Instead of whiling away the lazy summer days listening to Hootie and the Blowfish and playing video games, a select group of 15-year-olds will be discoursing on the theories and philosophies of John Stuart Mill, Machiavelli and Plato, and earning three college credits.

Cornell, which spawned a new era of educational programming when it launched the first pre-college academic program 35 years ago, has again broken ground with its newest offering, a three-week program for high school sophomores only.

The residential Summer Honors Program for High School Sophomores, which runs from June 30 to July 19, offers students an early introduction to college life.

While summer academic programs are plentiful, the new Cornell program may be one of a kind, in that it's designed specifically for high school sophomores.

"We had been receiving hundreds of inquires from parents of high school sophomores asking us if we had a summer education program for their children," said Abby Eller, director of Cornell's Summer College. "We didn't, until this year.

"I think our program meets a need for those students who want to be challenged academically in a setting much different from a summer camp," she said.

Students enrolled in the program will take "Freedom and Justice in the Western Tradition," an introduction to political philosophy, a popular course regularly offered to Cornell undergraduates. Students will receive a letter grade and, depending on whether they pass or fail, earn college credits.

The class, which will meet for two-and-a-half hours each weekday, is a survey of the development of Western political theory from Plato to the present. Readings will focus on the works of major theorists -- such as John Locke, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mary Wollstonecraft -- and examine the relevance of their ideas to contemporary politics. Isaac Kramnick, the Richard J. Schwartz Professor of Government who will teach the course, admits that Mill's On Liberty and Machiavelli's The Prince are rather heady reading for high school sophomores, but that's all the more reason for offering the course.

"There is a sense that high schools don't engage students in discussions of the great books and the great thinkers on political questions, possibly because the materials are perceived to be too controversial or too sensitive," Kramnick said. "But, here at Cornell, we want to show these students what college is like; it's the world of ideas where there is no limit or restrictions on discussion."

The students also will be required to participate in a discussion seminar on Leadership in American Society, in which students will examine the qualities, characteristics and values of leaders.

It's no accident that the program is steeped in humanities and mentions not a word of science or math. Both of the latter subject areas dominate summer education programs, while humanities get only lip service, Eller notes.

"There is an overabundance of math and science programs available to students of all ages in the summer," she said. "We wanted students to be able to sharpen their thinking, writing and verbal skills with a discussion of political theory and leadership. We want them to have a greater understanding of what is involved in becoming a leader. By developing these skills and discussing these issues, students will be able to excel no matter what direction they take in the future."

The sophomore program differs dramatically from Cornell's venerable Summer College for high school juniors, which attracts more than 600 students annually to the Cornell campus. Launched in 1961, Cornell's Summer College is the oldest of its kind in the nation.

The sophomore program is more structured than the program for juniors, in that all students take the same course and are required to participate in scheduled study hours. Academic assistance for those who need it will not be far away: Teaching assistants will live with the students in the residence halls, enabling students to get 'round-the-clock' help.

"The program takes into account the academic stamina of 15- year-olds," Eller said. "We know the students in this program will be high achievers academically, but we also realize that college-level course work can be daunting, so we've given the students plenty of opportunities to seek extra help."

Students will live in a residence hall, eat meals in campus dining centers and have full access to the university's academic and recreation facilities. The three-week stay at Cornell -- including tuition, room and board -- will cost $2,800.

The application for the program requires students to write an essay describing what distinguishes them from their peers and what they plan to gain from the experience. In addition, a recommendation from a guidance counselor or teacher must evaluate the student's academic record.

For admissions information, contact Cornell Summer Honors Program at (607) 255-2801.