FAQs
Frequently asked questions from parents and students. If your question is not answered here please contact us, we'd love to help!
Will I need a visa to study at World Scholars Academy Hawaii?
World Scholars Academy takes place in Hawaii, United States. Currently the nationals of many countries are eligible to enter the United States for up to 90 days under the Visa Waiver Program. We recommend this pathway be used if you are eligible. If you are not eligible for the Visa Waiver Program, then you will be required to obtain a Visitor Visa to enter the United States. In all cases, it is the student’s responsibility to make appropriate plans to obtain a Visitor Visa or to be eligible for a Visa Waiver in ample time to attend their desired World Scholars Academy session. However, we can provide documentation to assist with the visa applications of registered students. For timings, we recommend that students contact their local visa issuing authority for the most up-to-date and accurate information. In addition to meeting any visa requirements for entry into the United States, please also ensure that your passport has sufficient time to run before its expiry.
How do I get to World Scholars Academy Hawaii?
Fly into Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL, also known as Honolulu International Airport). This is the only major civilian airport on the island of O’ahu. Please inform us of your flight details in advance. If you arrive within our requested timeframe, we will meet your child at their arrival terminal and transport them to World Scholars Academy on our free shuttle. If this is not possible for you, we can recommend a friendly taxi company. The drive from the airport to our campus takes approximately 50 minutes. Please contact us for further details.
My child isn’t used to travelling alone, can you help?
We appreciate that travelling alone can be quite daunting, but we’re here to help.
- On arrival day our staff will meet your child at the airport and will transport them on our free shuttle to World Scholars Academy. We will also give them our staff’s contact number so that if they have any problems they can contact us immediately. On departure day, we will also transport your child to the airport, and will be present there if they need any further assistance in boarding their flight home.
- If your child is not able to arrive or depart within our requested timeframes, we can recommend a friendly taxi company to provide them with transportation from/to the airport.
We want to make your travelling experience as easy and stress-free as possible, so please contact us if you have any concerns and we will do our best to help!
When is the earliest (latest) I can check-in (depart)? What if I want to arrive earlier (stay longer)?
ARRIVALS
Should I get travel and medical insurance?
Our terms and conditions require you to take out comprehensive health, contents, and travel insurance to cover you in case you have to cancel your place on the summer school for any reason.
What level of English language ability is required?
To get the most out of the course we recommend that by the time the programme starts students possess English language ability corresponding to at least a 7 on the IELTS or equivalently a score of 22 on both the Listening and Reading sections of the TOEFL or a C1 on the CEFR. Depending on circumstances exceptions may be granted. Please contact us to assess your child's case individually.
What if my child has an illness or injury during the summer school?
All our supervisory staff are first-aid trained to be able to deal with health problems with the appropriate urgency. Our nearest hospital is Kahuku Medical Centre which is just 6 miles (10km) from campus.
World Scholars Academy Coronavirus Update
Short on time? Here is the Executive Summary:
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World Scholars Academy remains open for business
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We continue to accept all bookings and our 2020 summer programmes are scheduled to go ahead as planned.
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We are closely monitoring expert advice from the US government, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and relevant trade bodies, and will update our guidance as this complex situation continues to evolve.
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The health and welfare of our students and staff remains our highest priority. We have robust systems and protocols in place to provide the best possible care and support to students and staff throughout their stay.
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If for whatever reason our summer school does not go ahead, we will issue a 100% refund of all funds remitted to us, including deposits.
We know that you may have concerns or questions about the current outbreak of coronavirus, and how it may affect your summer with World Scholars Academy.
We are pleased to confirm that World Scholars Academy is very much open for business this summer. We continue to accept all bookings and our 2020 summer programmes are scheduled to go ahead as planned. We are looking forward to welcoming students to an exciting and busy summer school at our inspiring APIS Hawaii venue.
The welfare of our students and staff remains our highest priority, and our well-tested summer school policies and practices, as well as our rigorous staff training, have all been developed to ensure that we provide the highest standards of care to our students and staff.
As one of USA’s leading summer schools, you can book with confidence, safe in the knowledge that your teen will enjoy a secure and supportive environment during their stay with us. All our staff are trained in first-aid and able to deal with health problems with the appropriate urgency. In addition, we have long-established links with local health care professionals, as well as access to world-leading hospitals and health advice.
We want to reassure you that we will continue to monitor this complex and changing situation daily, and are following the expert advice of the US government and the World Health Organisation. Our thoughts are with those individuals and families who are suffering or being kept apart at this time. However, visitors can be reassured that the US Government is closely managing this fast-moving situation and the best source of information for any visitors to the US is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The risk to individuals in the US from Covid-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, remains low. US public health measures are world-leading and our excellent healthcare system is well prepared to manage and treat any new diseases. World Health Organisation guidance suggests that Covid-19 is not as dangerous as other coronaviruses such as SARS and MERS, with the elderly and those with existing health conditions the most at risk. Four out of five cases remain mild.
We recognise that this is a rapidly developing situation, and we recommend that you regularly check for updates on relevant websites such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation. However, if for whatever reason World Scholars Academy does not go ahead this summer, we will issue a 100% refund of all funds remitted to us, including all deposits.
We will of course continue to monitor the situation closely and will keep you updated with any new developments. In the meantime, if you have any queries, please contact our friendly admissions team – we are here to help!