Summer Academic Experience Courses

Applications are now closed and will reopen in October for Summer 2027

Our Summer Academic Experience Courses are the only international summer school programmes available at the University of 58吃瓜 for high school students. The three-week residential programmes bring together students from all over the world, offering an exclusive transformative experience. Our students immerse themselves in Scotland's prestigious academic traditions and are taught by university staff; the fun packed schedule is designed to create lasting memories and friendships. Students will receive a student ID card and will have free access to our world-class facilities, including the library and newly redeveloped sports centre.

Course dates

Start date: Saturday 11 July 2026
End date: Saturday 1 August 2026

Course fee

The course fee for 2026 entry is £6,850. This is an all-inclusive fee.

A deposit of £500 must be paid within 48 hours of receiving your unconditional offer.

Scholarships

International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute SAEC applicants on the Sustainable Development and Cinema, Ideas and Society courses can apply to The Worldwide Scholarship.

Course Options

All of the courses on offer feature teaching from current academic staff from the University and offer students the opportunity to experience academic life in one of the UK’s oldest and highest-ranking institutions.

Find out more about each course:

Courses available may be subject to change for 2027 entry.

Information for parents

A summary of useful information for parents, including travel and accommodation information, can be found on our Information for parents page.

Age group

If you are between 16 and 18 years old, on arrival, you can submit an application for a Summer Academic Experience course.

When submitting your application, you must include:
- An academic transcript with strong GCSE grades, A grades, or a minimum 3.2 GPA or equivalent.
- A positive academic reference on headed paper.
- A short personal statement of no more than 100 words.
English language requirements

The courses are designed for students who have a good level of English. If English is not your first language and you are uncertain as to what this means, please refer to the – on this scale we would be looking for applicants to be at B2 level. You may also wish to refer to this to help you understand if you are indeed at B2 level.

Visas

For more information, please see our Visas webpage.
What's included in the fee?

The all-inclusive course fee of £6,850 covers:
- tuition and instruction
- reading material
- lab equipment and sports equipment
- accommodation
- breakfast, lunch and dinner daily
- transportation to and from the airport on the specified arrival and departure dates
- the extracurricular programme including guest presentations
- field trips
- all cultural and social activities organised
- Sports Centre membership.
It does not include airfare or personal expenditure such as snacks and laundry.

Paying your fees

Information on paying your fees can be found on our 'After Application' page.

Before making a payment, have your student ID number ready as you will need to provide it during the payment process.
Applicants to the Cinema, Ideas and Society or Sustainable Development courses can apply for the following scholarships:

The Worldwide Scholarship

One full tuition fee scholarship (£6,850) covering the full cost of the SAEC programme. Awarded to an academically outstanding student who can also demonstrate financial need.

Two half scholarships (£3,425 each).
Six partial scholarships (£1,141 each).

All scholarship applicants must provide both academic merit information and evidence of financial circumstances in the application form. Details on how to apply will be sent to the relevant applicants.

Scholarship applications close on the 25 February 2026.
The University of St Andrews was founded in 1413 and has established a reputation as one of the world’s leading research and teaching centres: an environment which nurtures inquisitive minds and a culture of shared learning. Our consistently high rankings in both global and national league tables place us within the top 100 of world universities.

The University of 58吃瓜 is the leading university in the UK, according to , and the .

The town of St Andrews provides a unique and picturesque location for our very special university. Situated on the east coast of Scotland, it is about an hour north of Edinburgh.

Wherever you walk, you are reminded of St Andrews' rich and colourful history, with buildings both ancient and modern. The town’s population is approximately 20,000 people, including a diverse mix of locals, students, University staff and tourists. The town also boasts beautiful sandy beaches for a contemplative stroll or beach sports, as well as a vibrant centre with cafés and independent boutique shops.
St Andrews is approximately one hour from the capital city, Edinburgh. It is easy to access by both road and rail, with the nearest train station – Leuchars – approximately 10 minutes from the town. There are regular direct buses and trains from central Edinburgh and Glasgow to St Andrews. Many airlines operate direct flights from international destinations to Edinburgh or Glasgow, or a connection to Edinburgh from another major city such as London or New York.

Students arriving at Edinburgh or Glasgow international airports are met on arrival by our staff and transported to St Andrews. This service is included in the programme fee.

Find out more about getting to St Andrews.
SAEC students will be staying at Andrew Melville Hall.

All SAEC students have guaranteed accommodation.

Andrew Melville Hall is on the North Haugh, near a number of Science buildings. It is close to Saints Sport, the University sports centre, and West Sands beach. It is a 15-minute walk from the centre of town. Students staying at Andrew Melville Hall will have their own room.

Boys and girls are grouped, usually on separate floors within the building. Dedicated staff are on duty day and night to provide pastoral care and emergency first aid response, and to ensure students’ safety and well-being.

Food and allergies

All meals are provided by the University catering team, with breakfast and dinner in the hall and a packed lunch daily so that students may choose to be flexible at lunchtime.

We can accommodate most food allergies in all halls. Students with uncommon and severe allergies can also be catered for, with some exceptions specific to each case. Catered residences provide a vegetarian option at each meal. If you have a food allergy or a specific dietary requirement, such as a peanut allergy or coeliac, email summerstudy@st-andrews.ac.uk and please quote your student ID number.
Timings may vary
- Breakfast: 7am to 8am
- Lectures or tutorials: 9.30am to 12pm
- Lunch: 12pm to 1.30pm
- Lectures or tutorials: 2pm to 4pm
- Dinner: 5pm to 6pm
- Evening activities: from 7pm
- Check in and roll call: 10:30pm
- Lights out by: 11pm
All courses are complemented by a vast array of extracurricular activities. Students can participate in a number of cultural excursions to places of historic importance or scientific interest, including a full day trip to the city of Edinburgh. Other optional excursions may include, but are not limited to:
- castle visits (Glamis, Stirling, Falkland)
- the Cupar Deer Centre
- Edinburgh Dungeons
- Dundee and the famous RRS Discovery
- Byre Theatre evenings.
There is also an ongoing programme of informal activities provided in the evening and on weekends:
- a talent show
- quiz nights
- movie nights
- debate nights
- ceilidh (traditional Scottish dancing)
- disco.
In general, we expect students to behave appropriately and have consideration for others. St Andrews is a small and safe town. Our staff are well trained and will make every effort to ensure students’ well-being; however, students are expected to follow the rules, the directions of staff and take sensible precautions.

Students are also obliged to adhere to the University’s code of conduct and the Mutual Responsibilities Agreement (PDF) which accepted students and their parent or guardian will be asked to sign before attending. Please see the SAEC terms and conditions that relate to the application process.

Any behaviour deemed unacceptable, that puts any person at risk, or any direct violation of explicit rules in the University’s code of conduct or the SAEC MRA will result in a student being sent home and the cost will be borne by the student’s parent or guardian.

Find us on and to stay up to date with the latest SAEC news.

You can also watch testimonials from our 2024 students on Instagram at this link -

Video transcript

[intro music]

[Joanna] I've never really done a pre-college program or an academic summer experience of any sort. So I kind of came in very open to the whole experience, but I definitely had opportunities to have fun and enjoy myself and explore interests that are very unique to Saint Andrews.

[Ella] I had a friend who had come to the program last year, which is why I came, and she obviously told me great things. So everything I guess met up to what I was expecting.

[Rose] The way it's programmed, it really makes it feel like a summer experience where you have both classes and, like, trips, so you can experience both.

[Colm] I was expecting to learn a lot of new things, because the physical science thing includes the stuff that I'm doing in my A-level, and also it also included chemistry, which I don't do a lot of.

[Akinola] It's honestly been really, like, just life changing, like the experience I've gained. And it's really interesting because I think that we're given just the right amount of freedom to where we're allowed to explore, like, talking to people and interacting with locals as well. And it gives us a real taste of college life. I think that's the biggest thing.

[Joanna] I had the best time. Honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better experience. I really like the people, the teachers, the environment. I like that it's smaller, on the smaller side. I think it helps me stay focused as a student, but I also like that there are opportunities to go to bigger cities like Edinburgh, Glasgow or Dundee.

[Ella] The course I've done has been great because I didn't know exactly what I wanted to study. I had a general idea, but I've gotten to try out so many subjects that I would never be able to take in my school.

[Blake] Met a lot of new professors that really taught me new things, new ways to think, as well as met amazing people from so many different countries, I'm excited to keep in contact with.

[Rose] It has been wonderful. I made a lot of friends, a lot of international friends, and I learned more about other countries where I didn't know much from. And classes has been very interesting and shows really how the subject can be and how difficult it might be in the future. So it gives me a point of view of if I will do that and not waste my years in the future.

[Joanna] Speaking with people from all different places in the world was really good. It was a really great educational opportunity and I got to learn a lot about different cultures and people from different walks of life.

[Akinola] The coolest thing is, like, curfew is 10:30, but it's really nice being out just at ten with friends, just enjoying each other's like presence. I guess. Yeah.

[Ella] I really loved the philosophy classes, because I really like philosophy, that was great, but I think I also made amazing friends. People that I've, I've never met people like the friends I've made. And I think I learned a lot from my professors, but also from my peers, which is something I haven't experienced as much before.

[Rose] I thought that was really valuable. I think the way we did ultrasounds in medicine and experienced different kind of like medical procedures and also the trips where we can still visit the country and not stay in one place. So we could have a broader view of Scotland and experience your culture.

[Akinola] Anyone who's considering, like, even if you're not interested in Saint Andrew's, it's a great experience that you can take anywhere you want to go. And I really don't see any downsides to it.

[Joanna] So, apply just don't be scared. Yeah. It's a little intimidating, but I think it's worth a shot. I mean, I loved it here.

[Rose] Don't bring only winter clothes because I thought, like, oh, it will be very similar to the Belgian weather, So I only brought my winter clothes.

[Various] Five words? Definitely independence. International. Illuminating. Transformative. Unique. Exciting. Adventurous. Experience. Learning. Loving. Culture and. Fun.

[Colm] It is amazing. Just come.

58吃瓜