Overview
The Summer Academy is designed to enhance the academic profiles of highly motivated Abu Dhabi-based Emirati high school students. Following a competitive admissions process, summer scholars are selected as recipients of the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholarships for Outstanding High School Students in preparation for entry into top-tier, English-language universities.
The program is co-educational, cross-cultural in approach, and rigorous in its educational offerings. For two summers after the 10th and 11th grades, a group of up to 30 students have the opportunity to study for approximately five weeks at NYU Abu Dhabi and at two of NYU's global locations: Florence, Italy, and New York City, U.S.
The summer 2012 program commences June 27, 2012, and ends July 25, 2012.
Note that the program for the Class of 2012 concludes on July 20, 2012. Only short individual tutoring sessions will be scheduled during the week of July 22-25, 2012 for the Class of 2013.
Program Goals
- Instill in students the intellectual resources and skills necessary for success at top-tier, English-language universities through the two-summer curriculum.
- Introduce students to the study of the humanities and to the value of a liberal arts education.
- Develop students' understanding of the cultural norms of Western universities.
- Spur personal growth and maturity; cultivate leadership potential.
- Prepare students to excel on the standardized tests necessary for university entry.
Program Benefits
- Develop confidence in the ability to speak, read, listen, write, and think in English.
- Hone the quantitative and analytical skills necessary for university entry.
- Attend one-on-one tutoring sessions for standardized test preparation.
- Gain exposure to the rigors of a Western university classroom.
- Acquire invaluable cross-cultural experience by studying in Florence and New York City.
- Receive continuing guidance and mentoring through the junior and senior years of high school.
- Practice leadership and interpersonal skills.
Program Model
The two-summer curriculum comprises courses in these fields:
- Critical thinking, writing, and discussion in academic English
- Mathematical reasoning for the sciences
- College admission counseling and standardized test preparation
- Leadership development
In all aspects of the curriculum and structure — including classroom and non-classroom-based activities — the program emphasizes the academic standards, norms, ethics, and values appropriate to the culture of English-language higher-education institutions. Faculty appointed by NYU will teach the courses, and all instruction will take place in English. The curriculum also provides the opportunity for international and intercultural experiences in Florence and New York City.
Program Locations
- Summer I: Abu Dhabi (typically late June-early July) and NYU Florence (typically mid- to late July)
- Academic Year I: Abu Dhabi (one fall weekend and one spring weekend, plus ongoing online instruction)
- Summer II: Abu Dhabi (typically late June-early July) and NYU New York (typically mid- to late July)
- Academic Year II: Abu Dhabi (one fall weekend)
Summer I: Abu Dhabi and NYU Florence
(follows American school year 10, or equivalent)
After the first three weeks studying in Abu Dhabi, the Summer Academy students will travel to Florence, Italy. Florence, as the birthplace of modern Western culture, is the ideal location for students to build the foundational background for the study of humanities, arts, and science. The NYU Florence campus, wholly owned and operated by NYU, provides outstanding student residence hall, classroom, and meal facilities. Many of the Summer Academy students will be in their first-ever co-educational program, and some will be away from home for the first time. Since the campus is entirely self-contained, the program intends to have all participating students pledge to use only English in their conversations with faculty, staff, and each other throughout their two-week stay. This English-language pledge will be reinforced by the presence of other English-speaking students and faculty on the campus, and by interactions with others who will meet with the students as leaders and mentors. Students will also visit major institutions that will acquaint them, first hand, with the rich intellectual, historical, cultural, and economic vitality of Tuscany that has had such a powerful influence on the direction of higher education in the West.
- Weeks 1-3: In Abu Dhabi, students will live at home and commute to NYUAD's downtown campus for daytime instruction. Housing will be provided for students from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi who live outside the city.
- Weeks 4-5: In Florence, students will live in supervised dormitory housing on the NYU Florence campus. Structured and supervised weekend activities will be planned in Florence and surrounding areas, including visits to museums, sports events, performances, and exhibitions.
Upon successful completion of Summer I, students will participate in follow-up activities during their junior year in high school to sustain and build on what they have learned. Students will return for Summer II to enroll in advanced courses following the same academic structure as the first summer. Concomitantly, a new cohort of up to 30 students will enroll in the Summer I experience.
Academic Year Instruction: Abu Dhabi Weekends and Virtual Classes
During the academic year, the students:
- Participate in an online critical thinking and writing class where they continue to develop their abilities to be active, thoughtful, analytical readers and writers.
- Take eight SAT practice tests to familiarize themselves with the types of questions they will be expected to master.
- Receive extensive feedback on their SAT test performance during virtual classes with their SAT tutors.
- Re-engage as a community of learners during two academic weekends of intensive test preparation classes.
Summer II: Abu Dhabi and NYU New York
(follows American school year 11 or equivalent)
During the second summer, following three weeks in Abu Dhabi, students will travel to New York City for approximately two weeks. There, students will be exposed to the varied cultural events, sights, and institutions that have made New York the most dynamic and culturally rich city in the United States; the destination capital of the world for business, finance, art, and culture; and a magnet for learning and entrepreneurialism.
- Weeks 1-3: In Abu Dhabi, students will live at home and commute to NYUAD's downtown campus for daytime instruction. Housing will be provided for students from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi who live outside the city.
- Weeks 4-5: In New York City, students will live in supervised dormitory housing on the NYU Washington Square campus. Structured and supervised weekend activities will be planned, including visits to Broadway shows, sports events, museums, performances, and exhibitions.
Selection Process
The Summer Academy does not accept individual applications from students, but rather seeks nominations from high school principals in Abu Dhabi from both national and private schools. In selecting students, the program considers the student's record of academic achievement as demonstrated in the school transcript, comprehension and writing ability in English, motivation, potential for growth, leadership ability, and academic progress. We are most interested in students who demonstrate the ability to benefit from the program and who show the potential to make improvement in their skills. Nominations are accepted until February 20, 2012. After this, finalists will be named and required to complete a formal interview process at the NYUAD campus. Nomination applications must be submitted to the NYUAD Summer Academy by February 20, 2012.
Tentative Timeline for 2012
- January 11, 2012: Parent and Student Information Session, NYUAD Downtown Campus
- February 20, 2012: Deadline for school nominations
- March 11-12, 2012: Selection interviews, NYUAD Downtown Campus
- Late March, 2012: Student notification
- Late April – Early May: Announcement of the Class of 2013
- June 26, 2012: Out-of-town students arrive at program
- June 27, 2012: First day of classes in Abu Dhabi — Saturday to Thursday class schedule
- July 10, 2012: Travel to NYU Florence/NYU New York
- July 11, 2012: Classes resume in Florence and New York — Monday to Friday class schedule
- July 19, 2012: Last day of classes in Florence and New York, and closing reception in New York
- July 20, 2012: Return to Abu Dhabi; Program concludes for Class of 2012
- July 22-25, 2012: Individual tutoring sessions for Class of 2013
- July 25, 2012: Iftar closing dinner for Class of 2013
Completion
Upon successful completion of the two-summer program of study, students will receive a Certificate of Completion from New York University. We anticipate that graduates of the NYUAD Summer Academy will present extraordinarily compelling admissions dossiers to the top English-language universities in the world, including NYU Abu Dhabi, and all students will be eligible to request letters of recommendation from Academy faculty to support their university applications.
Contact Information
Aisha J. Hamisi
NYU Abu Dhabi
P.O. Box 129188
Phone: +971 2 628 4023
Email: ajh14@nyu.edu
For more information, email nyuad.summeracademy@nyu.edu.
