What are summer programs?
Summer programs are sessions meant to extend opportunities to the students to enhance their English language skills, learn about the cultural milieu of the USA, exchange ideas with the students across the world, and visit different parts of the country. These programs are available in various study areas ranging from liberal arts and sciences to Mathematics, Journalism, and even athletics. Most of the US summer programs come about between May to August for a total duration of about two to twelve weeks, depending upon the dynamics of the course. These cost-effective programs are great to whet one’s academic skills and subject knowledge, and fulfilling one’s aspirations. They are also known as Pre-college programs as they familiarize students with college-level courses before they enroll themselves in a full-fledged undergraduate program in a university.
Benefits of availing of summer programs
There are several expected benefits of joining a summer program, some of which are:
- Enhances your academic skills by allowing you to delve deeper into the subject matter of one or two subjects of your choice. This is particularly beneficial for the students who intend to show their dedication towards a subject and their academic profile for a positive impression on the admission officials.
- Not only does it allow you to highlight your academic vigor but also a chance to explore your interests. If you are interested in learning music or artistry, there are summer schools that offer lessons in Piano or drums. Similarly, if you are interested in gauging your competitive skills in sports such as tennis, you can enroll yourself in a sports camp.
- The most obvious benefit of availing of a summer program during high school is that it increases your chance to get into a college. Attending the right summer school program will expand your horizon, equip you with the essential skills and help you get ahead with a quick course. With admissions at the top colleges in the USA getting more competitive each year, they act as a feather on the cap and help build a nice resume and boost your college application.
- These provide a chance to earn academic credits that can be applied to your degree. Thus, it reduces the time and cost of your undergraduate degree. Along with this, it gives you a chance to take on new challenges and learn how to deal with them.
List of top summer schools in the USA:
Whether it is to develop your artistic skills or academic understanding, the choice of the course and the university plays a significant role in generating the desired impact. The best summer schools in the USA are also the most competitive ones. These involve a preference for Brown University which provide five summer programs to choose from, for upper-level high school students.
Another major preferred choice is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology which provides four selective summer programs, namely- Research Science Institution, Women’s Technology Program, MIT Launch, and The Summer Science Program for the students to choose from. The University of Michigan also holds down a place for itself with an array of summer programs ranging from engineering, and computer programming to Great Lakes exploration, girls code camp to architecture, urban planning, etc.
Northwestern University has a growing popularity for a variety of its short intensive programs as well as the long summer term courses for college credits. The duration of these programs varies from three to eight weeks.
With approximately 1200 students applying for summer programs, Stanford University remains highly preferred for its scope to enroll oneself in up to five courses with subject areas ranging from arts and humanities, business, and legal studies, to writing mathematics, social science, physical and biological science, etc.
The prestigious Harvard University offers two options for the students. The first is a two-week non-credit experience meant for high schoolers to experience living in the dormitory, attending team-building activities, and attending classes three-hour per day. This is called Pre-college Program. While the other is a seven-week program for college credit that requires full immersion
John Hopkins offers The Discovery Hopkins Program meant to provide multiple perspectives on a topic to high-school students. It runs alongside the two-week Summer University program. The university also offers two specialized programs to choose from namely, ESL programs to enhance students’ English skills and test scores and the Engineering Innovation Program for the students who are interested in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics.
The University of Chicago is also considered a great study option as it allows the students to choose from five High School Programs, namely- UChicago Immersion, Research in the Biological Sciences, Stones and Bones, Travelling Academy, and UChicago Arts and Sciences Summer. These programs are mostly three to four-week-long and offer to learn through seminars and first-hand experiences.
While the most popular summer programs include courses on enhancing English as a second language or familiarizing oneself with different aspects of American culture, equally popular among the students are courses meant to supplement their knowledge in a particular discipline.
In a nutshell, attending a summer program in the US is an experience that will not only add to your academic profile but would also enhance your personality, thus aiming for holistic development.