Summer Discovery Oxford

Days start with breakfast and sign-in, then mix teaching and independent study with activities later on, though the balance depends on your age group. Students aged 16 and 17 have three three-hour seminars a week plus a one-hour tutorial, and Atlas's sample Tuesday shows how a seminar day fits around reading time, a masterclass and an evening outing. Atlas calls it a provisional shape, since timetables differ by subject and age group.

Students aged 13 to 15 have two lessons a day with their tutor and directed study sessions where on-course staff help with homework, with guided city tours and planned outings around them. For 16- and 17-year-olds, Saturdays are a full-day excursion, Sundays are for arrivals and orientation, and evenings include quiz nights, film screenings and formal dinners. Every course ends with a formal dinner and graduation.

Atlas recruits its own tutors through a multi-stage interview and says every one holds or is completing a postgraduate degree. For ages 16 and up, many are academics, researchers or subject specialists with university teaching experience, while tutors for under-16s are chosen for significant teaching experience or recognized teaching qualifications. Tutors write their own syllabus around their specialism and the group, so the same subject can cover different topics from one session to the next, and Atlas only confirms who's teaching closer to the summer.

Classes average eight students. From 16, you also have a one-hour tutorial each week, usually with one other student, where the tutor has read your essay or problem sheet in advance and spends the session questioning your argument.

Students aged 13 to 24 can apply if they have a genuine interest in their chosen subject and good written and spoken English. Atlas says its courses suit a wide range of academic abilities, and instead of a personal statement the form asks about your English level and whether you've been on an international summer program before.

You must apply for the group that matches your age on the first day of the course, either 13 to 15, 16 to 17 or 18 to 24, the last aimed at university students and early-career professionals. Atlas's admissions team reviews each application for fit and may suggest a different course, and places then go in the order applications arrive. Atlas publishes no cohort size or acceptance rate.

Two weeks cost £6,995 on the Plus package, £7,995 on Superior, £10,295 on Premier, or £5,795 if you don't live in. The residential packages cover tuition, a college room, meals, activities and excursions, travel insurance and a free Heathrow transfer, and they differ mainly in the room. Plus gives a single or twin room with a shared bathroom, Superior guarantees a private room and bathroom and adds a one-year deferral option, and Premier adds a room picked by a concierge, transfers at any time and a future coaching session. Students aged 13 to 15 get all meals, while 16- and 17-year-olds get breakfast and dinner only. What the non-residential option includes isn't spelled out, so ask before choosing it.

Flights, any visa costs and spending money are extra. Atlas suggests about £200 for 13- to 15-year-olds and £250 for 16- and 17-year-olds, which for older students covers lunches. On Plus and Superior the free transfer only works for flights landing at Heathrow between 08:00 and 15:00 on the start date, and the departure-day unaccompanied minor service costs £155.

A deposit of £1,295 (Plus and non-residential) or £1,495 (Superior and Premier) holds your place, and under the Plus terms the balance is due at least 90 days before the course starts, with payment plans available in between. Cancel within 14 days of paying the deposit and you get everything back. After that, Atlas keeps the deposit and refunds the rest of what you've paid on a sliding scale that drops to nothing in the last 47 days before the start, and Plus bookings can't be deferred.

Atlas keeps an on-course team on site 24 hours a day, and every staff member, from tutors to residential staff, has an enhanced DBS check (the UK criminal records check) and safeguarding training. Students get an induction when they arrive, then daily check-ins and curfews set by age, while families are given a 24/7 welfare contact before the course. Atlas is accredited by the British Accreditation Council. It doesn't publish staff-to-student ratios, but its admissions team will give details for a specific course.

Free time can mean leaving the college. Students aged 13 to 15 may go out in groups of at least three and 16- and 17-year-olds in at least pairs, both for short spells such as an hour. If a student falls ill, staff help them reach local medical services and keep parents of under-18s informed. The full arrangements are in Atlas's safeguarding and welfare guide.

You leave with a signed certificate from Atlas confirming your name, course and dates, plus written feedback from your tutor summarizing your engagement and progress. Neither comes from the University of Oxford or any of its colleges, and Atlas says most courses aren't credit-bearing, although some universities may recognize its 18 to 24 courses toward credit. Atlas also lists a personalized letter of recommendation from the tutor for its 18 to 24 group.

Leave early or be dismissed and you get no graduation certificate or letter of recommendation.