When school lets out for summer, students are usually happy with the leisure time they have to hang with their friends, play sports, take vacations, or participate in other activities. However, some of these students continue learning throughout the summer through the numerous summer learning programs that are available. One such program is the St. Andrews Sutton Trust School experience in the United Kingdom, where students get to spend a week at the university in hopes that it will inspire them to consider attending after graduation.
"The program is designed to encourage academic students from low participation groups to think about going to competitive universities like St. Andrews," said Mike Johnson, a senior recruitment, access, and admissions officer at St. Andrews. "Our intake for this year will be 130 and it has been running at St. Andrews since 2002."
The program, which is run at several other universities in the U.K. and is free for attendees, allows students to take part in an intensive learning experience that is similar to what a college freshman would also undergo. Students take classes with their peers from across the country and choose two subjects to study. The wide-ranging list of courses includes chemistry, English, international relations, and mathematics. Throughout the week, professors teach classes and provide students with an inside look at college life.
When the students are not taking classes, university staff provides information about the application and admissions processes. Students attend seminars on how to choose a university and how to write an effective personal essay, and they learn about tuition and post-college careers. This process can be helpful because many of the students come from schools where a low percentage of students go on to college.
"It has a great effect on where the students make applications and also on their readiness to enter university after school," said Johnson about the program.
Students get the opportunity to socialize with their peers and currently enrolled students during university-provided social activities. They play sports, watch films, and take part in a scavenger hunt around the school. During this time, students have a chance to get to know others in the program and explore the university and its surroundings. Currently enrolled students at St. Andrews talk to participants about the university and help them make a decision about whether college is right for them.
Most of the students come from a background where there is little hope that they will go on to college after primary school. The program's selection process looks at a number of factors, including whether the attendees would otherwise have exposure to a university setting. When surveyed, over 90 percent of the students said they would recommend the program to others and that they enjoyed all the academic aspects and the learning experience. In 2008, 80 percent of participating students said they were interested in applying to St. Andrews. According to the Sutton Trust, more than one-quarter of attendees enrolled in one of the five summer schools after the program, showing the positive effect that one week had on their lives and proving that sometimes kids really do enjoy summer school.
