SAS ECC Primary Intermediate Middle High Alumni
Banner

The SAS Mission

The Singapore American School is committed to providing each student an exemplary American educational experience with an international perspective.
   
 
Summers
Visiting Campuses
Academic Programs
Camps/Jobs/Volunteering
Summer Opportunities

Summer Academic Programs

Please note that this list is not meant to be an endorsement of any particular program. Parents and students are encouraged to thoroughly research any opportunity found here or through other sources.

Resources

On February 2, 2009, Counselors Trevor Sturgeon and Dawn Betts presented at the HS PTA Coffee on summer opportunities for high school students both in and out of Singapore. Summer jobs, camps, courses, and college visits were some of the options discussed.

When searching for summer programs of the types listed below, students and parents are welcome to view the numerous publications and brochures available in the SAS Counseling Office and on the bulletin board outside of H301. Peterson's Summer Opportunities for Kids and Teenagers, is an excellent resource and is available for check-out from the office. Peterson's website has a database of summer schools and activities for teenagers offering much the same information as the book. Allen's Guide to Teen Summer Camps is another website that offers a wide range of summers programs.

Special "invitations"/some cautions

The counseling office does have a couple of reservations about these programs. First of all, they tend to be extremely expensive. Somebody has to pay for those very, very impressive invitations, right? Because of the cost, parents need to weigh what their children will be receiving in return for this amount of money. You need to know that attending a program such as this will in no way enhance your chances of admission at selective colleges. Attendance will possibly make you more knowledgeable, enlightened, and informed; it will not necessarily make you a better candidate for admission to selective colleges and universities.

Secondly marketing strategies for these, summer "invitation" programs are extremely sophisticated. Each year faculty members are asked to nominate students for programs and some teachers do make nominations. That's why students receive invitations that say, "Your AP Biology teacher feels that you would benefit tremendously from this program," or "Your counselor has nominated you out of all of the students in your class for this program." Faculty members often have little information about the cost or quality of the programs when making nominations. Occasionally students are told they have been "nominated" when, in fact, all that has happened is that the company has merely purchased the student's demographic data from another company such as The College Board.

Finally, the invitations make it appear that a student is very special to receive this invitation, that there is some kind of pre-selection process going on just to be invited to participate. However, just what criteria is being used to target certain students could be as cold and calculating as the "parent income" category on the SAT registration to as innocuous as "kids with good PSAT scores." Regardless of the criteria they use, do not feel for one moment that receiving an invitation is the "distinct honor" that the program wants you to believe it is. Your feedback and questions regarding summer programs are welcome and appreciated by the counselors. Bottom line: any "special" programs with highly selective criteria will be handled through the counseling office and not through direct mailing from a private organization.

Boarding School Programs

Summer school programs based in boarding schools throughout the United States are generally four or five weeks long and cost between US $5,000 and $8,000 for tuition, room and board. Students usually get to choose a major and one or two minor subjects. The programs often include activities such as sports in the afternoons, weekend excursions to nearby cities, optional college tours, and SAT or TOEFL preparation. Many international students enroll in these programs, so they provide a chance to interact with students from around the world. Boarding schools provide a good deal of structure, and thus the programs are ideal for students in the first few years of high school. Many offer excellent opportunities for ESL students to build their writing and communications skills in preparation for college in the US. 

Sample programs Hosted at US private high schools:

College-Based Programs

These programs can be of two types: 

  • actual college courses offered for college credit on a shorter, more intense schedule than during the regular academic year, and

  • programs based on college campuses that are designed for rising juniors and seniors in high school

Courses are generally four or five weeks long and can cost between US $5,000 and $6,000 for tuition, room, and board. While the counseling office is not in a position to endorse any particular summer program, we have met the program director and have had a number of students attend the Summer Discovery program. They offer college based programs at UCLA, University of Connecticut, UC Santa Barbara, University of Michigan, Georgetown, University of Vermont, and Cambridge. The OxBridge Program in England is another quality program. Details about the different options at the University of California are listed here.

Special note: Here is a quote from an Ivy League Director of Admissions: "Summer program attendance] does not give students any preference in admissions. There is no dotted line running from the summer program to the admission office." While these programs can offer students a great opportunity to experience life on a college campus, it won't enhance admission chances any more than a number of other things a student can do in a summer. "
 
 
   
 
   
 
 © SAS • All rights reserved • 40 Woodlands Street 41 • S(738547) • TEL: +(65) 6360-6501 • Fax: +(65) 6363-6457