Application deadline
1 April 2026
Summer 2026 College Credit application cycle.
In-person Program
A Walk on the Wild Side:
An English literature course exploring how wildness challenges social norms through fiction, fairy tales, feminism, colonialism, and environmental thought.
Last verified: 10 Oct 2026Reviewed by:BSBen Stacy
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A Walk on the Wild Side at a glance: cost, dates and eligibility
Current status
Upcoming
Eligibility
Rising juniors and seniors; GPA 3.0+
Age range / Year group
Ages 16-18
Location / Region
Evanston, Illinois, United States
Cost
$6,936
Duration
6 weeks
Format
In-person
LiteratureHumanities
Accommodation: Optional shared double rooms
Meals: Residential: three daily meals
Campus experience: Classes alongside university students
Credit / Outcome: 1 Northwestern credit unit
Instructor: Jennifer Comerford
Sessions / cadence: Mon/Wed, 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; 5 hours/week
Campus workshops: Wildcat Connect: Get Ready Series
A Walk on the Wild Side summary
A Walk on the Wild Side: explores how literature defines wildness, deviance, and alternative ways of living. Its focus connects literary interpretation with feminism, colonialism, environmental thought, and sexuality.
The proposed reading spans novels, journals, Gothic fiction, and fairy-tale retellings. It suits readers who enjoy comparing texts and questioning the social assumptions behind them.
The College Credit setting brings undergraduate academic expectations and classes alongside university students. Its appeal is a substantive encounter with literature rather than a general introduction to creative writing.
What is A Walk on the Wild Side:?
A Walk on the Wild Side: is Northwestern University's ENGLISH 200-0 course on wildness and deviance from the eighteenth to twentieth centuries. Offered through the College Preparation Program's credit-course framework, it examines how being labeled wild can express disorder, independence, resistance, or alternative ways of knowing.
The study focus links literature with feminist thought, colonial discourse, environmental questions, and sexuality. Possible readings include Robinson Crusoe, Carmilla, Lolly Willowes, and successive versions of Little Red Riding Hood, giving students contrasting texts through which to examine a recurring cultural idea.
Why Succeed highlights A Walk on the Wild Side
One clear theme connects texts across several centuries, encouraging comparison rather than disconnected reading.
The course treats literature as a way to investigate feminist, colonial, environmental, and sexual norms.
Fairy-tale retellings provide a concrete route into analyzing how stories change with their cultural setting.
The undergraduate setting offers a realistic test of college-level academic expectations.
College credit and a recorded grade provide a formal academic outcome upon successful completion.
Who is A Walk on the Wild Side for?
Best for
Readers who enjoy interpreting fiction, comparing historical viewpoints, and exploring how literature challenges social norms.
Not ideal if
You want a creative-writing workshop or cannot commit to consistent attendance and independent academic work.
Is A Walk on the Wild Side worth it?
The strongest reason to consider this course is its focused literary question and undergraduate academic setting. Comparing wildness across different genres and periods could help you test whether sustained literary analysis is a subject you want to pursue further.
The substantial financial commitment makes subject fit especially important, and college credit may not transfer automatically. Participation also does not guarantee admission to Northwestern, so the decision should rest on the learning experience and practical family plans.
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A practical overview of cost, accommodation, meals, dates and provider details to review before deciding.
Cost and what is included
$6,936; includes One undergraduate credit course., Wildcat Connect: Get Ready Series workshops., Northwestern library access., Free Writing Place tutoring., Residential option: housing and three daily meals..
Accommodation
Optional shared double rooms
Meals
Residential: three daily meals
Provider details
Review the Northwestern College Prep provider page and official sources before making a final decision.
Dates and logistics
6 weeks; Evanston, Illinois, United States.
What to check before committing
Confirm current dates, payment terms, travel arrangements, cancellation rules and what is included with the provider.
Compare this program with similar options before deciding on dates, cost, format and fit.
Compare with similar programsHow much preparation does A Walk on the Wild Side need?
Effort level
High relative to a casual summer enrichment course.
Best started
Allow six to eight weeks before a future application deadline for writing and school documents, plus extra time for international travel planning.
Main challenge
Balancing sustained literary study with campus independence and other commitments.
Typical preparation
Read a short literary work closely and practice supporting an interpretation with passages.
Draft responses about a rewarding academic experience and your reasons for choosing this course.
Ask your school early about official transcripts and any required English proficiency documents.
Plan for every scheduled class and arrange suitable housing with your family.
Useful if
You want to test your interest in university-level English literature.
What do students do on A Walk on the Wild Side?
The course is designed around reading and interpreting changing ideas of wildness across literary history. Its study focus moves between individual texts, recurring narratives, and the social contexts that shape their meanings.
Step-by-step process
- 1
Examine how wildness has described behavior outside accepted norms.
- 2
Trace uses of the concept from the eighteenth to twentieth centuries.
- 3
Study literary examples alongside feminist, colonial, environmental, and sexual contexts.
- 4
Compare different retellings of Little Red Riding Hood.
- 5
Meet the academic expectations of an undergraduate credit course.
A Walk on the Wild Side dates and deadlines
Next cycle not announced yet. These dates are from the latest verified cycle and should be used as a reference only.
Reference date
Programme dates
22 June-2 August 2026
Check-in and orientation
21 June 2026
Residential check-in 3:30 p.m.; commuter check-in 5-6 p.m.; orientation 6-7 p.m.
| Milestone | Date | Timezone | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Application deadline | 1 April 2026 | Local | Reference date | |
Programme dates | 22 June-2 August 2026 | Local | Reference date | |
Check-in and orientation | 21 June 2026 | Local | Reference date |
Eligibility and requirements
Rising high school juniors and seniors.
Completed sophomore or junior year of high school.
Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Personal statement and extracurricular activities list required.
Official high school transcripts must be in English.
English proficiency testing required when language or schooling criteria apply.
Off-campus housing must include a responsible adult over 18.
International F-1 credit students generally must enroll in two classes.
How much does A Walk on the Wild Side cost?
Application fee
$60 — Nonrefundable.
Funding or discounts
- One-course commuter total: $6,936 — Calculated from $5,781 tuition plus the $1,155 program fee.
- Residential room and board: $805 per week — Optional residential tier with a mandatory meal plan.
- Program deposit: $1,000 — Nonrefundable; credited toward the total program cost.
- Tuition scholarship: Need-based funding — For domestic US rising seniors with strong academic and extracurricular achievement.
- Returning-student fee waiver: Application fee waiver — Prior CPP participants may submit the designated waiver form.
What's included
One undergraduate credit course., Wildcat Connect: Get Ready Series workshops., Northwestern library access., Free Writing Place tutoring., Residential option: housing and three daily meals.
How to apply to A Walk on the Wild Side
- 1
Use Northwestern's College Preparation admissions process for the College Credit option.
- 2
Prepare approximately 500 words addressing a rewarding academic experience and your program interests.
- 3
List extracurricular activities with dates, descriptions, and your roles.
- 4
Arrange official English-language transcripts and any required English proficiency score.
- 5
Submit the program application and nonrefundable application fee.
- 6
After acceptance, activate your NetID, set up guest access and email, and pay the deposit.
- 7
Complete SchoolDoc forms so CPP staff can process course registration.
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What does A Walk on the Wild Side cover?
The program covers the following focus areas.
Wildness and social norms
Examine how wildness labels behavior outside accepted norms and creates alternative ways of being.
Feminist independence
Consider Mary Wollstonecraft's account of wildness as a route to intellectual independence.
Colonial and environmental contexts
Explore how wild spaces appear in colonial discourse and debates about wildness and rewilding.
Gothic fiction and sexuality
Study the relationship between wildness and sexuality, with possible readings including Carmilla and Lolly Willowes.
Fairy-tale retellings
Compare Little Red Riding Hood versions by Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, Angela Carter, and other writers.
Curriculum may be adjusted based on participant interests and current developments.
What is a typical day on A Walk on the Wild Side?
A typical day during the program.
Course meetings
The reference timetable schedules 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m., totaling five class hours weekly.
Campus activities
College Prep offers social, cultural, and recreational activities around students' academic commitments.
Residential check in
Residents check in by 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
Who teaches on A Walk on the Wild Side?
Jennifer Comerford is the named instructor for the reference course section. Northwestern's College Credit courses are taught by Northwestern-affiliated instructors who expect the same commitment from College Prep students as from university students.
Where do students stay on A Walk on the Wild Side?
Residential plan
- Shared residence-hall rooms: Air-conditioned double rooms have assigned roommates, desks, storage, and wireless internet.
- Three daily meals: A mandatory dining-hall meal plan includes vegetarian, vegan, and low-fat choices.
- Live-in residential staff: Residential advisors and directors support students and oversee check-in and conduct rules.
- Study and social spaces: Residence halls provide common areas and quiet study rooms alongside campus library access.
Non-residential plan
- Responsible-adult housing: Off-campus students must stay with a responsible adult over 18 throughout the program.
- Shared campus activities: Commuters can join the Get Ready Series, excursions, and program social activities.
- Commuter meal access: Meals are available for purchase at the Norris University Center.
Students may explore independently after checking out, subject to nightly check-in rules.
What happens after A Walk on the Wild Side?
After completing this program, participants often pursue:
Earn one Northwestern credit unit upon successful completion.
Receive a recorded undergraduate course grade.
Access an unofficial transcript through CAESAR.
Request an official Northwestern transcript.
Use the Get Ready Series to prepare for college applications.
Credit transfer depends on the receiving institution; participation does not guarantee Northwestern admission.
Where does A Walk on the Wild Side take place?
The course is based at Northwestern's Evanston campus on Lake Michigan, north of Chicago. CTA buses and trains connect Evanston with Chicago, while Metra serves surrounding suburbs.
Families arrange airport transportation; CPP does not provide airport transfers.
A Walk on the Wild Side FAQs
It traces the concept of wildness from the eighteenth to twentieth centuries. Topics connect literature with social norms, feminism, colonial discourse, environmental questions, and sexuality.
Possible readings include Robinson Crusoe, Castle of Otranto, Lady Susan, Dorothy Wordsworth's journals, Carmilla, Lolly Willowes, and several Little Red Riding Hood retellings. The reading list is provisional.
College Credit courses are for rising high school juniors and seniors. Applicants need a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and must submit the required writing, activities list, and official transcripts.
Credit courses normally carry one Northwestern credit unit upon successful completion. This typically corresponds to four quarter hours or two and two-thirds semester credit hours, though transfer is determined by the receiving institution.
Yes, the on-campus program offers a commuter option. Students living off campus must stay with a responsible adult over 18 and can participate in the Get Ready Series and program activities.
Residential staff live in the hall, support students, and oversee nightly check-in. Students share air-conditioned double rooms and receive three meals daily, while retaining some independence to explore under program rules.
Domestic US rising seniors can apply if they demonstrate financial need and strong academic and extracurricular achievement. They must submit a scholarship application and a complete program application, including transcripts.
No. College Prep can form part of an application profile, but participation alone does not guarantee admission to Northwestern University.
Alternatives to A Walk on the Wild Side
Compare these writing-focused and mentorship options if your interests extend beyond literary interpretation.
Alternatives to A Walk on the Wild Side
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Save this program in Succeed to compare it with similar programs, dates, costs and formats in one place.
Compare with other programsContent reviewed by
Ben Stacy
Co-founder, Succeed | Former secondary teacher and educational leader
Ben works at the intersection of education, technology and school adoption, with expertise in how secondary schools evaluate data-driven tools and how education technology is used in practice.
Sources and verification
Source types reviewed
- International Students, Northwestern College Preparation Program: School of Professional Studies | Northwestern University
- Campus Life, Northwestern College Preparation Program: School of Professional Studies | Northwestern University
- Pre-College Summer Programs for Credit: School of Professional Studies | Northwestern University
- Admission, Northwestern College Preparation Program: School of Professional Studies | Northwestern University
- Tuition and Fees, Northwestern College Preparation Program: School of Professional Studies | Northwestern University
- FAQs, Northwestern College Preparation Program: School of Professional Studies | Northwestern University
- College Preparation Program — Summer 2026 Student Handbook
- A Walk on the Wild Side:: Northwestern University School of Professional Studies
Succeed uses official provider information where available, but keeps this public page focused on comparison and planning inside Succeed.
What we verified (on 10 Oct 2026)
Official course page checked
Application deadline checked
Eligibility requirements reviewed
Course timetable checked
Tuition components reviewed
Residential policies reviewed
Credit conditions reviewed
How Succeed uses this information
We use source material to verify core facts, then show older cycle dates as reference when a current cycle is not available. Always check current application instructions before applying.
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