Vanderbilt Summer Academy

VSA programs provide the perfect balance of an intensive academic environment combined with a community-driven residential experience at one of the leading universities in the nation. At VSA, students join peers from around the world stretching their intellectual boundaries through choice-based classes. Together, students enjoy learning and connecting with peers and engage in on-campus and community activities in the heart of Music City.

VSA students take accelerated courses with instructors drawn from the wealth of talented scholars here at Vanderbilt University and from within the Nashville community. VSA courses are designed to be accelerated to meet the needs of gifted and high-ability students. With up to six hours a day devoted to academic learning, this program provides for a satisfying level of focus and depth. Because courses are accelerated, we ask applicants to submit eligibility materials to determine if an accelerated course would be a good academic fit for the student.

While Vanderbilt Summer Academy is academically focused, additional recreational programming offers organized activities for social-emotional balance. Outside the classroom, VSA students participate in a variety of evening activities, explore extracurricular enrichment activities, and enjoy free time to make new friends. Learn more about life outside of class on the Residential Life page.

We recognize that families have many choices for summer academic programs. Here are some aspects of VSA that set it apart:

• Access to Scholars. Vanderbilt content experts teach most of our courses, so students will work with leaders in academic disciplines.

• Personalized Attention. Each course has a dedicated instructor and teaching assistant, and each student is assigned to a small proctor group within the residential community.

• Opportunities for Personal Development. From recreational activities to informal conversations about college life and information sessions with admissions representatives, VSA celebrates the whole person!

• Campus Living. VSA students reside in a state-of-the-art first-year residence hall designed for social interaction with a community of like-minded peers.

• Caring Staff. Our program staff is a dynamic team of carefully selected, fully trained individuals, who are passionate about supporting advanced learners.

• Diverse Community. Within recent years, VSA has hosted students from 46 states and 25 countries, providing students the opportunity to meet other young scholars from around the world.

"As a student, know that when you choose VSA, you are choosing a remarkable, holistic experience that will challenge you to pursue rigorous academic inquiry and will provide an unforgettable residential experience, giving you the opportunity to engage with others of similar and varying backgrounds. At VSA, you will learn a lot academically, but you will also learn a lot about yourself and others."

Vanderbilt Summer Academy offers a challenging introduction to the academic rigors of college life. Students will enjoy the excitement of in-depth, accelerated study of a fascinating subject within a community of intellectual peers. Our courses are filled with wide-ranging, interdisciplinary topics, such as nanotechnology, biomedical ethics, and philosophy, history, and medicine.

Regardless of where their interests take lie, we have courses designed to provoke ongoing discussion and learning. Above all, VSA will uniquely challenge and foster students’ abilities in a supportive and engaging environment.

The Vanderbilt Summer Academy course curricula are designed to meet the intellectual needs of advanced students.

Vanderbilt Summer Academy courses are:

• Accelerated and unique, offering students the opportunity to explore areas of study not typically available elsewhere

• Fast paced and rigorous with an emphasis on critical and creative thinking

• Drawn from a broad range of disciplines in order to maximize the potential for interdisciplinary study

• Rooted in the rich academic and cultural environment of Vanderbilt University and the surrounding Nashville community

Vanderbilt Summer Academy offers the opportunity to explore exciting new areas of study—in and out of the classroom. Many courses offer visits to campus libraries, laboratories, archives, and studios, not to mention occasional field trips to off-campus resources that Nashville provides. The innovative curricula allow the students to learn through hands-on activities, real-world scenarios, laboratory experiments, lively group discussions, and self-directed projects.

With approximately six hours a day devoted to academic learning, VSA courses allow for a satisfying level of focus and depth. And while the course work can be exciting and intensive, outside of class, students will be able to fully enjoy the social and recreational activities Vanderbilt Summer Academy has to offer.

Students who have recently completed 6th or 7th grade have the option to attend VSA, where they will spend 5 days and 5 nights living and learning on the Vanderbilt campus. However, for students looking for an immersive non-residential option, PTY also offers Career Connections at SAVY, a day program for rising 7th and 8th grade students. Learn more about Career Connections at SAVY. Rising 7th and 8th grade students can attend both the residential VSA program and day Career Connections program. It is important to note that the application timeline for Career Connections and VSA are slightly different if a student is applying to both programs. Call the PTY office at 615-322-8261 for more information on how to apply for one or both programs.