Summer Schools: A Peek Into What Your Freshman Year Will Be Like

“Isn’t summer school a decisive oxymoron?” my student quipped in disbelief.

Agreed. The idea of attending school in the summer can sound jarring to a 15-year-old, who, already dulled from the drudgery of taking the board exams, would want nothing but respite from academics during the summer break. Which teenager would want to submit to books again before being absorbed by the whirlwind of another demanding year at high school. However, attending summer school can be a compelling piece in your college application narrative, and there are several reasons why it is an option worth contemplating if you have set your heart on pursuing higher education outside of India.

Summer school is an opportunity to validate your interest in the subject you want to study in college. While internships can help you do the same, summer school lets you explore your academic interests in accordance with a formal curriculum that is challenging, and often even preparatory. It uplifts your academic credentials to advocate your ability of doing rigorous coursework at a pre-collegiate level. Certain programmes require you to undertake project work, which becomes an excellent chance to build something up from scratch and scale it up over the years leading to college.

Competitive summer schools offer an extra edge, since admission to them requires going through a highly selective process, fraught with rounds of essay submissions and interviews. Within this ambit, there are some specialised and niche programmes (e.g. in the field of Art and Design, STEM, and Business) which serve as a springboard for forging a career in specific professions. Furthermore, there are some advanced programmes where credits received count towards college credits that are adjusted against college coursework, a consequence of which is a relatively diminished workload in the freshman year.

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Apart from the objective value that a summer school imparts, there is the subjective element that should not be overlooked. With relaxed COVID-19 restrictions, it is once again possible to physically attend summer school. Spending anywhere between three to four weeks in an ecosystem that could potentially be your home for three to four years of your undergraduate degree is a great way to gauge your ability to assimilate and adapt to a life previously unknown to you.

Many students come back from summer school feeling either excited or dismayed from their experience. This test of fitment is a reliable indicator in assessing your readiness to thrive in another country away from the comforts of your home.

Also Read: Standardised Tests For Studying In The US Simplified

For students who are eager to reap the benefits of attending summer school, the next question is "Which one should I apply to?" While the best place to begin your research is to identify your preferred subject or field of inquiry, some of the other crucial parameters that can be used to assess the ideal summer school is to include cost considerations, duration of the programme and its congruence with the academic calendar, and application requirements. To give you a broad sense, in the US, the cost can amount to $2,000–$15,000, in the UK, it can be anywhere from £1,900–£8,000. Duration can span anywhere between a week to six weeks, and most programmes begin in June. List of requirements vary based on the type of programme, and the most comprehensive applications entail the submission of essays, video responses, short answer questions, transcripts and teacher recommendations. Scores from Standardised Tests (PSAT/ACT/SAT) and English Language Proficiency Tests (TOEFL/IELTS) may also be imperative in some select cases.

To wrap up, ponder this: A typical school year is chock-a-blocked with activities, and academic workload. Summer promises a chance for students to complete two to four meaningful activities that add substance to their high school profile. Summer school, then, is a solid way to get ahead and write a summer story worth narrating–not just on your resume, but also in the numerous personal essays that endorse the suitability of your candidature to colleges.

Naushita Jaisingh has a BBA degree with a specialisation in Finance from NMIMS University, Mumbai and a Masters in International Relations from IE Business School, Madrid and Sciences Po, Paris. After consulting in the social development and human rights sectors with European organisations, she moved to the education space. She is the co-head at OnCourse Delhi office.