Amy Rainey thought she knew her way around Evanston. But when the incoming high school senior from Morton Grove walked outside a Northwestern dorm on Sunday, she was lost.

“I know the Evanston area pretty well,” she said from the third floor of the Communications Residential College. She pointed out the window to the courtyard behind the building. “But, out here, I walked out the wrong door and I was like, ‘crap!'”

Rainey is just one of about 850 Cherubs, the title given to the high school students who crash at NU for about five weeks during the summer. Preps like Rainey, a student in the journalism division, inhabit empty dorms and fill unused classrooms. They take classes taught by NU staff for no credit.

Most of the Cherub programs are five weeks of day-long training.

“The intensity of our education is very high-paced,” said Barbara Reeder, administrative director of the National High School Institute. “These kids go to class starting at 8:00 in the morning until 10:30 at night. We pack a great deal of education into five weeks.”

Cherubs enter an environment comparable to college life a year before they graduate high school – many testing the NU waters. Between 80 and 90 percent of Cherubs apply to NU for college, Reeder said.

According to Reeder, the Cherub application shares a similar level of admission standard as NU’s, although the two are independent. Reeder added that Cherubs are neither guaranteed admission into NU nor own an advantage when applying.

“There’s no added benefit to getting into Northwestern for a Cherub versus a non-Cherub, other than the fact they’ve been in a rigorous summer curriculum,” Reeder said. “It shows on their resume.”

She added, “(Cherubs) get an enormous taste of Northwestern.”

And over the years, NU has gotten a good taste of Cherubs. NHSI, the oldest and largest university-based program in the nation geared for high school students, has been offering a program at NU since 1931. There are seven programs: debate, journalism, junior statesman, leadership, music, media arts and theater arts.

“The core of our program has … been the same for over 50 years,” Reeder said.

Cherubs shell out between $2,000 to $3,300 to spend their summer more productively than their pool-dwelling, video game-playing friends.

Although the curriculum is vastly different for respective Cherubs, each shares in the joy of being a new resident and student at NU.

Leadership Cherub Janet Kenny resides in Deerfield, a 20-minute drive to Evanston.

“It’s weird being close to home and being away from home,” she said. “I feel like I’m really far away. I don’t see people I know. I talk to my parents on the phone. It feels like I’m in a different city.”

Music Cherub Adam Larison, of Albuquerque, N. M., described his first day of class as “strange.”

“My first guitar class I was shocked because they brought us back to a remedial level,” he said. “I’m doing stuff I haven’t done for five or six years.” He paused, then added, “But actually going back to the beginning level has helped. I learned little subtle problems in my technique.”

Larison is one of only four guitar players in the 160-student music program. While the other music programs will last five weeks, he goes home after two.

“That’s one of the things I don’t like about it,” he said. “All of the other music programs are five weeks. By the time everyone starts to get to know each other, we’re going to have to leave. From a social standpoint, it’s a disappointment.” He paused, then chuckled. “It’s OK, because I have to go back to work in town anyways.”

The theater program began Monday with all 164 students introducing themselves with a minute-and-a-half monologue – a process that lasted about seven hours.

“No matter where you were in your monologue, if a minute-and-a-half was up, even if it was the most climactic point, you heard from the back of the theater (say), ‘Thank you!'” said Jonathan Nawn, of Springfield, Ohio. “It was a very professional experience.”

Sarra Kaufman, of Philadelphia, added: “It took a lot of energy to watch 164 monologues. I got the high I always get from performing – the blood surge. I was one of the last. I was glad to get it over with.”

Students aren’t the only ones enjoying the experience this summer. Instructors are also getting in on the fun.

Bret Begun is taking a five-week leave of absence from Newsweek to instruct journalism Cherubs. He called Medill’s program “journalism boot camp.”

“I’ve enjoyed the experience of being here,” said Begun, Medill ’98 and Cherub class of ’93. “It was an opportunity that arose to give something back. Plus, it was five weeks in Evanston by the beach … It’s fun to hang out with people of this age. I’m getting old. I’ve got to keep it real.”