Apply to Summer School

Can I apply to UWC ISAK Summer School even if I cannot attend an information session?

Yes. We realize that many families, especially those outside of Japan, will not be able to attend one of our Summer School information sessions. We do ask that all students review our online Summer School brochure and guidelines before applying.

How do I determine if I am eligible for Summer School?

You must meet one of the following criteria as of July 15, 2022:

1. You are enrolled in Japanese middle school Grade 2 or 3
2. You are enrolled in a school other than the above and are 13 or 14 years of age

Is the Summer School application only available in English?

The application for Summer School 2022 must be completed in English.

What is the application deadline?

March 15th, 2022

What level of English is required to participate in the program?

The program is delivered in English. The applicant should have the potential to contribute to the program in English, even if his or her English capabilities are slightly limited compared to other participants. A conversational level of English is fine.

Will an equal number of applicants be accepted for each grade?

We have not set a specific number of students to be accepted for each grade level. However, in order to diversify the ages of students, we will try to achieve a balance between the grade levels.

Is there a limit to the number of students who are accepted from a specific nationality?

There is no limit for the number of students accepted from a specific nationality. The program will accept students based on their individual qualities, as well as the overall diversity of the student body.

Are there interviews?

No. There are no interviews.

Is there any financial aid available?

Yes! Please submit financial assistance form with the Summer School application. Financial assistance will be determined based on financial need.

My child is participating in extracurricular activities at school, which includes practice during summer vacation. Is it possible to join the Summer School for only part of the program?

We request that all students participate in the Summer School for the full length of the program. Unfortunately, we will not be able to accept participants who can only attend part of the program.

Is it possible to visit while Summer School is in session?

We are planning on arranging dates when parents can visit the school.

How do participants get to and from Summer School?

Transportation to and from Karuizawa is not included in the program, so parents will be responsible for making travel arrangements for their child. Please note that Karuizawa is on a major transportation route, so travel to and from Karuizawa station is relatively simple. We will assist students in getting from Karuizawa station to and from campus.

How will class composition be determined?

We will try to achieve a balance among nationalities, genders and personalities when dividing students into classes.

Will there be an equal number of male and female students?

We try to attain an equal number of male and female participants, although the ratio changes slightly from year to year.

Please explain more about the dormitory facilities at UWC ISAK.

UWC ISAK’s residential buildings are constructed as townhouses, which means that there is a row of attached units, each with its own door to the outside. Each building has a mix of units for faculty and students (faculty lives in private units adjacent to the student units, and with internal access to the student units). The student units are single sex (male and female students live separately), and each unit houses approximately twelve students, with two or four students sharing each bedroom. A living room/seminar area provides communal space for students to study and relax together outside of class hours. Each unit contains a small kitchen.
During the Summer School, counselors also live in the same units with students in the dormitories.

How are roommates assigned? What are the housing options? Are ‘single’ rooms available for students?

All students will live in single sex apartments (girls with girls, boys with boys). Students will be mixed by age, grade and nationality. We seek to encourage cross-cultural understanding through interaction, and thus students will not be permitted to have single rooms, and many students will have up to three roommates.

Can you describe the food plan at UWC ISAK and the costs involved? Will students be able to get vegetarian or special meals?

Students will eat meals in a communal cafeteria located in the main school building. The cost of meals is included in UWC ISAK’s fee for room and board, and meals will be provided three times a day, seven days per week. UWC ISAK’s cafeteria will be run by a catering company that takes pride in providing tasty, nutritious meals, which has extensive experience providing food to international schools in Japan with a wide variety of student dietary needs. We plan to offer alternative menu selections for vegetarians or students who have dietary restrictions due to medical or religious reasons.

What will happen in the case of an illness or injury?

Karuizawa Hospital is located just 10 minutes from the campus by car. In the case of an injury or if a student feels ill, there will be staff available to take the student to the hospital. Saku Central Hospital is also 30 minutes away from the campus.

Do we have to bring our own computer or i-pad?

No. We do not ask students to bring their own computer or i-pad. We will have computers available for students so that they can contact their family or friends during the program.

How much money should my child bring?

During the program we are not going to have any shopping outings or there is no opportunity to spend money on campus.

Do students need to bring extra spending money?

No. There is no need to bring spending money. All activities and outings are included in the program and there are no shopping excursions during summer school.

Will I be able to apply as an international student living outside of Japan?

Due to current border restrictions we can only accept students who are residents of Japan (at the time of summer school) OR hold a Japanese passport and can comply with government quarantine regulations if coming from abroad (the Japanese government currently requires new entrants to isolate for 2 weeks immediately upon arrival)

Will the Summer School take place on campus this summer?

Yes. We are currently planning to hold Summer School on the UWC ISAK Japan campus in Karuizawa. We will work closely with local health authorities to ensure we are taking the utmost caution and employing virus prevention best practices (such as PCR testing, mask wearing, sanitization, distancing, etc.). Our final safety measures will be determined by the up-to-date circumstances as we approach the start of Summer School in July.