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UK Summer Schools - Some Q&A

2/9/2015

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1. How old do I have to be?
You will need to be turning 16 (or older) in the year in which you are taking the course.

2. Why is there an age limit?
Students at our Summer School sites are invested with a great deal of personal responsibility - they are treated just like University students. So, they need to be able to understand the rules, understand and compete in classes, and to have a high degree of self-care.  Secondly, there are insurance regulations which need to be obeyed. FInally, many school systems overseas are still sending students up to the age of 19, creating difficulties for younger students in terms of the level of scholarly engagement. Therefore, the requirement is as it is.

3. Where can I go?
In 2016 there are two major centres for UK Summer Schools, both the most ancient universities in their respective countries. The University of St Andrews was the first university, and remains the highest ranking university, in that great centre of enlightenment, philosophical and scientific learning, Scotland.  A beautiful university town, it is famed for the social and academic life of its students.  The University of Oxford is the third oldest university in Europe, and a global powerhouse in learning. Its 'dreaming spires' and colleges are the very materialisation of the learned life for many. What is the difference? It depends on preference. The St Andrews courses are the only summer school courses for school students in the UK to be actually run by the university itself. The teachers are university staff. While Oxford Royale Academy (ORA), on the other hand, is a separate agency, its courses are of high standard, often taught by university postgraduate students and teachers.

4. What choices are there?
St Andrews: St Andrews specializes in Creative Writing, Scottish Studies, and The Sciences.  These are courses which capture the very heart of this ancient but at the same time progressive university, set in one of the most spectacular natural environments in the world.  
Oxford: Among the most popular courses has been one called 'Broadening Horizons'. Courses fill very rapidly, however, and so within BH you are required to make more than one choice: you will be provided with one of your other options. In addition, there are courses such as SAT Preparation, Law School Preparation, UK University Preparation, Oxford Enterprise Programme, and the Global Leadership Programme.

5. How much will it cost?
This question depends on the rise and fall of exchange rates (when the Australian dollar falls relative to Sterling then relative costs rise). A guide for 2016 course costs (ie. not including flights) is as follows:
St Andrews: The university indicates c. £3300 for a three week course, inclusive of board, accommodation and transfers
Oxford: ORA indicates c.  £3,895 for a two week course, inclusive of board, accommodation and transfers.




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Q5. What about the SATs?

1/9/2015

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The SAT examinations are a barrier test used by many universities to filter out the many thousands of applications which they receive every year.  It is important to understand that they are not a qualification examination, like the HSC. Success in the SATs is the beginning  of the application process, not the end. Please see the information in Question 4 in this FAQ.  For most American universities, SATs, or the equivalent ACTs,  are an essential first step. The value of one or the other test is hotly debated, and there are champions for both.  Read online advice carefully, and make some time to see an advisor at the United States Consulate EducationUSA office in the city. 

What do you need to do?
1. After taking advice, choose between the ACTs and the SATs.
2. The SATs  are run by an organisation called The College Board, while the ACTs are run by 'American College Testing'. Go to the relevant website and register for login and password access, 
  • here: https://sat.collegeboard.org/home or 
  • here: http://www.actstudent.org/?_ga=1.182012005.330353571.1440467388

The SAT Test is 3 hours and 45 minutes long and contains the following sections:
  • Critical reading, which has sentence completion questions, short paragraphs and long excerpts.
  • Writing, which has a short essay(25 minutes) and multiple-choice questions on grammar and writing.
  • Mathematics, which has tricky questions in basic arithmetic operations, algebra, geometry, statistics and probability.
  • New changes will be implemented in January 2016.  The SAT will still retain some features of the old SAT: details are on the College Board Website.
The ACT has been growing in popularity, and currently has more US-based students sitting its examinations.

3.  While hosting the SATs, The Scots College only acts as an examination site – it does not proctor or facilitate examinations or preparation. TSC also does not advise students what is the right choice for them, and you should take advice carefully before coming to your own decision. When you enrol with the College Board,  you are effectively a student of the College Board or the ACT. On the SAT site, for example you can: 
  • Follow SAT on Twitter 
  • Log in or sign up for an account 
  • Get familiar with the redesigned SAT 
  • Find colleges and scholarships 
  • Learn more about College Application Fee Waivers 
  • Practice SAT Examinations (Khan Academy offers a free practice set: https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat)
  • Learn about the various tests which are available.
  • Register for a specific test site and date, and make changes to your registrations: https://sat.collegeboard.org/register/registration-changes
4. Look at the various institutions  with which you might wish to enroll,  and find out what the requirements are in terms of SAT testing. Some require only the general test, while others require the specific subject tests. 
5. Go to the information in Q4, and work out what your timetable needs to be to get the results back in time for application to your preferred institutions
6. Prepare for the test - many people spend a year or more preparing for the SATs, which are a particular type of learning parallel to, but often quite different from, the curriculum of the NSW Board of Studies. You may need tutorial assistance for this: the College does not offer this as such, but there are many people 'out there' who are able to help on a private basis.
7. Sit the test - See the SAT Test site for what you need to bring, and for a 'simulator' of a trial test day.
8. Look on the Admissions site of your preferred institutions, and follow their instructions in terms of submission of results.
9. Many people take the SATs more than once. Practice is essential.
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