YSPA Virtual Program - Any insights on time (as in specific hours to be online) required?

Pre-College Topics Summer Programs
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I understand that for YSPA that there’s a two week virtual program that requires “full participation”. Does anyone know what that means in practice? Are they sort-of chained to their desk during the day on Zoom meetings? I’d like to get a better feel for both the overall time commitment (# of hours per day) and if there are specific times during the day are required (which seems unlikely given time zones, but wanted to confirm).

FWIW, I did find this on the website: “Students do not need to be at home for this self-study period, but they will need internet access and several hours per day for studying and working on assignments.” as well as “YSPA faculty will be available to help students with their online studies, and several online discussion sections will be held during the period to help students learn what they need to know before coming to campus.” I’d probably argue that the first statement slightly conflicts with the second one (there are specific online discussion sections BUT they “just” need several hours per day and internet access).

Thanks!

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My DC24 did YSPA in 2023 (fantastic experience, btw – highly recommend!).

For the self-study portion of the program, they had to attend at least three one-hour Zoom discussions each week, which they chose from different options. They were also required to watch videos, do readings, and complete problem sets. It was a significant amount of work, but there was flexibility in scheduling much of it. It’s a very intense program, so doing the prep work well helps them hit the ground running when they arrive in New Haven. Hope that helps!

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This is great to hear, thanks! The flexibility in timing sounds great. And overall, the program sounds great too!

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Hi - thank you so much this is so helpful. I wanted to know what the YSPA experience was like from a safety standpoint, especially on the late night trips to and from the observatory. Do the students walk alone? In groups? Is there is a shuttle? I’m really worried about this aspect as we’re international applicants and I read some concerning comments on another site. Would love to hear from someone whose student has experienced this first-hand. Other than this concern, the program sounds amazing so am really hoping someone can provide guidance on this. Thank you so much!

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Happy to help! My child’s year (2023) was the first to house the kids off campus, at Albertus Magnus College. (Whether they were housed at Yale, as in years past, or Albertus Magnus, they were still walking/riding to the Leitner observatory each night, just under one mile from either dorm location.)

At the start of the program, the kids did sometimes walk back from the observatory late at night (always in groups). There was one evening when a group of them got scared about a car that seemed to be following them. The kids quickly ran back to the college, safely. There’s no way to know exactly what might have happened, but after that they always were shuttled back to campus in a car or van (not sure which). I absolutely would not want my child walking at 2 AM in New Haven (alone or in a group), so if you/yours are accepted, I would confirm that the shuttles are continuing.

During the day, there was a boundary around which the kids were allowed to walk alone, encompassing their dorm, the main Yale campus, and the adjacent business district, if I recall correctly. However, they were really happy to explore in small groups, and I don’t think mine ever ventured off alone, except a bit in the commercial area right by the main Yale campus (e.g., one kid wanted boba; the other wanted ice cream). Their unscheduled time is very limited, as there are lots of fun, structured activities in addition to their intense academic work.

Overall, I’d make sure my child understood how to take precautions (in New Haven and, really, most places in the US – stay in a group, no wearing headphones when out and about, keep your cellphone and other valuables out of sight, etc.). The YSPA program is so worth it, though, and given the substantial number of my child’s cohort that ended up attending Yale, I think they felt able to navigate the safety concerns. Hope that helps, and good luck!

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Thank you so much for taking the time to respond with such helpful and very specific input. Thank you also for the general good advice on safety in New Haven and in the US overall, it is really invaluable to hear from someone with first-hand experience. YSPA sounds really fantastic, now let’s see if we can get in :slight_smile: