Summer Camps & Programs

Program Description

Cambridge College Programme

Precollege Summer Programme at University of Cambridge, England
Cambridge, England

		Program Description Program Overview Visit Web Site Get Free Info See Photos

For More Information, Contact
Ms. Taryn Edwards, Director
Cambridge College Programme, U.S. Office
175 East Delaware Place, Suite 5518
Chicago, Illinois 60611
312-787-7477
800-922-3552 (toll-free)
Fax: 312-988-7268
E-mail: info@cambridgeUK.org

Type of Program: Precollege academic and cultural enrichment
Participants: Coeducational, high school ages
Enrollment: Limited
Program Dates: Three-week session during July and August; optional one-week Paris trip afterward
Head of Program: Ms. Taryn Edwards, Director

Location

The University of Cambridge is made up of more than thirty colleges located in the city centre and its environs. The programme is held at several of these colleges. Headquarters is at Queens’ College, one of the most beautiful of all the colleges, which is located on the banks of the River Cam in the historic centre of Cambridge.

Background and Philosophy

This programme is the oldest established teen program at Cambridge. It is the only program at either Oxford or Cambridge where students are lectured only by faculty members associated with the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1986, the programme provides a stimulating and rigorous course of study for qualified and well-motivated students. It stresses the needs of the individual student and provides an opportunity to explore subjects on the skill-building level where no prerequisites are required.
    Faculty members guide students to master skills, to acquire knowledge, and to think critically, creatively, and independently. The programme’s structure fosters close association between staff and students for personal, social, and intellectual development.
    The director and staff live at the colleges with the students to supervise and ensure their safety and well-being. Academics are enriched with both field trips and day trips to historic sites, plus trips to London, Bath, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Stonehenge. Cultural enrichment is achieved through visits to London museums, a workshop for Shakespeare and Drama classes at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, and theatre performances in the West End.

Program Offerings

The programme offers a choice of academic study in courses. Last year they included History of Chemistry, Criminal Law, English Literary Villains, Veterinary Medicine, Philosophy of Mind, The British Monarchy, History of Calculus, Tibetan Buddhism, Jane Austen, Marine Biology, Special Relativity, Superstrings, A Hitchhiker’s Guide to 20th-Century Physics, Comparative Law, Psychology of War, Sociology, International Relations and Terrorism, Astrophysics, British Intelligence and the Art of Espionage, War and Chivalry, Biomedical Ethics, Photography, Scriptwriting, Moot Court, Archaeology, Philosophy, Shakespeare, Hamlet, Cambridge Scientific Discoveries, Studio Art, Saxons, Saints and Scholars, Psychology, Creative Writing, Debate, History of Art, Latin, Quantum Physics, Major World Religions, DNA Fingerprinting, Evolutionary Biology, Economics, Alfred Hitchcock, Journalism, Psychology and Law, World War II, Egyptology, Drama, Architecture and History, and Political Theory. In addition, there are daily group lectures and field trips on British cultural history. Supplemental lectures by distinguished professors enrich the curriculum on a variety of subjects, such as Roman Britain, the mysteries of Stonehenge, and much more. The large variety of evening activities includes tennis, punting, rowing, volleyball, croquet, basketball, lacrosse, squash, soccer, rugby, cricket, aerobics, swimming, field hockey, golf, running, chess, movies, salsa dancing, concerts, choir, plays on the College lawns, polo, fencing, ice skating, a James Bond party, and barbeques.
    Most students participate in the programme to broaden their knowledge and strengthen their skills rather than to gain academic credits. Each student receives an evaluation of performance for classwork, including detailed comments by their instructor, a syllabus of each course, and a certificate of attendance. Many students include these in their applications to colleges and universities, and many high schools and colleges give credit to students on the basis of these reports.

Enrollment

One of the most pleasant and beneficial experiences of the Cambridge College Programme is living and working with other students who represent diverse geographic locations, religions, races, and economic circumstances.

Daily Schedule

The day begins with a self-service breakfast, followed by the first course, freely elected, which meets from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Field trips are scheduled in conjunction with the lectures. The second course, British Cultural History, meets from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and is structured for the whole group, with lectures and field trips planned to enrich students’ knowledge of England. The afternoon course, also elected, meets from 2 to 3:30 and is followed by free time for exploring Cambridge or studying. Or students may use this time to rehearse for a play, orchestra, or choir, or take golf lessons or an SAT Review. Dinner is taken between 4:30 and 7:15 p.m., with 2 hours reserved afterward for the evening activities described above. Study hours are from 9 to 11 p.m.

Extra Opportunities and Activities

Excursions are supervised by the director and staff members. Four trips are taken to London for museums, sightseeing, shopping, and two plays, such as The Lion King or My Fair Lady, in the West End. Sites visited in London include the British Museum, the Tower of London, the National Gallery and Portrait Gallery, the new Tate Modern, Churchill’s War Rooms, Covent Garden, and Harrod’s. Sites viewed on day trips are Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and 10 Downing Street. Day trips are to Warwick Castle, Stonehenge, Bath, Ely Cathedral, and Stratford-upon-Avon for a Royal Shakespeare Company play such as Richard III.
    Though the daily schedule is a full one, there is ample free time to walk into town for lunch, relax with friends, play tennis, or punt on the River Cam. Cambridge is one of the most beautiful cities in England. Its college quadrangles of ancient stone buildings along the river surround gardens of trees, flowers, and manicured lawns. The city has an active cultural life during the summer, including concerts, plays, and special events during the Cambridge Festival, the annual historic fair, and the annual Shakespeare Festival. Museums, theatres, and shops are within a short walk of the colleges.
    All students have the option to participate in sports, which are scheduled in the early evening. The programme aims to provide practical experience in traditional British sports. Each year an exhibition and opportunity to play real tennis are offered, and the programme also offers daily supervised use of the weight and fitness gym at Queens’ College.
    There is an optional 10-hour workshop to coach students in how to mentally prepare for the PSAT/SAT exams, how to approach each section, and how to manage time during the test. Practice tests are taken, timed, and results discussed.
    There is also an optional one-week trip to Paris with the director and staff after the regular program, for a cultural feast of French history. This includes visits to the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, the Tuileries Garden, the Sacré Coeur, Notre Dame, Versailles, Claude Monet’s home, Vincent Van Gogh’s village, Rodin’s studio, a boat tour on the Seine, shopping, and more.

Facilities

Students have a private room in a college dormitory with daily maid service. The sexes are segregated, and all supervision and curfew enforcement is undertaken by the live-in director and staff.

Staff

The founder and director, Ms. Taryn Edwards, is Fmr. Honorary Senior Member of Staff at a college of the university, and a member of the College Board of Appeals. She has served on the Board of Trustees at the Putney School of Vermont and on the Board of Directors at the Chicago Academy. Ms. Edwards and staff are present throughout the programme.
    The faculty members are British lecturers and educators distinguished in their fields. The motivating faculty members care about their students and are available to them both in and out of class, creating an atmosphere in which learning is a positive experience.

Medical Care

Addenbrooke’s Hospital is available for emergencies on a 24-hour basis. Students are accompanied to these facilities by the director or a member of the staff.

Religious Life

The programme is nondenominational, but schedules of church and synagogue services are made available.

Costs

The 2006 resident-student charge, which included a private room in a college dormitory, breakfast and dinners while on campus (vegetarian meals available), theatre, excursions, scheduled transportation to and from London airports, entrance fees, linen, and daily maid service, was $5795. This fee excluded airfare, lunches, any dinners off campus, and tickets for some optional evening activities. A fee of $595 was required with each application. Optional costs included golf lessons, $250; Cambridge SAT Review fee, $500; and Paris trip, $2200, including all fees and excursions, room and breakfast, and transportation to Paris and to the airport for departure. It did not include lunch, dinner, or airfare home. Enrollment was limited to 75 students and the fee must have been paid in full immediately upon acceptance. Students can write or call the programme for a brochure that reflects 2008 costs.

Transportation

The director organizes a group for departure with her from Chicago to London. All students departing from other cities will be met by staff and private coaches at both London’s Heathrow and Gatwick Airports.

Application Timetable

Enrollment is limited, and there is a rolling admission policy.