Frequently Asked Questions

OPENING DAY

Frontiers I (July 5) & Frontier II (July 19)

When participants and families arrive on campus, they should drive to the WPI Parking Garage at 151 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA. There we will have signage and staff to greet and guide participants through the check-in process. After checking in, participants have an opportunity to drive their vehicle within close proximity of their residence hall for convenience of moving all belongings into their room. We will have staff available to assist in escorting participants to their room with their belongings. Once all belongings are unloaded from the vehicle, the driver should park in the WPI Parking Garage, then walk to the residence hall to reunite with the participant.

Opening day begins at 9:30am with check-in and move-in at the residence hall followed by information sessions for both participants and families. Families will depart from campus around noon and participants will continue with their schedule of ice breakers and games. In the afternoon, students will participate in orientation, computer account setup, dinner, unpacking, a floor meeting, and more. Opening day schedules with specific time frames will be listed here no later than June 1.

*Participants should not plan to arrive until after 8:30am on the dates listed above. No early arrivals are permitted!

CLOSING DAY

Frontiers I (July 17) & Frontier II (July 31)

Closing day activities begin with a robotics competition at 8:30am, followed by both minor and major course showcases, a closing ceremony, and move-out. Before departing campus, students must return their room key to the check-out table in the lobby of the residence hall. The WPI Campus Bookstore will be open and is located on the entrance level of the Rubin Campus Center. Closing day schedules with specific time frames will be listed here no later than June 1.

*Participants should expect to depart campus no later than 2:00pm on the dates listed above. No late departures are permitted!

Refer to this map as a reference.

Participants will have the same general schedule Monday thru Friday. They will be in their major from 8:30 - 10:30 am and 1:30 - 4:15 pm, their minor from 10:30 am - 12:30 pm, and evening activities from 5:00 - 9:00 pm. A few examples of activities from previous years include Minute To Win It games, billiards, movie nights, soccer, ultimate Frisbee, trivia, resume writing, interview skills, career exploration, and a college fair (Frontiers I only). On the weekends, fun activities on and off campus will be provided.

Morgan Dining Hall provides an array of food, including a complete salad bar, vegan/vegetarian items, sandwiches, chicken tenders, French fries, pizza, and pasta! In addition, whole and sliced fruit, yogurt, baked goods, and soft serve ice cream are offered for dessert.

We are happy to accommodate participants with food allergies and other dietary concerns, including, but not limited to vegan, vegetarian, and Halal meals. If there is a dietary accommodation, please inform our office by June 1 so that we can provide the best dining experience for your participant.

We have removed the presence of peanuts and tree nuts from this dining hall in order to allow summer participants with nut allergies more freedom of choice. In order to ensure this policy, no outside food is allowed in the dining hall. If this is a concern, please reach out to the Office of Pre-Collegiate Outreach Programs at pop@wpi.edu or (508) 831-4900.

Special Dietary Concerns:

We have a Balance U Station that prepares a tasty menu line without the “Top 8” allergens or gluten (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybean). Our culinary staff and associates at the station are all specially trained to limit cross-contact during food prep.

There is an area of the dining hall, called S.P.A.C.E. (Special Product Allergen Controlled Eating) which has a wide variety of packaged gluten-free foods, cereals, snacks, breads, and prepared pasta. A toaster and microwave oven are also available in this area and are used only for gluten-free foods to minimize cross-contamination. Non-dairy milk beverages are also available. Please contact Shavaun Cloran, Registered Dietitian, at scloran@wpi.edu for any specific concerns/questions.

It is a requirement for participants to live in a WPI residence hall during the program as it contributes to the overall experience. The participants will be supervised by WPI undergraduate students (RPAs) in the residence halls. Depending on the specific residence hall, each participant will have one or two roommates and be assigned to a room and floor based on their gender identity. Students can request a roommate via the housing questionnaire that is completed after admission to the program. Only mutual requests will be honored. Room assignments will be given on opening day at check-in. Each participant will have their own bed, dresser, desk, and closet. Sheets, a towel, and a pillow are supplied; see “Suggested Packing List” for more information.

Residence halls are not air-conditioned, so we highly recommend bringing a fan.

Washers and dryers are available on campus for student use. Participants must download the "Automatic Laundry App" and load funds onto it ahead of time. Prices are set at $2,00 per wash and $2,00 per dry. Students can add time to the dryer for $0.25 per 6 minutes. Any funds added to the app that are not used will not be refunded, so please plan accordingly.

Residence hall rooms include linens (sheets, a light blanket, a towel, and a pillow), however, we suggest that you bring the following items:

• Clothing items appropriate for warm days and layers for air-conditioned classrooms
  • Suggestions include jeans, khakis, shorts, t-shirts, sweatshirts, athletic apparel, socks, underwear/undergarments
  • Pack at least one pair of long pants and closed-toed shoes (some labs require them for safety)
• Fan
• Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, tissues, hygiene products, etc.)
• Shower caddy, shower shoes/flip flops
• Laundry items (detergent, basket)
• Umbrella and rain jacket
• Outfit for the closing dance celebration
• Sunscreen/bug spray
• Trash can
• Notebook, folder, and pen/pencil
• Chargers for all electronic devices you bring (cell phone, watches, etc.)
• Optional: Beach towel or blanket for use on the quad
• Optional: Non-perishable snacks (must be nut-free) and bottled drinks
• Optional: Laptop
  • Some courses may require a laptop. If this is the case, it will be shared in the letter that your faculty member sends two weeks prior to opening day. If your course requires a laptop and you don't have one, we are happy to loan one to you for the duration of the program.
• Optional: Spending money for the bookstore, souvenirs, grub hub, etc. 

*It is strongly advised not to bring any valuables (expensive jewelry, TVs, etc.)

Each student will receive a water bottle which can be refilled at bottle filling stations located throughout campus and in the residence hall.

For our two-week programs, many families and friends would like to send mail to their participants. Mail will be distributed during meals or in the residence hall by summer staff members. Please use the following mailing address.

(Participant’s Name) c/o WPI Frontiers Program
Bartlett Center 
100 Institute Road 
Worcester, MA 01609-2280

All programs are overseen by several staff members with expertise in engineering, teaching, outreach programs, admissions, and student life. Our staff supports summer and academic year efforts in inspiring and reaching youth to spark a passion for STEM. During the summer, the entire WPI community is involved in supporting our programs, including various faculty, staff, graduate students, and WPI undergraduates who serve as either daytime Program Assistants (PAs) or evening/weekend Residential Program Assistants (RPAs). All individuals who work with our students have demonstrated leadership skills, maturity, and experience working with youth. Faculty and staff also have extensive training and expertise in their line of work. No matter their role, all individuals who work with our summer students have passed a background check, signed a behavioral expectations agreement, and taken online trainings on the protection of students. Throughout the program, staff supervision ratios exceed camp association recommendations.

We are happy to make reasonable accommodations for any participant who wants to observe religious observations or attend religious services. To ensure we have ample time to make necessary arrangements, please contact our office no later than June 1 if your student plans to attend a religious service during Frontiers.

A summer health care center with registered nurses is open 24/7 to all program participants. If your student needs to take prescription medication while on campus, this should be given to our nursing staff during opening day drop-off. Families will pick up medication from the nursing staff on the last day of the program. Prescriptions must be in their original packaging with the prescribing physician and dosage listed.

Participants provide their own transportation to and from the program. If participants are traveling from a distance, by plane or train, they may arrive anytime after 8:30am (EDT) on Sunday. For departure, students are welcome to leave as early as Thursday evening, and must depart campus by 2:00pm (EDT) on Friday. We do not have arrival/departure staffing from 12:00am (midnight) - 7:00am, so please do not plan to arrive or depart during these hours. We strongly encourage travel plans to align as closely as they can with our published opening and closing times. 

If participants are considering airport options, below is a list of airports that former Frontiers participants have utilized:

Logan airport

Boston Logan International Airport (massport.com)

Bradley International airport

Bradley International Airport | Love The Journey! (bradleyairport.com)

T.F. Green airport

Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport | PVD | Rhode Island

Worcester Regional airport

Worcester Regional Airport (ORH) (massport.com)

WPI does not offer a shuttle service to or from the airport. However, we strongly encourage you to book your ride through one of the below companies whom we have worked with in the past:

Joeys Limo

http://www.joeyslimousine.com/

Wachusett Limo

http://www.wachusettlimo.com/

Knights Limo

https://www.knightslimo.com/

*Please note participants are not permitted to drive themselves to Frontiers or bring a vehicle to campus during the program. 

The WPI Office of Pre-Collegiate Outreach Programs strives to provide a safe, secure, educational, and fun environment for our summer programs participants. In order to achieve this, we ask that all parents, guardians, and participants follow our Participant Code of Conduct.

In order to confirm your student's spot in the Frontiers program, an initial deposit of $500 must be paid within two weeks of acceptance being released.

We also require the following items to be submitted by June 1 so we can fully prepare for your student to have an enriching, meaningful, and safe experience:

• Full payment.
• Tell Us About Yourself Form, including general liability releases.
• POP Health Form, including physical and immunization records.
• Frontiers Travel Details Form.
• Frontiers Additional Information, including an ID photo submission.
  • Pictures should be of the head and shoulders, only, and clearly show the face without hats, sunglasses, headphones, or other non-religious accessories.
  • A plain white background and JPG formatting are preferred.

All forms can be uploaded through the student portal. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Pre-Collegiate Outreach Programs at (508) 831-4900 or pop@wpi.edu.

The Office of Pre-Collegiate Outreach Programs offers limited tuition assistance to families with demonstrated financial need. Please see our Program Policies for more details.

The Office of Pre-Collegiate Outreach Programs recognizes that in some cases students may need to withdraw their application and request a refund. For Frontiers students please note the following:

• Students may withdraw up until May 15 for a partial refund.
• No refunds will be processed after May 15.
• Frontiers participants will be refunded in full minus the $500 deposit.

The full policy can be found on our Program Policies page.

Participants can bring a mini refrigerator if necessary.  Refrigerators cannot be larger than 4.3 cubic feet and/or use more than 120 volts (2 amps) of electricity.