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tw students zip-lining at UCSD's Ropes course

Triton Freshman Scholars Program

Triton Freshman Scholars was a transition program that began with an 8-week residential component during the summer preceding students' entrance to UC San Diego and continued through their first year on campus. This program ran from 2017-2019. In 2020, the UC San Diego combined the Triton Freshman Scholars program and the OASIS Summer Bridge program to offer one consolidated summer success program to incoming freshmen. 


The Triton Freshman Scholars program allowed program participants to take their first math and writing courses in a small class environment with academic support (Supplemental Instruction, math tutoring, and writing tutoring) provided by the Commons' Academic Achievement Hub and the Analytical Writing Program. These classes emphasized conceptual understanding which prepares students to be successful in subsequent courses.

During the 8-week program, students lived on campus while earning 8 units of college credit,  honing their quantitative and critical reading and writing skills, getting to know the UC San Diego campus and resources, and building community with fellow participants. Susan Rinaldi, Director of the Academic Achievement Hub, stated, "The Triton Freshman Scholars program will challenge you, give you more confidence, provide you with knowledge about the campus, and help you feel at home at UC San Diego."

Application Requirements and Placement

Student acceptance to and placement in the program was based on:

1. Math Placement Exam (MPE) scores, AP/IB or SAT scores. Only students who placed into one of the five math courses offered through the Triton Freshman Scholars Program were accepted. 

2. Accepting their UC San Diego Offer of Admission by May 1 and paying enrollment deposit (if required) by the deadline.

3. Applying online through the Summer Success Programs Common Application by the deadline. 

Building Community

Students participated in activities that build community in a fun, low-stress environment so they started the fall academic term with a strong network of support. Activities included

  • Campus Scavenger Hunt
  • Challenge Course
  • Independence Day Block Party
  • Birch Aquarium Field Trip
  • Backyard Boogie
  • Culture Night
  • Therapy Fluffies
  • Pool Day
  • Karaoke/Game Night
  • Knowledge Bowl
  • Movie Night
  • Dance

Discovering Campus Resources

Students were introduced to many campus resources during the summer residential. These included: 

  • Academic Support - UC San Diego is committed to student academic success and has built a network of resources to ensure you achieve your academic goals. 
  • Triton Sophomore Scholars Panel - Hear from former Triton Freshman Scholars who are now sophomores. What was their first year at UCSD like? What helped them be successful? They'll answer these questions and more! 
  • Faculty Panel - Meet UCSD faculty and find out what their expectations of students are. They'll impart invaluable advice during this session.
  • Career Development Center - Meet career services advisors who can help you determine what careers would be best for you - and what you need to do to be successful in them. 
  • Student Organizations Resource Fair - UC San Diego isn't just about academics. Meet representatives from many of UCSD's student organizations. Get involved! 
  • Student Wellness - Feel good, get fit, be safe, and find resources for healthy, balanced living.
  • The ZoneUC San Diego's lounge for student health and well-being provides free wellness programs that promote healthy living, personal development, and well-being resources, and serves as a space for students to relax, de-stress, and make social connections.

Course Requirements

Students were required to enroll in two credit-bearing courses:

  1. Literacy and Communication Course
    • AWP 10: Language and Learning in the American Academy (4 units)
  2. Math Course - Enrollment in the math course is determined by UC San Diego math course placement criteria (see Math Testing and Placement).
    • Math 2: Introduction to College Mathematics (4 units)
    • Math 3C: Precalculus (4 units)
    • Math 4C: Precalculus for Science and Engineering (4 units)
    • Math 10A: Calculus I (4 units)
    • Math 20A: Calculus I for Science and Engineering (4 units)

Course Descriptions

AWP 10: Language and Learning in the American Academy  (4 units)

Inquiry is an important part of academic work and is central to the academic culture at UC San Diego. Good writing at the university level depends on inquiry—and thus a strong understanding of how knowledge is generated, how evidence is used, and how conclusions are drawn.

Even as this course explores the university’s expectations and practices, it will also consider how these expectations challenge different students in different ways. Despite its interest in diversity, equity, and inclusion, the university can sometimes be a homogenizing force that requires students to conform to its ideas of success rather than allowing students to articulate their own standards. Several questions arise. As it develops its standards for success, does the university sufficiently accommodate different languages, learning styles, educational histories, and cultural backgrounds? Does its definition of success fully consider differences in students’ racial, gender, and socio-economic identities? Or does the university ask students to “flatten” what makes them different in order to succeed? And if the latter, should students assimilate? Should they resist? Or should they work to change the university’s standards and practices? How?

To address these questions, students will read and write extensively about education and success. The readings will draw from authors who explore how their racial, socio-economic, and linguistic identities informed their educational experiences. Some of the authors whom students will be reading are members of groups who are well represented at American universities; others are members of groups who are traditionally under-represented; still, others come from entirely different cultures. The reading and writing assignments will be carefully scaffolded to help you understand your own cultural and linguistic identity and to critique your relationship to the dominant narratives of success that inform university standards and practices.

Math Courses

  • Math 2: Introduction to College Mathematics (4 units)
  • Math 3C: Precalculus (4 units)
  • Math 4C: Precalculus for Science and Engineering (4 units)
  • Math 10A: Calculus I (4 units)
  • Math 20A: Calculus I for Science and Engineering (4 units)

Academic Support During Summer Residential

  • Accessible Instructors who have committed to being available to students in the Summer Success Programs. 
  • Small class sizes of  20-30 students vs 200-400 students for some introductory-level courses.
  • Peer Mentors who will help you build social, academic, and institutional knowledge.
  • Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leaders, who are undergraduate students themselves, will facilitate group study sessions for your lower division math courses at UC San Diego. 
  • Content Tutors - Meet with a peer tutor during drop-in hours for individual help with math content. 
  • Writing Tutors are available to assist you with your AWP10 course during your summer residential.
  • Learning Strategies Tutors - Through workshops and one-on-one appointments, Learning Strategies Tutors will teach you to maximize your time with the most efficient study skills, so you can still have a social life!