Wyoming Seminary
Wyoming Seminary is a private Methodist college preparatory boarding school in Pennsylvania’s Wyoming Valley. It comprises the lower and upper schools. The lower school has preschool to Grade 8 students, while the upper school has students from Grade 9 to postgraduates. Sometimes referred to as Sem, the school focuses on students’ success in academics, athletics, STEM, fine arts, and performing arts.
Every year Wyoming Seminary welcomes about 100 international students from 30 countries and five continents. Still, they are admitted only to the upper school as boarding students. They must live on campus since the school does not offer a homestay program.
State Overview
International students who are going to study at Wyoming Seminary should know more about Pennsylvania. Nicknamed Keystone State and Quaker State, Pennsylvania spans the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, and Appalachian regions of the US. It is the fifth-most populous state, with over 13 million residents on a total area of 119,283 km2. The biggest ancestry groups of Pennsylvanians are German, Irish, Italian, African Americans, English, Polish, and French. English is the main language of communication, while the other spoken languages are Spanish, German, Chinese, and Italian.
The state capital is Harrisburg. However, nearly half the population is concentrated in the southeastern Delaware Valley metropolitan area and centered around Philadelphia, the largest Pennsylvania city. One-third of the state’s residents live in Greater Pittsburgh, centered around Pittsburgh, the second-largest city in the state. The other five most populous cities are Allentown, Erie, Reading, Bethlehem, and Scranton.
The GSP (gross state product) of Pennsylvania is $839.4 billion, which ranks sixth among all US states. The economy of the state focuses on manufacturing, banking, insurance, agriculture, gambling, and film production. Pennsylvania is the leader in mushroom production and Christmas tree distribution.
Location of the School
Wyoming Seminary is situated in the boroughs of Luzerne County. The lower school is in Forty Fort, while the upper school is in Kingston. During the study at Kingston, international students can visit Scranton, the cultural center of Wyoming Valley, and neighboring cities, such as Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, and Carbondale. International students who are interested in historic sites can visit Eckley Miners’ Village and the Steamtown National Historic Site.
School’s Facilities
It is worth discussing the Wyoming Seminary upper school in more detail. The main academic building is Sprague Hall. The other facilities are Nesbitt Hall, the Back Campus, the Great Hall, the Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, the Stettler Learning and Resource Center, the Carpenter Athletic Center, Klassner Field, and Nesbitt Stadium. Wyoming Seminary has several housing facilities for boarders. Older boys reside in Carpenter Hall, younger boys live in Darte Hall, and girls reside in Swetland Hall.
Nearly 300 students at the upper school are involved in the performing arts. The curriculum of Wyoming Seminary has an obligatory art history and a music history course. It also offers several art and drawing courses, music courses, and a chorale. The school has two art studios, a ceramics studio, and a darkroom on campus. Art students put their works up in The Great Hall and Nesbitt Hall for display, while photography students display their works in the Buckingham Performing Arts Center. During the summer, students can work on art projects at the Performing Arts Institute (PAI) of Wyoming Seminary.
International students who are keen on music, dance, and musical theatre can spend the 42-day session on campus and meet world-renowned artists. Wyoming Seminary is proud of its 28-voice choral group, Madrigal Singers, which have gained recognition for their proficiency. Orchestra, jazz band, chorale, and smaller ensembles are available for all students and allow them to work with local musicians.
Every year, students of Wyoming Seminary host a theatrical production at the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre. The drama department also has many participants regardless of their experience. The school hosts a musical in the fall, an acting workshop in the winter, and a play in the spring.
About 86% of students participate in at least one sport. Wyoming Seminary has virtuous teams in cross country, hockey, football, golf, soccer, tennis, basketball, swimming, wrestling, baseball, lacrosse, rowing, and softball.
International students can also become a part of various clubs, such as Mock Trial Club, Robotics Club, Baking Club, IT Club, and Handbells, to name a few.
Overview of the Programs
The Wyoming Seminary Upper School offers over 160 courses, including 22 Advanced Placement classes. The average class size is 14 students. Teachers at the schools are more than tutors. They are personal advisors, coaches, club directors, and trip chaperones, offering students extra help when they need it and becoming trusted mentors.
International students at Wyoming Seminary can discover their talents and explore their passions through Academic Concentrations that include three programs: STEM/STEAM, Climate Science and Sustainability, Humanities and Global Studies. Key components in a student’s journey are portfolio development and a Capstone Project presentation. Upon successful completion of the program, students receive recognition at the graduation of an Academic Concentration with an emphasis in selected disciplines and transcript designation.
The STEM/STEAM Concentration is a four-year program at Wyoming Seminary. Potential concentration emphases include but are not limited to Natural and Applied Sciences, Technology and Computer Science, Art and Design, Math, and Engineering.
The Climate Science and Sustainability Concentration is a four-year program that allows Wyoming Seminary students to focus on their studies and engage in a variety of experiences around the atmospheric, global, scientific, economic, and societal implications of climate change.
The Humanities and Global Studies Concentration of Wyoming Seminary is a four-year program through which international students engage in interdisciplinary academic studies and experiential learning of history, language, culture, and politics of their choosing.
The primary mission of Wyoming Seminary is college preparation, and Sem’s comprehensive college counseling program aims to help students find the most suitable college or university. The school’s team of college counselors begins meeting with students in Grade 10 to know better their interests and achievements. The counselors are informed about programs, requirements, and benefits of hundreds of colleges through visits and personal contact with college admission offices. Thus, all graduates of Wyoming Seminary are accepted to high-ranked universities across the country.
Wyoming Seminary also offers international students to take a postgraduate year to learn about goal setting, study habits, timelines, college applications, standardized testing, résumé building, and interviewing skills. Each year, the program helps students to gain acceptance to the college of their choice.
Admission Requirements
International students who want to apply to Wyoming Seminary ought to complete six steps.
- They need to submit an inquiry form and pay the non-refundable application fee of $100.
- International students who are not citizens of China must apply online or fill out the SSAT Standard Application Online (SAO). Chinese students ought to follow the special guide.
- All applicants ought to take the SSAT and submit their scores through the website. TOEFL is not required but recommended. There is no minimum score requirement for both tests.
- International students ought to submit academic records. Students who apply to Grade 9 must send transcripts for Grades 7 and 8. International students who want to enter Grade 10 should submit transcripts for Grades 8 and 9. Students who apply to Grade 11 need to send transcripts for Grades 9 and 10. International students who enter Grade 12 ought to submit transcripts for Grades 9, 10, and 11. Postgraduate students should send transcripts for Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12.
- Applicants need to provide the following recommendations to the Wyoming Seminary Office of Admission: transcript release form, general recommendation, English recommendation, and Math recommendation.
- International students ought to pass an admission interview. Due to many Chinese applicants, Wyoming Seminary partners with Vericant, that schedule a preliminary interview with them.
Tuition Fees for International Students
The full year in Wyoming Seminary for international boarding students costs $59,850. It includes tuition, room, and board fees. The other fees include about $500 for books and obligatory medical insurance of $1,400. Transportation fees are applied if international students require travel to and from the airport.
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