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
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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. "
- Barnard's Summer in New York
- Summer Focus at Berkeley
- Boston University Summer Program
- Brown University Summer Programs
- Cal Tech - Summer Science Program
- Carnegie Mellon Summer Program
- Columbia University Summer Program for High School Students
- Cornell University Summer College
- Davidson College July Experience
- Duke University TIP Pre-College Program
- George Washington University Pre-College Program
- Harvard Summer School : Secondary School Program
- Hollins University: Hollinsummer
- Hong Kong University of Science & Technology - Summer Program
- Ithaca College Summer College for High School Students
- Johns Hopkins Pre-College Summer Program
- New York Summer Camps & Summer Programs
- Northwestern College Prep
- Summer Study
- Summer Institute for the Gifted
- Rice University Summer School for High School students
- Richmond University, London, Summer Advantage
- Stanford University High School Summer College Program
- USC Summer Seminars
- University of Delaware Summer College
- UCLA: Summer Discovery
- University of Maryland Young Scholars Program
- University of Miami Pre-College Program
- University of Pennsylvania PreCollege Summer Youth Program
- University of Virginia: Scholars Program
- Vanderbuilt Program for Talented Youth Summer
- Washington University High School Summer Scholars
- Where there be Dragons
Organized College Tours
Touring colleges is an excellent way to verify information and get a first-hand view of colleges that you may be considering. Many families visit colleges on their own during the summer. Not every family is able to schedule time and handle the logistics of individual college tours, so an organization called College Visits offers high school students the opportunity to join their group tours of college campuses in selected regions of the U.S.
TS College Tours is a new option run (as a separate, private business) by SAS Counselor Trevor Sturgeon. The program is unique in that it focuses exclusively on international school students and the tours are led by experienced international school counselors.
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Arts Programs
Summer can be an excellent time to explore interests in the arts, to further develop musical or fine arts talents, and do explore the possibility of careers in these fields. A wide variety of programs in music, dance, theater, photography, film, and fashion are offered in the summer. Some well known programs (audition based) include Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan, and the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program in California as well as a host of specialized programs in the field.
Language Programs
Students wishing to develop foreign language skills have several options. This year, SAS teachers are organizing Mandarin language programs in Beijing and a French language travel program to France. See your language teacher for details. In addition, check out the wide variety of language study opportunities available at Concordia Language Villages, a program recommended by foreign language teachers.
Leadership Programs
Organizations such as the National Student Leadership Conference offer one- to two-week programs for high school students in Washington, D.C. and other major US cities. Students interested in developing leadership skills can also consider a variety of programs emphasizing debate, public speaking, and leadership development. Each year many of our students receive very, very impressive invitations to take part in a National Leadership Youth Forum and other similar types of programs. Many of these programs offer summer study in medicine, law, and leadership. Most are expensive, but that said, many students do enjoy going to them.
Alphabetical listing of other specialized summer programs
Archeology
Architecture and Design
Business & Entrepreneurship
Creative Writing
Communications/Journalism
Computer Science
Dance
Engineering
Environment
Filmmaking
Law and Public Speaking and Government
Marine Biology
Mathematics
Medicine & Health Care
Music
Space, Astronomy and Aviation
Theater
US Military
Wilderness and Wildlife
Programs for Gifted and Talented High School Students
Study Abroad
- American University of Paris
- American Field Service (AFS)
- American Institute for Foreign Study
- Barat Foundation Summer Program in Provence and Paris
- Center for Cultural Interchange
- Columbia University Summer Program for High School Students (Barcelona)
- Duke University TIP Pre-College Program (Costa Rica, Germany, England, Italy, Greece)
- Education Programs Overseas
- ENFOREX International Summer School in Spain
- Experiment in International Living- Homestays
- Glimpses of China
- Global Routes (Africa, Asia and Latin America)
- Interlocken Center for Experiential Learning
- Intern Exchange international
- Oxford Academic Programs (Oxford, Cambridge, Paris)
- Nacel Open Door (countries)
- Spoleto Summer Abroad
- Summer in Switzerland/Alpine Adventure
- TASIS Summer Programs in Europe
- Tufts University Study in France for High School students
- Where There Be Dragons (China, India, Mongoia, Nepal, Thailand, Tibet, Vietnam)
- World Experience Teenage Exchange Programs
- Youth for Understanding
If you are interested in non-academic summer activities, check out opportunities for jobs, volunteering and other activities here.
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