The deadline to submit a notice of “intention to apply” for the SMU-in-Taos Fall 2009 program is Monday.

The application deadline is March 15. Each applicant must submit a one-page essay and participate in an interview with the program’s faculty and teaching staff.

Students who want to apply for the inaugural class of the Fall 2009 semester on the New Mexico campus must have at least a 3.3 GPA.

According to Mike Adler, executive director of the SMU-in-Taos program, the program is designed for the “first semester sophomore,” although any undergraduate student can apply.

Adler said the fall program was designed because “I felt like the Taos program literally changes lives… but only during the summers.”

“It always seemed a shame that we couldn’t have a fall semester,” Adler said, who has been with the program for 17 years.

The program sent out personal letters to those freshmen who met the qualifications, as well as Hunt and Presidential scholars. Adler said about half the freshman class received letters. He said the goal is to have 60 students become the inaugural class, but that number may increase.

The program will be similar to that of Colorado College. The semester will be divided into blocks, with three 5-day breaks in between. During one block, Taos scholars will take one class for 23 days.

Each class will be “challenging academically,” according to Adler, and once scholars return to the main campus, they will be able to take Honors courses.

The Taos program is designed as a residential college system, with students living and taking classes together.

The campus has been equipped with Internet access and a cell phone tower for the first time.

“We take care of one another,” Adler said, noting that the campus meets all of the Task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention’s recommendations.

“It’s going to change lives,” he said.

Applications are available online at the Taos website or in the SMU-in-Taos office located in 338 Blanton.