residence on Vanderbilt's campus for 4 weeks. Students take academic enrichment sessions in Chemistry, Math, Computer Science. They also take an Engineering Project Course that allows them to experiment with creating engineering solutions to real world applications. The program also covers professional development, with a wide-range of topics including study skills, campus resources, and transition habits for success in college. There is zero cost to the student participants: The program covers housing, dining, travel, and activities. The program is offered by invitation only.
Our Mission
FEST seeks to connect students to a community that will last throughout their college careers and beyond. They are able to network and build relationships with first-year peers as well as Vanderbilt faculty, staff, and upper-class engineering students who serve as peer facilitators. This network provides a support system and a sense of belonging when the cohort arrives to campus in the fall. In addition, students receive early exposure to academic material taught by Vanderbilt faculty which gives them a foundation for their coursework and an idea of pacing and teaching styles.
FEST Cohort Summer of 2022 with program staff and faculty