Joffrey West Dance Program

Kaiya Holtzman

Class of: 2014

Name of Program: Joffrey West Dance Program

When they did the program: July 2012

Location: Los Angeles, California

Type of Program: Dance

Short Summary: It was one of the best experiences I could have asked for. The program was inspiring, self-motivating, and helped me prepare for the future. My teachers and choreographers were incredible and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who wants to dance professionally.

About how many kids were in the summer program? About 200

Who were the adults and what role did they play in your experience? The teachers were my motivation and my inspiration. My favorite teacher was Mia Michaels from the show So You Think You Can Dance because she made me grow as a person and as a dancer. It was more than I could have asked for.

How much free time did you have and what did you do with it? I had my Saturday and Sunday free. My dorm had field trips planned every weekend and if we didn’t do that, we would go shopping. After classes we would watch movies and stretch or sew Pointe shoes.

Did you have room and board or a home stay in another country? If so, what was your experience like? We stayed in college dorms and there were two meals provided for us a day.

What were the other students in your program like and how were the relationships that you formed? Most of the other students were overly competitive and maybe even rude, but I made about 6 friends that I would consider some of my closest friends ever!

What kinds of activities, social events, and trips were organized for the students? We went to Universal studios, we went on a tour of Hollywood, we went shopping, and we went to the beach.

About how much of your own money do you think you spent on gifts, food, transportation and other things not provided by the program? I spent about $200 of my own money on groceries or clothing/gifts to bring home.

Did you have a curfew? If so, what time? We had to be in the dorms by 9:00 on weeknights and 10:00 on weekends but we had to be inside our rooms by 11:00-12:00.

Did you have internet access? If so, how much time did you spend using it? We had internet access but most of the time spent on the computer was to watch a movie at night with my friends.

How organized was the program? How much flexibility was there with the agendas? How much of a say did the students have in this? The program was very organized and the agendas were strict with time and place. The students had almost no say, but the program was in preparation for being in a professional company so it was understandable.

How was the food? Rate from 1-5 (1 being the worst and 5 being the best) 3 or 4

What is at least one thing you would do to improve the program? The studio and dorms should be closer to one another.

What was your biggest takeaway from the experience/what will you most remember? I cannot say just one thing that I took away from my experience, but overall I think I learned to really be myself in everything that I do.

Who would you recommend this program to? Who would this program not be best suited to?

This program is good for very serious dancers who plan on dancing well into their future.

Rate your overall experience (from 1 to 5): 5 (life-changing)

Phillips Academy Andover Summer Session

Your Name: Anni Wen

Class of: 2014

Program: Phillips Academy Andover Summer Session

When you did the program: Summer of 2012

Location: Andover, MA
Link: http://www.andover.edu/summersessionoutreach/summersession/pages/default.aspx

Summary: Phillips Academy Andover Summer Session is a five-week summer program in which students take two core classes of their choice (I took Writing for Success as well as a class on International Relations). In addition to these two classes. Students can take an optional SAT Prep course.

In the afternoons, students interact through sports. Throughout the five weeks, the dorms on campus house more than 600 students from 50 different countries. On weekends, students can take trips to Boston, which is less than an hour away by bus or train. On Wednesdays, students have the option to visit different colleges in Massachusetts, Connecticut, or Rhode Island.

About how many kids were in your summer program?  more than 600

Who were the adults and what role did they play in your experience? The adults are your house counselors and teachers. House counselors played the role of your friends who made sure you are having fun and adapting to the new environment away from home.

How much free time did you have and what did you do with it? Classes were only in the morning, so in the afternoon, there were optional college counseling program which I was actively involved in. On weekends, I went to Boston with friends or stayed on campus Saturday nights to attend dances. There is an 11 PM curfew on Saturdays and 9:30PM curfew on Sunday-Friday.

Did you have room and board or a home stay in another country? If so, what was your experience like? I lived in on-campus dorms and had an awesome roommate from another country. We became best friends and would tell each other about everything that happened. My neighbors also came from different parts of the world, but despite our differences, we had a great time and even chatted through the night!

What were the other students in your program like and how were the relationships that you formed? Students in my program were from all over the world! Imagine living in an environment so diverse that you hear multiple different languages being spoken at once. We learned from each other and everyone brought a piece of their culture to share.

What kinds of activities, social events, and trips were organized for the students? Boston trips, water parks, beach hang-outs, movies, shopping mall, college visits, Saturday night dances, game shows, and many more were offered!

If you had academic classes or homework, how many hours a day did you spend on schoolwork? 3-4 hours per night. Every minute you spend in class is equal to the amount of the homework you'll receive that night. That's the summer session policy.

About how much of your own money do you think you spent on gifts, food, transportation and other things not provided by the program? $400, mainly on weekend trips.

Did you have a curfew? If so, what time? 11PM on Saturdays. 9:30PM from Sun-Fri.

Did you have internet access? If so, how much time did you spend using it? Yes, but it shuts down at 12PM to make sure students get enough sleep.

How organized was the program? How much flexibility was there with the agendas? How much of a say did the students have in this? Very organized, but students did not have much say in the program since it was all organized before we got there. We did get to take class surveys.

How was the food? Rate from 1-5 (1 being the worst and 5 being the best) 5

What is at least one thing you would do to improve the program? I think that classes should be mixed grades.

What was your biggest take away from the experience/what will you most remember? I learned to appreciate other people's differences and experienced what life is like away from home.

Who would you recommend this program to? Who would this program not be best suited to? I would recommend this program for anyone that is interested in challenging themselves with 3-4 hours of homework per night during the summer. I would also recommend this program to those who are looking for diverse place to learn. This program would not be best suited for those who want to get a home stay or community service experience.

Rate your overall experience: 5 (life-changing)

Blue Bridge Project

WHO:  High School Students

WHAT:  Live abroad program involving community service.

WHERE: Nicaragua, Madagascar or Peru

WHEN:  Summer

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  Spring

FOR MORE INFO:  www.bluebridgeproject.com

EMAIL FOR INFO:  info@bluebridgeproject.com

FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE: Yes

NAME OF PROGRAM:  Blue Bridge Project

SHORT SUMMARY OF PROGRAM:  Blue Bridge Project is the only high school volunteer abroad program that exposes students to global development issues through hands-on service and post-trip reflection. After the summer volunteer program, we help students apply their experiences through individualized guidance and support them on their journey to become the leaders of tomorrow.

California State Summer School of the Arts

Rebecca King

Class of: 2014

Name of Program: California State Summer School of the Arts

When they did the program: July 14th- August 10^th 2012

Location: California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, Los Angeles

Type of Program: Arts

Short Summary: Highly intensive visual arts program in which high school students took advantage of workshops, famous artists/talented professors, and majors/minors of their choice for college credit. Students refined their skills as fine artists and learned the craft of new instruments to expand their repertoire. I highly recommend it. 

Overland Summers

Your Name: Amalia Maric

Class of: 2015

Name of Program: Overland Summers

When you did the program: Summers of 2010, 2011, 2012

Location: Worldwide (office based in New England)
Link: http://www.overlandsummers.com/

Summary: Overland offers hiking, biking, community service, language immersion, and writing programs all around the world for people ages 10-18.  There are different trips for different grades/ages and challenge level. I have done 3 biking trips with overland and they have been the most incredible and rewarding experiences I have ever had. Each trip has 2-4 different sections, and is compromised of 12 kids (a 6:6, 7:5, or 8:4 ratio between boys and girls) and two college-aged leaders, always one male and one female. Through Overland, I have met some of the best friends I have ever had, challenged myself, and develop leadership skills and learn more about myself. I encourage anyone who either wants to physically or mentally challenge themselves, or broaden their horizons and knowledge of the world to go on an Overland trip next summer!

About how many kids were in your summer program?  12

Who were the adults and what role did they play in your experience? There are two leaders; one male and one female. In my experience on the biking trips, the leaders play a vital role in encouraging everyone to stay positive and not to let challenges (biking up a huge hill, excessive amounts of rain) to defeat us. These two 21 year old leaders are in charge of the safety of 12 teenagers.

How much free time did you have and what did you do with it? It depends. On the more difficult Overland trips (all trips are rated between a 1-10, ten being the hardest), there is less free time, but on the easier trips (i.e biking trips that don't do more than 45 miles a day), there is more free time because you can get to your next campsite earlier and have more free time there

Did you have room and board or a home stay in another country? If so, what was your experience like? On the biking and hiking trips, no. The hiking and biking trips camp out in tents, and are fully self-contained (no van support- you carry everything you bring + group gear and food on your back/bike) The community service and language immersion trips stay in dorms (I believe the language trips in Spain and France home stay with a family).   Overland trips take place world wide- there are trips in the US, Europe, Central and South America, Africa, and Asia.

What were the other students in your program like and how were the relationships that you formed? Each trip, I have made some of the best friends I ever had in my entire life just by spending 2-4 weeks (each trip is a different length, depending on the trips difficulty level) with them. Since the groups are so small and everyone is working together (teamwork and selflessness is required of all Overland participants) you become a "family" with your group

What kinds of activities, social events, and trips were organized for the students? There is always a celebratory dinner at a restaurant at the end of each trip.

If you had academic classes or homework, how many hours a day did you spend on schoolwork? I believe that the writing and language immersion programs do their academic work in the morning, and after lunch go on hikes and spend time outdoors

About how much of your own money do you think you spent on gifts, food, transportation and other things not provided by the program? Overland says $25/ a week. Another thing about Overland: Since it is a group experience, we weren’t allowed to buy your own food, and you pretty much are doing your own transportation as a group. Most people bring money to mail letters home, get more toiletries, and souveniers)

Did you have a curfew? If so, what time? Depends on the trip; for instance, if you are on the American Challenge (the hardest trip, biking 3,000 miles from Georgia to LA in 6 weeks, averaging 80 miles a day), you pretty much wake up at 5 in the morning at go to bed at 6:30 at night.... but most trips wake up around 7 and bed time is closer to 10-11 at night

Did you have internet access? If so, how much time did you spend using it? No technology is permitted at Overland and it is often unaccesable.

How organized was the program? How much flexibility was there with the agendas? How much of a say did the students have in this? The trips are very organized and goal-oriented- you can't be that flexible if you have to bike 70 miles to your next campsite before it gets dark- again, the agendas depend on the difficulty level of the trip- easier trips allow for more free time. But then again, the more challenging trips are extremely rewarding and fun.

How was the food? Rate from 1-5 (1 being the worst and 5 being the best) 3

What is at least one thing you would do to improve the program?

What was your biggest takeaway from the experience/what will you most remember? Being able to bike from Seattle to San Francisco. It was the most physically and mentally challenging experiences I have ever had, but it is my greatest accomplishment (so far) and the lessons I learned on the trip helped shape my character.

Who would you recommend this program to? Who would this program not be best suited to? I recommend Overland to anyone that wants to physically and or mentally challenge themselves, or wants to broaden their horizons and knowledge of the world. Overland is best suited for people that are healthy and fit, open-minded, and want to venture out of their comfort zone.

Rate your overall experience: 4.5

Any last thoughts: Registration starts in November- most trips fill up by the end of January so sign up soon! You can request a catalog online, or like their Facebook page for more information

Rustic Pathways: Village Documentary

Name: Anna Zehner

Class of: 2016

Program: Rustic Pathways: Village Documentary

When you did the program: Late June to mid July 2012

Location: Thailand

Summary: I spent three amazing weeks in Thailand on one of the many programs Rustic Pathways has to offer. Though I was the youngest people there, (they were all juniors and seniors) I still had loads of fun and learned a lot about photography. I definitely recommend it!

About how many kids were in your summer program? Fifteen

Who were the adults and what role did they play in your experience? There were three main 'counselors' and one translator. The counselors taught us about photography and the culture of Thailand.

How much free time did you have and what did you do with it? It depended on the day but we had a good amount. With this time, we pretty much just hung out and explored where we were staying.

Did you have room and board or a home stay in another country? If so, what was your experience like? We shared a room with someone whenever we went to a new hotel. The hotels were fairly nice for the area. We stayed at one house for 5 days which was very nice as well.

What were the other students in your program like and how were the relationships that you formed? Everyone was really nice and we all grew very close.

What kinds of activities, social events, and trips were organized for the students? We went all around Thailand (and Burma for a couple of hours) taking pictures. We also played and taught children at both an orphanage and learning center.

About how much of your own money do you think you spent on gifts, food, transportation and other things not provided by the program? $250

Did you have a curfew? If so, what time? 10 but they didn't mind if we stayed up later.

 Did you have internet access? If so, how much time did you spend using it? Not very often, whenever we did have internet I'd use it for about 10 minutes or so

How organized was the program? How much flexibility was there with the agendas? How much of a say did the students have in this? Very organized and quite flexible. If any of us wanted to do something they would try their hardest to get us to do it, this most often was successful.

 How was the food? Rate from 1-5 (1 being the worst and 5 being the best) 5

What was your biggest takeaway from the experience/what will you most remember?  Learning about another culture and seeing how happy the kids were when we would see them.

Who would you recommend this program to? Who would this program not be best suited to? Anyone, but mostly if your into photography.

Rate your overall experience: 5 (life-changing)

Any last thoughts:

Most kids had cameras but Rustic Pathways does supply cameras for those who don't have them. I'm not sure exactly what type but good quality cameras. The final result of the trip was a book that's a bit like a yearbook for the kids at the orphanage and learning center. 

Link: http://www.rusticpathways.com/programs#thailand

Horizontes Futuros de Alianzas Internacionales

WHO:  Current high school students 

WHAT:  homestay program in Spain

WHERE:  Cordoba, Spain

WHEN:  Over the summer (6 weeks)

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  February 15

FOR MORE INFO:  http://www.hfai.org/

EMAIL FOR INFO:  hfai2013@gmail.com

FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE:  Yes

NAME OF PROGRAM:   Horizontes Futuros de Alianzas Internacionales

SHORT SUMMARY OF PROGRAM:

• Explore the cities and countryside of Spain?
• Watch the sunrise from the summit of Spain’s highest peak?
• Join in La Romeria during El Festival de La Orotava?
• Gain an entirely new family as you live with a host Spanish family for 4 and a half weeks?
• Go _____* with your host sibling as you immerse yourself in Spanish culture? (* includes, but is certainly not limited to, “surf and relax at a black sand beach”, “explore a 500 year old building”, “catch a new movie”, “play tennis or soccer”, and “for a hike”. How will you fill in the blank?)
• Explore the caldera of the El Teide volcano under a full moon?
• Carry out a research project investigating one of the environmental issues facing the Canary Islands?
• Become fluent in Spanish 

HIGHLIGHTS:  Run by a former Bay School teacher, Spence Stevens. 

Cal Poly Summer Career Workshop

Name: Seline Zhao

Class of: 2015

Program: Cal Poly Summer Career Workshop

When you did the program: end of June - end of July (one month) 2012

Location: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Type of Program: Arts and Architecture

Link: http://www.arch.calpoly.edu/programs/summer-career.html 

(please contact Seline Zhao to request more information)

The Experiment in International Living

Student: Sabrina Perell

Class of: 2014

Name of Program: The Experiment in International Living

When you did the program: Summer 2012

Location: Spain
Link: http://www.experimentinternational.org/eil_ESCS.cfm#.URGXkqU82So

Summary: We all met in New York, took the international flight over to Madrid together and did orientation there. Regional toured and oriented us in each new region we visited. Most of the information we learned about focused on the three Abrahamic traditions. We visited various religious sights and museum, connecting the information we gained to people we met.  

In Madrid we mostly shopped, visited museums and did a scavenger hunt in small groups.

In Toledo we spent some time with kids our age who were immigrants from Latin America and visited the church.

We spent about two weeks in Acros with our host families and went outside the town to visit the beach and such.

In Zaragoza we helped out with the Red Cross summer camp with kids ranging from about 6 years old to 12. 

 We finished our trip in Barcelona where we explored the architecture, spent time at the beach, cooked in our apartments, visited an aquarium and other religious sights. With free time we mostly shopped.

About how many kids were in your summer program? 5 boys; 5 girls

Who were the adults and what role did they play in your experience? We had host parents, local guides in and we had one group leader who was with us the entire time. She was someone we could check in with if we were having problems, kept us organized and also helped us figure out what we were doing day to day and how we would get there.

How much free time did you have and what did you do with it? We started off with minimal free time so it was hard to get off the get lag but as the trip went on we had more and more--especially in Barcelona and on our home stays.

Did you have room and board or a home stay in another country? If so, what was your experience like? Yes. We stayed in hotels, hostels, an apartment and in the house of the host family. Some of the hostels we stayed in had some issues so we had to switch rooms but otherwise we were fine.

 What were the other students in your program like and how were the relationships that you formed? We came from all over the US, all with big personalities various goals for the program but together we made a contract that bound our different ideas. I made one extraordinary friendship that is still alive and well across the country.

What kinds of activities, social events, and trips were organized for the students? We hung out at the beach and with the friends of our host siblings.

About how much of your own money do you think you spent on gifts, food, transportation and other things not provided by the program? I spent close to $300 euro.

Did you have a curfew? If so, what time? Sometimes. During our home stay our parents would decide what time they wanted us back. The rest of the time our group leader would decide depending on the day ahead and what time we ended our activities in the evening.

Did you have internet access? If so, how much time did you spend using it?  In hotels it was typically available and my host family had wifi. At the start of the trip I used it very infrequently but later, with more free time I began to use it more.

How organized was the program? How much flexibility was there with the agendas? How much of a say did the students have in this? We had a lot of flexibility in our itinerary so we got to decide when we visited certain sites.

How was the food? Rate from 1-5 (1 being the worst and 5 being the best)  Three.

What is at least one thing you would do to improve the program? In the cities I would have liked to visit more famous sights and attractions. I wish I had more time with my host family. It was difficult because my host parents were working and we did day trips with the group.  I wish I would have seen the south of Spain with my host family under their own schedule.

What was your biggest takeaway from the experience/what will you most remember? Mostly I will remember the friendships I built and my growth in the Spanish language. I didn’t actually realize it until i came back to bay but my Spanish speaking abilities grew quite a bit.

Who would you recommend this program to? Who would this program not be best suited to? I found that the kids in my program who had never been outside of the USA liked it most. Also, I also would recommend this program only to those of you who feel fairly confident in speaking Spanish.

Rate your overall experience (1-5): 3 (average)

National High School Institute Film and Video

WHO:  Rising seniors, so the summer after junior year.

WHAT:  Hands-on/intensive film and video course at a college campus

WHERE:  Northwestern University (Evanston, IL)

WHEN:  Over the summer (5 weeks)

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  April 13^th

FOR MORE INFO:  http://www.northwestern.edu/nhsi/film_video/index.html

Student Participant Summer 2011: Zoe Pressman ('12)

A Perspective from Zoe Pressman ('12):

NAME OF PROGRAM:  National High School Institute (NHSI) Film and Video

SHORT SUMMARY OF PROGRAM:  A five week intensive to learn all about film and video (majors in animation, screenwriting, or production) on the Northwestern Campus and facilities. The first three weeks learn about general knowledge, and the last two are spent making the final project (script, animation, or short film).

HIGHLIGHTS:  As a production student, you both work on other student’s sets and direct/edit/write your own five-minute film. Classed start at 8:00 and can last until 11:00 (including a screening). 

LOWS:  Low, there’s not a lot of time to go exploring Chicago/Evanston and you have to eat at a summer cafeteria… you’ll be dreaming of Acre’s food all day. Overall, best summer of my life!  

Note: there are also great courses for Theater (arguably their strongest), Debate, and Speech.

Feel free to contact me with questions about this program

Zoe Pressman zpressman@bayschoolsf.org

School Year Abroad

WHO:   

     - Year abroad programs: juniors (most commonly) and seniors; 

     - Summer programs: rising 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th graders; 

     - Vietnam: juniors and seniors; post-graduate

WHAT:   Study abroad opportunity

WHERE:  France, Spain, Italy, China, Vietnam

WHEN:  Yearlong; Semester-long; Summer programs (See above descriptions)

APPLICATION DEADLINE:   

     - Year abroad: rolling admission but spots go quickly—apply ASAP!, financial aid application due Feb 1st; 

     - Summer programs: rolling admission beginning on Jan 23^rd, until programs are full 

FOR MORE INFO: www.sya.org

Student Participant 2010-2011 academic year: Ava Hoffman ('12) 

A perspective from Ava Hoffman ('12):

NAME OF PROGRAM: School Year Abroad (SYA)

SHORT SUMMARY OF PROGRAM: SYA is a study abroad program placing students with host families while learning at the program’s school across the globe. Students are immersed for the entire academic year (August through May) in cities in their choice of four countries—France, Spain, Italy, China—with an additional semester-long and post-graduate program in Vietnam.  SYA also offers 5-week long summer programs in France, Spain, Italy, and China incorporating a home-stay in addition to guided travel throughout the country of choice.

HIGHLIGHTS: SYA is an amazing opportunity to learn a new language, learn about rich cultural traditions of a nation, building a connection with a host family, and experiencing a foreign country with a hands-on learning approach—all while completing academic credit from an American-designed academic curriculum at one of SYA’s five schools.

LOWS: I have no reservations about recommending SYA! It is important to note, however, that embarking abroad for such an extended period of time is a serious commitment and students should be certain that they are up to the challenge that comes along with adjusting to an entirely new lifestyle.

Feel free to contact me with questions about this program

Ava Hoffman ahoffman@bayschoolsf.org

Summer@Brown

WHO:  Students completing 9^th-12^th grades by June 2012
WHAT:   Residential summer school at Brown University
WHERE:  Providence, Rhode Island

WHEN: June 17 - August 10, 2012

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  No application deadline for most programs

FOR MORE INFO (website): http://brown.edu/ce/pre-college/pre-college-courses.php

Student Participants Summer 2011: Will Sano ('12), Jesse Greenfield ('12), Robin Casset-Johnstone ('12)
A perspective from Will Sano ('12): 

NAME OF PROGRAM: Summer@Brown

SHORT SUMMARY OF PROGRAM: Summer@Brown is a summer academy for high school students that takes over the campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. The experience is meant to allow students to enroll in college-level classes while simultaneously enjoying their summer in the company of their intellectual peers. The length of the program depends on which classes you sign up for; some classes, like the Existentialist Literature class, last just a week, while others, like the intensive Pre-Med class, last almost seven. Class typically lasts about four hours per day, but this again depends on which classes you sign up for.

HIGHLIGHTS: I took a class entitled Laboratory Techniques in Biomedicine, and what I found most rewarding about this class was that I got to do experimental procedures and protocols too advanced for my high school curriculum. I also really enjoyed the activities Summer@Brown provided me outside the classroom, like a trip to Boston, a beach day in Newport, and a party on the last night. The quality and variety of the food options around Brown is excellent. I found myself returning to places like Kabob and Curry, East Side Pockets, and Mama Kim’s Korean Food Truck whenever possible. Though you might expect kids who go to summer school voluntarily to be insufferably intellectual and boring, I did not find this to be the case. Although I attended Summer@Brown with two of my friends from Bay, I met a whole group of kids who shared my interests with whom I could be myself and have fun.  

LOWS: This may be just a perceived low, but the classes at Summer@Brown do give out homework, and some even have tests and essays. While this does require you to spend some of your precious summer hours doing work, I can assure you it is work that you will enjoy. All of the classes at Summer@Brown are obviously elective, so your homework will likely interest you. Summer@Brown can also be very expensive, especially for those of us coming from the west coast who would require cross country airfare. Attendance for a two-week program (my suggested length of stay) is $3,540 for residential students, and $2,498 for students staying off campus. Scholarships are available, but are limited and competitive.

Feel free to contact me with questions about this program

Will Sano wsano@bayschoolsf.org