Upward Bound is designed to service students from low-income families and students whose parents do not have a college degree. The program assists students in preparing for the academic, social and personal rigors of college life. Students are selected from diverse cultural backgrounds who have demonstrated a potential for success in college, but have not exhibited their potential through the traditional academic measures of success while in school. During the five-week Summer Residential Program, the students live in the campus residence halls and are involved extensively in social, cultural and interpersonal as well as academic learning situations. They take courses for which high school credit is available in such subjects as mathematics, science, literature, composition and ethnic studies.
Students attend courses throughout the day and in the evening as well.
Part of each day and evening is set aside for extracurricular activities, recreational activities and study. A student's continued participation in the Summer Residential Program is dependent on demonstrated effort as determined by credentialed teachers on a weekly basis. During the Saturday Academic Year Program, students are transported from their high schools to the Occidental campus on selected Saturdays. Occidental College students work as college advisor aides to provide assistance to seniors who apply to four-year colleges. For junior participants, college and career advising is a major activity during the fall semester.