Call Amy VanStone at
(800) 913-7151 or email summeradvantage@aifs.com

Visit us online at www.summeradvantage.com

China
England
France
Italy
Russia
Spain

Letter from the Director

It's been a busy couple of weeks in the Summer Advantage office as we've prepared all of our students for departure to their various international destinations. I smile when I think about a Paris student's first glimpse of Notre Dame, a Granada student's first taste of authentic Spanish tapas, or a St. Petersburg student's first visit to the Hermitage. Our students are having exciting new experiences every day, and I'm proud of them for having an adventurous spirit and curiosity about other cultures.

The phones may be quiet, but the Summer Advantage staff is still hard at work planning next summer's programs. Don't forget to request a catalog online – if you request one over the summer, we'll mail it to you as soon as it's published in the fall. Visit www.summeradvantage.com/brochure.asp to put in your order.

Whether you're at home or abroad, I hope that you're having a great summer! For those of you who are not attending a Summer Advantage program, there's always next year (don't forget about our college programs). For those of you who are on one of our programs, remember: be safe, have fun, and send us a postcard!

Cheers,

Amy Van Stone
Director
(800) 913-7151
avanstone@aifs.com
www.summeradvantage.com

Adventures in China

Students on the Nanjing program left the U.S. for China just a few days ago, and they're having a busy first week! They've already gone on an excursion to the Great Wall, as well as attended an acrobatic show.

Learn more about AIFS Summer Advantage in Nanjing: http://www.summeradvantage.com/china/nanjing/

The AIFS Value

AIFS Summer Advantage takes the stress out of studying abroad by providing students with:

• Housing and meals
• On-site Resident Director
• AIFS support services—academic advice, visa assistance
• AIFS Student Advisory Center for tips on budget, travel, tours, flights, etc.
• Transcripts for transfer credit
• Scholarships
• Guaranteed fees to protect against currency fluctuation

Visit our website for more information about the SA Value: http://www.summeradvantage.com/value.asp

Travel Tips: European Numbers

Numbers: A European's handwritten numbers look different from ours. The 1s have an upswing. The number 4 often looks like a short lightning bolt. If you don't cross your 7, it may be mistaken as a sloppy 1, and you could miss your train. Avoid using "#" for "number" — it's not common in Europe.

Counting: When counting with your fingers, start with your thumb. If you hold up your first finger, you'll probably get two; and making a "peace" sign to indicate the number two may get you three.

Dates and decimals: Europeans reverse the day and month in numbered dates. Christmas is 25-12-08 instead of 12-25-08, as we would write it. And on the Continent, commas are decimal points and decimals commas, so a dollar and a half is $1,50 and there are 5.280 feet in a mile. (Britain and Ireland use commas and decimal points like North America.)

Floors: Floors of buildings are numbered differently. The bottom floor is called the ground floor. What we would call the second floor is a European's first floor. So if your room is on the second floor (European), bad news — you're on the third floor (American). On the elevator, push whatever's below "1" to get to the ground floor. On an escalator, keep the left lane open for passing. Stand to the right.

From Rick Steves’ Europe: www.ricksteves.com

Missed Your Chance for Summer Advantage?

Study Abroad in College with AIFS!

Although Summer Advantage is solely for high school students, the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS) offers you the opportunity to study abroad in college, as early as your freshman year, with our world renowned college study abroad programs.

AIFS has a full range of college study abroad programs for the summer, semester, and academic year. With campuses in Argentina, Australia, Austria, China, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, England, France, India, Ireland, Italy, Peru, Russia, South Africa and Spain, and courses across most disciplines, there is something for everyone!

Contact Admissions Advisor David Mauro at (800) 727-2437 ext. 5163 or dmauro@aifs.com for any questions or to request a college study abroad catalog. To learn more about AIFS’ exciting study abroad programs, visit http://www.aifsabroad.com.

Spread the News

If you’ve caught the travel bug from reading The Inside Track, forward this one to a friend. Or, send us their name and email address, and we’ll put them on our email list. Write to John Hylton at summeradvantage@aifs.com with your street and e-mail address to subscribe.

Summer Advantage Quick Links

Request a brochure: www.summeradvantage.com/brochure.asp
Contact us: www.summeradvantage.com/contact_us.asp
About us: www.summeradvantage.com/about_us.asp
Scholarship Info: www.summeradvantage.com/scholarships.asp
AIFS College Study Abroad: www.aifsabroad.com

AIFS Summer Advantage study abroad programs provide high school students ages 16 or older who have completed their sophomore year with a taste of university life before they enroll in college, as well as help strengthen their prospects for acceptance at a university through foreign language study or liberal arts courses abroad. Most U.S. colleges accept transfer credits for completed work.

Other AIFS Programs:

AIFS programs provide the highest quality educational experience. High school students from many countries study and live with American host families in the U.S. with Academic Year in America. The Au Pair in America program enables American families to host international young people, who assist with childcare and share their culture. Our College Division organizes study abroad for U.S. students at 18 campuses abroad including Richmond, the American International University in London. The Summer Institute for the Gifted (SIG) offers three-week summer residential and day programs on college campuses for academically talented students in grades K through 11. Camp America and Resort America bring young international visitors to the U.S. to serve as camp counselors and support staff during the summer.