The summer academy is designed for accepted first-year or transfer students who want to get an early start on their academic career. In 2013, the summer academy had 25 different tracks, which consisted of two discipline-specific paired classes. This study focused on students enrolled in the tracks that were within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). Objectives of this study were to (1) examine the variables influencing the students’ participation in the summer academy program, (2) examine the variables influencing students’ choice of CALS specific courses and (3) determine if the summer classes impacted their choice of intended major. The CALS specific classes had a perceived influence on intended major for 28% of participants. Focus groups examined student motivations and the variables influencing choice of academic major to further elaborate survey findings. Focus group results indicated that early academic experiences may have an influence on future academic goals.