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How many students will be in the program? We expect to have between 45 to 55 students in each session, depending on the quality of the applicant pool. Students range from rising freshmen to just-graduating seniors. We have had students from around the US, the UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Switzerland, Colombia, Chile, Jamaica, Mexico, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and New Zealand. The gender balance in the past sessions has been about even. No. Ability to speak Chinese is not a pre-requisite for participation in the program. We have a variety of class styles depending on the material being studied. When important information needs to be presented to all of the students, such as in the Core Courses we will use a lecture. This format is used least often. For the Major and Minor Elective Courses, students will be divided into two or three groups and meet as a seminar with ample time for discussion and asking questions. Many of the classes involve investigative learning with students interviewing people and studying sites beyond the campus. Students also undertake numerous field studies and excursions to investigate for themselves the key issues discussed in class and get extensive opportunities to interact with Chinese from different walks of life. The Arts Appreciation Workshops are also divided into two or three sections. These workshops are interactive so that students can experience these traditional arts hands-on rather than just hearing about them. The Mandarin Tutorials will be small with only two to four students per group based on a student's background in the language. (There is no language pre-requisite for the program. We will have tutorials ranging from beginning to advanced Mandarin.)
East China Normal University has a wide variety of sports facilities available for student use: courts for basketball, volleyball, tennis, badminton, and table tennis. A large grass area directly in front of the dormitory accommodates pick-up games.
We will eat in the dormitory dining hall for most breakfasts and lunches and in various restaurants around Shanghai for dinners. The food served will usually be pre-ordered so as to accommodate the preferences and special dietary restrictions of participants. Breakfast in the dining hall is served buffet style and usually consists of Chinese steamed buns, vegetables, toast, eggs, rice porridge, orange juice, milk, and breakfast cereals. Since we eat Chinese style with ten or so around a table, there is a wide variety of choices, usually around ten different dishes. These dishes might typically include steamed rice, fried rice, vegetables, pork, beef, fish, tofu, soup, dumplings, or noodles. Students are consulted on their preferences and no one is made to eat any of the exotic foods you might imagine being served. Additionally, we will sample foods from the different regions of China. By the end of the four weeks, expect to have your interest in and enjoyment of Chinese food expanded.
Lots of vegetables! If you like tofu, you will have even wider choices. Shanghainese cuisine is known, amongst other things, for its preparation of fresh vegetables. We will ask you before you come to Shanghai exactly what your dietary restrictions and favorites are. We will take those into account when pre-ordering our meals. A number of program administrators and students in previous sessions were vegetarians. Yes, each student will share a double-room with another student or have a single room attached to a suite shared with three other students.
No, the two-night homestay at the home of a high school student in Suzhou is optional. However, in the past 100% of our students have chosen to participate and most consider it one of the most significant and interesting part of their four weeks. Host students come from top high schools in Suzhou. Homes selected are comfortable with air-conditioning and modern amenities.
The granting of high school credit is always up to the student’s high school. We will be happy to supply a full list of the courses and subject matter each student has studied to the school. Often having participation in the program listed on your transcript is helpful in the college admission process. Check with the college guidance counselor at your school.
Application Forms are available only by download from our website. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis from December 10, 2007. The deadline for submitting an application is March 31, 2008.
Students and parents will receive an acknowledgement of receipt by e-mail once we receive the full set of application materials. Admissions decisions are generally made within one to two weeks thereafter. Students and parents can inquire about the status of an application at any time via e-mail to info@foundationprograms.com. Our Admissions Office will respond to your e-mail within two working days.
Students wishing to apply for financial aid should make sure that their parents or guardians fill out the financial aid application forms completely and submit all required documentation to us by March 15. The granting of financial aid is based on need. Because aid resources are limited, we make every effort to enable as many outstanding students as possible to attend the program, but we may not be able to grant aid to every student who applies or to award as much aid to individual students as we would like.
No. The published dates for the two sessions, June 25 to July 22 and July 25 to August 21, are the dates you will arrive in and depart from Shanghai. If you are traveling from the US or Europe, you will depart one day earlier, June 24 or July 24, in order to arrive in Shanghai on June 25 or July 25. If you are traveling from Asia, you will depart on the same day as you arrive in Shanghai. On your return home, you will arrive on the same day as your departure from Shanghai.
A number of students in past years have arrived in China before the first day of the program and have stayed on to visit and travel. Rooms at East China Normal University will only be available on the first day of the program and must be vacated on the last day, unless the student is participating in a Glimpses of China extension program.
The program is designed as a boarding experience in which all participants share. Individual students may not stay with relatives during the four-week program. Of course, students may visit relatives in Shanghai or spend time with family or friends visiting Shanghai during their free time.
The program fee does not include cancellation insurance. Students and parents who feel such a need should purchase their own cancellation insurance. Please refer to Section 3 of our Terms & Conditions (on page 6 of our Application Form) for details regarding our cancellation policy.
You will need to obtain a VISA to travel to China. After you have been accepted to the program and officially enrolled, you will receive information packets with answers to all of your questions. We are available by e-mail: info@foundationprograms.com, fax, and phone to answer your questions and to help make this one of the best experiences of your life. |