Rolling enrollment open. Courses prorated.
Explore now.Is your teen smart enough for college but unsure what to actually expect when they get there? Do you wish someone could give them a real preview, not the glossy brochure version? College Prep 101 is taught by an actual college professor who walks students through what academic life really looks like: how to manage coursework, communicate with professors, and advocate for themselves. Give your teen a head start that most freshmen wish they'd had.
In this 5-day course, students will be introduced to specific skills and strategies that connect to a sense of belonging, wellness, the formation of positive networks, and academic success.
By the conclusion of course, students will be in a better position to begin their college journey on more stable ground, and with advanced knowledge of how to meet current academic expectations.
They will leave with strategies to create healthy school-life balances, alongside positive peers and within supportive communities.
Admissions officers look for students who go beyond the standard curriculum. This course gives your child something real to talk about in applications and interviews. The skills, projects, and experiences built here demonstrate exactly the kind of initiative and intellectual curiosity top schools want to see.
Project planning, time management, meeting deadlines, adapting when things do not go as planned. These are the skills parents worry about most, and this course builds them naturally through the structure of real, meaningful work. Your child gains independence and confidence without it ever feeling like a lesson.
YSA is a UC-registered online publisher and WASC-accredited Supplementary Education Center, which means our courses can count toward official college credit requirements. State schools can recognize the courses your student takes here, adding real legitimacy to your homeschooling journey or building on top of your student's existing transcript. That unlocks two ways to enroll: For Credit -- Your student earns official, accredited credit toward their transcript. For-credit students complete weekly assignments that build toward their transcript grade. Outside-of-class work ranges from 1-2 hours per week. Perfect for families who want documentation that reflects what their child is actually capable of -- to show the world how brilliant they are. For Enrichment -- Your student takes the very same course purely for the love of learning. No grades, no outside-of-class work, no credit attached. Just the content, the community, and the growth. Same course. Same mentor. Same experience in class. You choose what fits your family.
If you homeschool, this works seamlessly. If your student attends another school full time, we create a report card and transcript that we share with you, and you share with the school. It is up to your primary school to accept it and add it to your student's official transcript.
Build college-ready skills including critical thinking, independent research, and confident self-presentation 
Develop executive function skills like planning, time management, and follow-through in the context of work that genuinely matters to them 
Create portfolio-worthy work and experiences that demonstrate initiative and intellectual curiosity to admissions officers 
Gain the confidence and independence needed to thrive in college-level academic environments 
Hi! Thank you for taking a moment to learn a bit about me and about how I might be able to help support your learner on their educational journey. Over the past twenty-five years, I have valued the opportunity to teach across various educational levels including, K-12 public schools, community colleges, and at 4-year public and private universities. I hold a PhD in Sociology and I am a generalist by training. I currently teach courses in the areas of class, culture, family, ethnicity, gender, methodology, philosophy, race, social justice, and theory. I also actively mentor students in research, writing, and in their continuation into graduate, law, and medical school. Over the past decade, I have also created programs to help incoming college students develop a sense of belonging, connect to positive peers, and academically excel. In all of my classes, I work to develop strategies that foster presence, openness and a reflexive learning environment where student support, acknowledgement of the intrinsic value of every student, and efforts to promote student persistence and success are requisite. Through critical, contextualized learning; active and ongoing student mentorship; progressive and responsive course development, and the creation of experiential opportunities, I have constructed inclusive and enriched academic experiences for students, where they are at, and that help equip them for where they want to go. At YSA, I look forward to providing courses that build knowledge through reflexive, reciprocal learning, to inspire growth in the minds and lives of our students, and to help foster belonging within this rich learning community. See you soon! Eric
WHAT PARENTS ARE SAYING
Parents don't just see happier kids. They see sharper thinking, stronger friendships, and a child who actually wants to log on.
★★★★★
"My daughter was terrified about college. After Dr. Eric's course she has a plan, a checklist, and real confidence instead of dread."
Renee F.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric covers the things nobody tells you -- belonging, balance, finding your people. My son feels ready in a way I never did."
Anthony V.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My daughter was terrified about college. After Dr. Eric's course she has a plan, a checklist, and real confidence instead of dread."
Renee F.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric covers the things nobody tells you -- belonging, balance, finding your people. My son feels ready in a way I never did."
Anthony V.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric speaks to these kids like a mentor who has walked the path. My daughter trusts every word, and she is finally excited for what is next."
Simone K.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"This course gave my son practical strategies for wellness and study habits. He is heading into college on far more stable ground."
Harold P.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric speaks to these kids like a mentor who has walked the path. My daughter trusts every word, and she is finally excited for what is next."
Simone K.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"This course gave my son practical strategies for wellness and study habits. He is heading into college on far more stable ground."
Harold P.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric helped my daughter understand that college is about community, not just grades. That reframing lifted a huge weight off her."
Yara S.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My son came out of Dr. Eric's course knowing how to build a positive network. That skill alone was worth it."
Nolan G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric helped my daughter understand that college is about community, not just grades. That reframing lifted a huge weight off her."
Yara S.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My son came out of Dr. Eric's course knowing how to build a positive network. That skill alone was worth it."
Nolan G.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My daughter was terrified about college. After Dr. Eric's course she has a plan, a checklist, and real confidence instead of dread."
Renee F.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric covers the things nobody tells you -- belonging, balance, finding your people. My son feels ready in a way I never did."
Anthony V.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric speaks to these kids like a mentor who has walked the path. My daughter trusts every word, and she is finally excited for what is next."
Simone K.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"This course gave my son practical strategies for wellness and study habits. He is heading into college on far more stable ground."
Harold P.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"Dr. Eric helped my daughter understand that college is about community, not just grades. That reframing lifted a huge weight off her."
Yara S.
YSA parent
★★★★★
"My son came out of Dr. Eric's course knowing how to build a positive network. That skill alone was worth it."
Nolan G.
YSA parent
If you’re not 100% in love with the course, you have options depending on how you enrolled:
You can switch to another course of equal or lesser value that’s a better fit or get a credit to use toward a future course.
You can either get credit toward a future course, switch to another course of equal or lesser value that’s a better fit, or stop all future payments after a 30-day processing period.
No risk. No stress. Just the learning and belonging you have been looking for.
We can offer this because we know what we do works for thousands of other families. Kids become more self-confident. They find their people. And families tell us this is the place where their student finally feels welcome. We know it will work for your family, too.
All-Access Passes have separate terms and conditions. Please see the All-Access Pass pages.
It goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway... to qualify for the satisfaction guarantee policy, you have to actually attend the classes. This is not a cancellation policy. It’s a satisfaction guarantee. You can’t be satisfied or dissatisfied if you don’t attend.
Young Scholars Academy is a virtual village that offers one-of-a-kind, engaging enrichment courses and community for 5-18-year-old bright, quirky kids to empower them to develop their strengths, make like-minded friends, cultivate life skills, build confidence, and feel great about themselves under the loving care of expert mentors. description2: >- Picture a place where your child fits in, is celebrated, mentored, and loves learning the unique content their beautiful brain craves. That happens every day at YSA for over 1,200+ families, and it can happen for your family, too.
WASC Accredited · 1,200+ Families · 93% Re-Enroll · 47+ States, 17 Countries, 6 Continents
Learn more about YSAQUESTIONS ABOUT THIS COURSE
Everything you need to know before enrolling your child.
Most online classes put 20-30 kids in a room with a teacher who reads slides. At YSA, your child joins a group of 8 or fewer students who think like they do, led by a mentor who was often once just like them. Cameras are optional. The content is chosen by passion, not grade level. And 93% of families re-enroll - because kids who have never liked school before fight to log on to YSA.
Yes. YSA families join from 47+ states and 17 countries across 6 continents. All you need is an internet connection. We schedule sections across multiple time zones so families worldwide can find a time that works.
College Prep 101 Taught By A Professor meets once per week for 50 minutes, every week from August through December. Your child joins the same tight-knit group of up to 8 students and the same mentor all semester long. Same friends, same mentor, a new challenge every week.
Our gifted and 2e students experience such asynchronous development that hard age limits rarely tell the full story. If your student should be aged up or aged down, contact us at support@youngscholarsacademy.org or click the chat in the bottom right corner of the screen. We do this all the time.
Please don't confuse reactive distance learning with what happens at YSA. When a kid is engaged in a course they chose, with a mentor who gets them and peers who share their interests, the screen disappears. They're not on a screen. They're with their people. Parents tell us their children fight to log on to YSA.
If your child isn't loving a course by the end of the first week, swap into a different course. Same semester. No questions. Not the right fit within the first month? We'll stop payments, switch courses, or issue credit toward any future course. The credit never expires. And you keep every bonus you've received. Over 93% of YSA families don't just stay. They add more courses.
No. Cameras are always optional. Always. Many of our students start with cameras off and turn them on when they're comfortable. Our mentors engage every student equally, cameras on or off.
No. If you're here, you're in the right place. We don't require paperwork, evaluations, or labels. Whether your child has been formally identified as gifted or twice-exceptional, whether you suspect it but haven't pursued testing, or whether you just know your kid's brain works differently and nothing else has fit, they're welcome here.
Yes. YSA is an approved vendor with 10+ state ESA programs including Arizona ESA, Utah Fits All, ClassWallet, My Tech High, Florida Step Up, and others. Enroll directly to secure your child's spot, submit the invoice to your ESA, and your payment method is refunded when funds transfer. Many families pay zero out of pocket.
Click "See Available Times" on this page, pick the section that fits your schedule, and your child's spot is secured immediately. No phone call. No placement test. No prerequisite.
Right now, a kid who thinks like your kid is in a course they chose, with a mentor who was once just like them, surrounded by friends who don't think they're weird... they think they're interesting.
Your child is one click from finding out what that feels like.
An internet connection and a can-do attitude!