Last month, we announced some exciting opportunities to study in the US this summer, including at Yale and Harvard Universities.
This blog answers all your questions about the Yale opportunity.
For further information about Harvard, please visit this blog.
Remember: you may apply for a place on both the Harvard Summer School and Yale Young Global Scholars Programme (YYGS) but you will only receive Seren funding for one of these, should you be successful.
For students who apply for both: places for Harvard will be announced before YYGS. Therefore, if you are successful in being offered a place at Harvard and YYSG you will automatically be discounted for Seren funding for the YYGS programme. You may still attend YYGS if successful but will need to fund this yourself as this will be outside of the YYGS Seren partnership.
Seren applicants to both Yale Young Global Scholars and Harvard Summer School in 2019 will need the following forms:
- Sign Up Form for 2019 Seren International Summer Programme Workshops
- Question Submission Form for 2019 Seren International Summer Programmes
- Scholarship Application Form for 2019 Seren International Summer Programmes
Overview
The Seren Network has extended and expanded its unique partnership with the Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) Program at Yale University, USA.
In 2018, 16 Seren students were admitted to Yale Young Global Scholars and received full funding to participate in academically rigorous two-week programmes on campus at Yale University in the USA.
For 2019, The Seren Network aims to support up to 30 Seren students to participate in the (YYGS Summer Program that will take place in New Haven (USA) and Beijing (China), providing a scholarship worth $6,250 per student co-funded by Welsh Government and YYGS.
YYGS is a summer academic enrichment and leadership program for outstanding high school students from around the world.
Each summer, students from over 100 countries participate in one of nine interdisciplinary sessions and immerse themselves in a global learning community.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- How do I find out more about the Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) programme?
To find out more about Yale Young Global Scholars, please click on the following link: https://globalscholars.yale.edu/
- How do I apply to the YYGS summer 2019 programme?
All students should follow the application process on the YYGS website. Please click on the following link: https://apply.globalscholars.yale.edu/apply/
- What is the deadline for applying to the YYGS summer 2019 program?
The closing date for applications to YYGS summer 2019 is 04:59 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) 7th February 2019. To apply, go to: https://apply.globalscholars.yale.edu/apply/
- What if I miss the deadline?
If you miss the application deadline, your application to YYGS will not be considered. All parts of the application must be complete for consideration for admission to YYGS.
- Who should apply to the YYGS summer 2019 program?
YYGS summer 2019 program is open to applications from anybody who meets the eligibility criteria described on the YYGS website. Please see the following link for details: https://globalscholars.yale.edu/applying/eligibility-requirements.
However, the Seren-YYGS Scholarship is only available to Seren Network students currently in Year 12 or the first year of A Levels at college if attending a further education college. The application process is highly competitive so only the strongest applicants will be offered admission.
The YYGS Program is designed to challenge top performing high school students with fast-paced, university-level material.
Prior to arriving at Yale, students are required to do several hundred pages of preparatory reading and during the program will spend the majority of each day in lectures, seminars, and small-group discussions.
Participants also complete a major writing and presentation assignment in which they are asked to collaborate with a team of students.
The academic work in the program is intense and each session covers a wide variety of material in two weeks.
Students must also be mature and able to engage respectfully and civilly in discussions over controversial intellectual, moral, and political issues.
A student in the program must have:
- An excellent academic record
- Demonstrated leadership potential
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- A desire and ability to work cooperatively with peers
- A good work ethic
- An ability to read, analyse, and reflect on large quantities of difficult material in English
- High standards of personal and professional conduct
- How long is the YYGS summer 2019 program?
YYGS is two weeks long, with sessions commencing from mid-June through to the end of July.
- Would I be travelling to YYGS independently or would someone be with me?
YYGS summer 2019 has different start dates ranging from mid-June through to late-July.
Sessions are also delivered in different locations (New Haven, USA and Beijing, China).
As a result, there will not be a designated party of Seren Network students or representatives travelling together.
Students applying should be prepared to travel independently and this should be a consideration before applying.
Any Seren students admitted to the same session (in the same location and with the same start date) are welcome to travel together and we will endeavour to help facilitate this where possible.
- Can I apply to the session in Beijing?
Yes, Beijing is definitely one of the options.
- What does the Seren-Yale Scholarship cover?
Tuition for each session of the 2019 Yale Young Global Scholars Program is $6,250 USD. The scholarship includes all programme costs
It also includes your accommodation in one of Yale’s historic residential colleges in New Haven or a hotel conveniently located near the Yale Center Beijing in China, three meals per day, and optional health insurance.
Travel is not included.
- How likely is it that my travelling costs will be covered?
The Seren-Yale Scholarship does not cover traveling expenses.
The Seren Network, will work with successful students to raise funds to support travel costs.
- As a Seren student, will I be guaranteed a position in the YYGS summer 2019 program?
No, Seren cannot guarantee the success of any individual application to YYGS. YYGS’s application process is highly competitive.
While the Seren-YYGS Partnership has identified up to 30 places that can be funded for Seren students in 2019, the standard of applications must still be high enough to be worthy of an offer of admission independently of the partnership, so only the strongest applications will be offered a space.
Applications will be considered by the YYGS admissions team and final decisions for admission to YYGS will be made by the YYGS admissions team.
- How will YYGS know that I’m a Seren student and how do I notify them?
You must complete the Seren International Summer Programme Scholarship Application Form at the following link:
https://equaleducation.typeform.com/to/fyoq5d
You must also inform your Seren hub coordinator of your application to YYGS. Your coordinator is required to provide a final list of applicants from their hubs. This final list will be submitted to YYGS as the final list of Seren-eligible applicants for the YYGS summer school.
You should also mention your membership of Seren within your application.
- When will I be notified whether my application to YYGS 2019 has been successful or not?
Applicants will be notified electronically of admissions decisions by late March/ early April 2019.
- Can students who are not members of The Seren Network apply?
YYGS is open to applications from across the world who meets the eligibility criteria described on the YYGS website.
Please see the following link for details:
https://globalscholars.yale.edu/applying/eligibility-requirements
However, the Seren-YYGS Scholarship is only available to Seren Network students who are successful in their applications to the YYGS summer 2019 program, and who have NOT previously attended a paid summer school in the US as part of a Welsh cohort.
Students who have benefitted from a scholarship, or supported financially by their unitary authority, or the welsh Government are not eligible for funding for 2019.
The application process is highly competitive and so only the strongest applicants will be made an offer of admission.
- Do I need to complete the financial aid portion of the application?
Yes, all applicants to the Seren-Yale Scholarship for YYGS summer 2019 must complete the financial aid portion of the application to be considered for this scholarship.
Students who do not apply for financial aid will not be eligible for the Seren-YYGS scholarship and should therefore also pay the application fee.
Please note that any admitted students who do not apply for financial aid will need to raise funds to cover their tuition independently of the Seren-Yale Young Global Scholars 2019 Partnership.
- How do I pay the $60 application fee? Is this covered by the scholarship?
Ordinarily, all applicants must pay the $60 application fee.
YYGS will waive the application fee if it would constitute a significant financial burden for the student’s family.
If this is the case, the 2019 Application Fee Waiver Form in the following link must be submitted with the financial aid portion of your Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) summer 2019 online application submission:
https://globalscholars.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/2019_Fee%20Waiver%20Form.pdf
You must also indicate if you require an application fee waiver in the Seren International Summer Programme Scholarship Application Form at the following link:
https://equaleducation.typeform.com/to/fyoq5d
- I have more questions relating to YYGS, where should I go?
Applicants should look out for information from their Seren hub coordinators and the Seren Network Facebook page about in-person and Facebook Live information sessions and workshops about 2019 Seren International Summer Programmes happening in January 2019.
Please see the following link to sign up to a workshop about the international summer programmes supported by Seren in 2019:
https://equaleducation.typeform.com/to/feLnI5
If you’re a Seren student, please submit all questions relating to the Seren-YYGS 2019 Partnership via the following link:
https://equaleducation.typeform.com/to/cB3obD
Year 13 Seren Students and YYGS alumni from 2018 will be more than happy to help you and talk you through the process. Please contact your hub coordinator to be connected with the YYGS students from your hub.
You can also email Liam Rahman, at liam.rahman@aya.yale.edu or – Manon Charles, at manon.charles@equal.international
Applicants can also seek guidance from their school’s university guidance counsellors and Seren hub coordinators. We do, however, advise that guidance in this FAQ document and from the YYGS website is followed and prioritised above other advice you might receive.
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