High School Program

The Oxford Summer Seminars

Grades: 10 - 12

Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford

Program Overview

The Seminars are condensed versions of our 4-week Tradition program in which participants experience life at the University of Oxford. They choose one subject per session to explore with an expert.

Outside the classroom, students attend academic talks, take part in workshops designed to exercise their academic skills and assist with their university applications and, of course, immerse themselves in Oxford’s remarkable cultural scene, from attending productions of Shakespeare to visiting historic sites such as the Bodleian Library, Christ Church College, and Blenheim Palace.

Costs & Payment

One-week session

$3,885

Session one: July 27 - August 3
Session two: August 3 - August 10

$3,885

Combined sessions

$7,125

July 27 - August 10

$7,125

Tuition Information: Costs include accommodation, classroom instruction, workshops, field trips, two daily meals, and all program-organized activities. We also offer a select number of scholarships based on financial need. For full details, see our Tuition page.

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A Day in the Life

Breakfast in Hall
Classes on topics ranging from Creative Writing to Psychology meet in classrooms, labs, studios, or out in Oxford
Students can choose to have lunch at any local restaurants or sandwich shops in town
Students join in optional organized activities or trips and tours in and around Oxford, including various sports, museum visits, college and library visits, plays, competitions, real tennis, and punting.
Dinner in Hall
Evening activities, events, or shows

What's Included

Access to cultural sites and local events

Accommodations

Extracurricular activities, workshops, and event offerings

Continuous support

On-site staff of experienced professionals

Local meals

Full Course List

Business

Creative Writing

Taking inspiration from the city's quirky history, students seek to master different genres. They experiment with comedy, drama, horror, realism, satire, and tragedy, as well as memoir and poetry. They also hone their technical skills of characterization, dialogue, and narrative structure. One day is dedicated to the machinations of publication. Topics include copy-editing and manuscript preparation in different media. Students leave Oxford with a budding corpus of work.

Critical Thinking

How might the rise of the "selfie stick" be related to the popularity of first-person video games? What does our obsession with professional sports say about us? Why, exactly, is Kim Kardashian famous? This course analyzes the strange phenomena that define contemporary society through radical postmodern philosophy. Students will be challenged to engage with writers from Jean Baudrillard to Slavoj Zizek as a means of critically reassessing the world around them.

Economics

English Literature

International Relations

This course focuses on key issues of the day. Subjects covered include globalization and its political, economic, and social effects; environmental challenges; new forms of war and peace; the changing nature of global security; peacekeeping operations; regional complexities of areas like the Middle East, Africa, and South-East Asia; and the relationships and rivalries that define global order today.

History

Law

Leadership

Regardless of their interests, students gain a better understanding of how to take action and lead. Interactive workshops on goal-setting, communication, negotiation, and team-building form the core of this course. Students explore case studies drawn from history and business and meet with leaders from different walks of life to gain a perspective on what it takes to lead successfully in any arena, to discover what they have to offer, and to develop confidence about their skills.

Medicine

This hands-on course introduces students to key aspects of medicine and modern medical practice. Combining specialist lectures with experiments and class discussions, students learn the main principles of human anatomy and physiology, the pathology and significance of certain diseases, the main challenges that medical science faces today, and the variety and changing nature of careers in medicine.

Politics

What goals and methodologies, if any, do politicians around the world share? To what extent are politicians able to change contemporary society? And how can the social sciences be used to explain electoral outcomes? Working on contrasting political systems, data analyses, domestic politics, international relations, and political philosophy, students decrypt the fundamentals of 21st-century politics.

Psychology

Cultural Enrichment

Every class is designed to use Oxford as a teaching tool. When not in class, students have access to a full range of activities designed to help them discover Oxford and immerse them in English culture. They have the option to take tours of sights like the Bodleian Library and Christ Church, take part in a variety of sports, or attend local Shakespeare productions. Alongside, students are given the opportunity to learn about applying to UK universities.

Residence Info

Accommodation and Rooms

In Oxford, students live in rooms that are occupied by undergraduates during the year. Students are housed in singles or doubles. Students can request a private bathroom (for a fee), on a first-come, first-served basis.

Facilities

Students have access to common areas within the residences as well as a variety of sporting and educational facilities (gyms, basketball courts, tennis courts, pitches, libraries). Oxbridge provides every program with computers, so students have daily access to email and social media. The program staff maintains message boards and distributes mail every day.

Meals

Students enjoy breakfast and dinner in their residence's dining halls. Breakfast is primarily continental style with choices such as cereal, yogurt, fruit, toast, coffee, and tea. Several options are available at dinner, including a vegetarian dish and a salad bar. Special dinners are regularly held, and each program ends with a formal banquet. Students are responsible for their own lunch, which can be purchased from a college snack bar or one of the many sandwich shops, small restaurants, patisseries, or bodegas near each residence.

After the Program

Shortly after the program, all students and their parents receive a comprehensive set of grade reports, presenting their course syllabus and highlighting their specific contributions and achievements within their course(s). Most of our alumni later ask for additional copies to include in their college applications.

Immerse yourself in some of the world's greatest cultural centers

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What People Are Saying About Oxbridge Academic Programs

This was by far the most informative-while-being-interactive class I've ever had, and it made learning easier and more fun. Oxbridge made a huge impact on me by increasing my confidence and uncovering my strong interest in global business that I now hope to pursue.

Avery

Oxbridge Student

Thanks to the Cambridge Tradition experience, my daughter is much more mature, has a better knowledge of how to live abroad without her family, and she's better prepared for university! Her time at Oxbridge reaffirmed that she wants to study architecture and now she has all the skills to reach her goals.

Ana Maria

Cambridge Tradition Parent

Our daughter had a wonderful experience, and she found the Psychology and Genetics courses engaging and useful. She learned new things, made friends, and had 4 amazing weeks! Many thanks to your entire team for making this possible!

Oxbridge Parent

Our daughter loved the Oxford Prep program. She enjoyed her Major, made nice friends, and really began to feel more independent and confident while exploring beautiful Oxford. A great experience through and through and just what we all were hoping for! In fact, she is already talking about participating in the Cambridge program next year.

Daniel

Oxbridge Prep Parent

Just wanted to reach out to thank you for helping to make my daughter's summer spectacular! She returned on Saturday and has clearly grown from the summer experience. She raves about her time with Dr. Tijn Van Winden and her French teacher.

Sanjeev

Oxbridge in Paris Parent

Thank you for making my son's experience at Cambridge so memorable! Usually reserved, he talked the whole way home from the airport about what he learned in class, the friends he made, and the museums he visited. My son was initially a bit reluctant to attend a two-week course, but at the end of the second week - he was sad it was ending so quickly!

Cambridge Prep Parent