<p>Does anyone have first-hand experience or any kind of feedback about the Oxford Univ. summer program? Son went to the fall information session but I’m hoping for an insider’s view.</p>
<p>I don’t have any first-hand experience, but Alabama has been doing Alabama at Oxford for several decades, so it must be pretty well done.</p>
<p>My son went to information session last year, and he really wanted to do the program. Then, we saw the price, and immediately, plans changed. While it is an excellent program, and he knows people who went, the $7,700 price tag (excluding plane fare) was a little too steep. He decided that going to Belgium would be a better fit.</p>
<p>sophocles: D is, at this point, planning to go this summer. She’s taking a class with Dr. Mendle Spring semester and he is one of the profs on the trip. I don’t think she knows much beyond the information session and brochure either. </p>
<p>It is going to be more expensive than expected especially since we won’t have any scholarship funds to cover it, but when we had discussed the pros & cons of different schools she got accepted to, we had told her that we’d be able to help her out with “extras” such as study abroad if she took the full ride. And I checked and the $1400 for air fare is accurate!</p>
<p>Ha Ha, Rob D I think we said the same thing, about being able to afford a great summer program too. Things have changed a little bit, but I’m sure S will not forget our promise. But, I think these kinds of things can often be very impactful, so in most cases they are very worth it.</p>
<p>You might want to read some of Cupcake’s posts about US universities’ ‘Oxford programs’</p>
<p>There will be no UK students there over the summer as this is not what UK students do i.e. no regular summer school or regular registered students. Thererfore, you will be surrounded by Americans. You are very, very unlikely to be taught by Oxford professors - most likely by Oxford grad students or by profs from UA. You may be sharing dorm rooms which the regular students would have as singles during the regular terms </p>
<p>If you are OK to pay that amount of money for what is NOT an Oxford University experience in anything other than it’s in the same buildings, then go ahead.</p>
<p>But search for Cupcake’s posts and read what she says about Oxford (and Cambridge) US summer sessions…and maybe PM her. She was both a UG and PhD student at both Cambridge and then Oxford.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/study-abroad/967693-12-000-worth-8-weeks-university-cambridge.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/study-abroad/967693-12-000-worth-8-weeks-university-cambridge.html</a></p>
<p>My daughter participated in the Oxbridge Academic Program. She went to Cambridge for a month between 10th and 11th grade but they also have a program at Oxford. She loved it as did most of the kids. I would highly recommend this program</p>
<p>soccergirl: I totally understand that the summer program is run by UA profs. So does D. She’s planning on doing a semester in the UK plus an internship her junior year so we’re looking at this as a “starter” study abroad program. And since she was unable to take her planned trip to England last year with the high school, we’re also looking at it partially as a replacement for that too. </p>
<p>Thanks for the link :)</p>
<p>Thanks for the info, SoccerGirl. Like RobD, my son and I are aware that the program is administered by UA profs. but H apparently thought otherwise. He’s not totally on board with the idea after he realized this, but we have not ruled out Oxford as of yet. </p>
<p>Son will be in Europe this summer for a different trip and after talking to UA, we found out that he does not have to leave with the group from AL to travel to the UK; he could meet them at Oxford. This will save us a tremendous amount on airfare as he would already be on the continent. </p>
<p>RobD, doesn’t the NMF award cover some of the summer abroad cost, albeit not as much as we would have liked? As I perused through the various summer abroad programs, I was surprised to learn that Oxford is the most expensive. Inevitably, the school’s cachet comes with a price.</p>
<p>There are certainly other attractive venues that are of better value. I was pleasantly impressed to see the internship in Bangladesh at Grameen Bank, which together with founder, Mohammad Yunus, was the recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. Microcredit is a way out of poverty for many families in the developing world.</p>
<p>As I mentioned, Oxford is not set in stone. We’re in the exploratory stage at this point.</p>
<p>sophocles: A NM scholar receives $2000 for study abroad.</p>
<p>“There will be no UK students there over the summer as this is not what UK students do i.e. no regular summer school or regular registered students. Thererfore, you will be surrounded by Americans. You are very, very unlikely to be taught by Oxford professors - most likely by Oxford grad students or by profs from UA. You may be sharing dorm rooms which the regular students would have as singles during the regular terms”</p>
<p>Well, I don’t know a single Professor or lecturer who participates in such programs…simply, they earn just enough without it 
Grad students occasionally participate, yes, but mostly teachers from the university the students come from, or, there are several schools specializing on summer programs, and they have their teaching staff for summertime. </p>
<p>And yes, while in most cases (especially if a university, like UoA organizes the program) the students will be placed in an Oxbridge college, but there will be no Oxbridge students. Postgrads, yes, since doing a PhD is a full-time stuff, but we don’t live at the college’s main site (mostly). There are certainly no undergraduates, everyone goes home. But there are plenty of Americans and Europeans in summer schools, and millions of Chinese tourist each year 
The effectiveness depends on the summer program; surely a wonderful experience, eating each day at the college’s Harry Potter style hall, and such, but it is rather a holiday with some studying…and these schools have nothing to do with the Oxbridge education. Well, in 99.99% the university itself have nothing to do with the summer schools…and the colleges are just involved as placement for students, nothing more. Still, could be fun :)</p>