Although I have earlier mentioned (briefly, in passing) the possibility of an early-booking discount on the Oxford Experience, the "experience" itself is so outstanding that the discount should be emphasized and discussed again at greater length.

To repeat an earlier blog post: there are two Oxford-operated summer schools: the fearsome Oxford University Summer School (advance reading, and a paper prepared for critical analysis by your "Don") and the just-for-fun Oxford Experience (you simply sit in lecture halls and listen, without having to participate or work). Both cost about $1,960 per person per week (classes are taught for a single week at a time) for all tuition, accommodations, three meals daily, and much else). This is perhaps the supreme learning experience of travel.

Last summer, I received a press release on another subject from Barbara Gillam, a longtime press agent in the world of travel, and needed to ask her a few questions. I called her office, left my number, and shortly afterwards received a call that she had placed from Oxford. She was herself attending the Oxford Experience.

Well, when a press agent herself experiences the subject about which she is writing press releases, the job is likely to be exceptionally well done. I can't improve on Barbara's recent follow-up press release about the discount on the Oxford Experience and set it forth here, verbatim:

The one-week summer course at England's oldest university -- called The Oxford Experience -- is offering an early booking discount of $100 (£50) per week on weeks 1 to 4 and $200 (£100) on week 5. This priority booking scheme enables prospective students to save money while making their course selection and reserving accommodation for the program, which runs from June 29 to August 2, 2008.

The Oxford Experience is a residential program that offers a choice of about a dozen courses each week over a period of five weeks. It is open to anyone who would enjoy "auditing" such courses as A History of the English Language, An Introduction to Opera, Enjoying the Cotswolds, The Roman Imperial Army, Romantic Jane Austen, Creative Writing, The Play's the Thing, Castles in Britain and The Garden in Art. There are no tests, no papers, just a lot of lively discussion. Classes, with a maximum of 12 students, are made up of Anglophiles from all over the world, with the youngest students in their thirties, the oldest in their nineties.

The program takes place at Christ Church -- the most prestigious and beautiful of all Oxford colleges -- which was founded by Cardinal Wolsey almost five centuries ago. This means students stay in buildings that date from the 18th to the 20th centuries (though rooms with private bath are available) and dine in the magnificent Hall made famous by the Harry Potter films. Three meals daily are included in the cost of the program. Once a week each student is invited to dine at the High Table and, on the final night, everyone gets dressed up for champagne in the Cathedral Garden and a celebratory farewell dinner in the Hall.

During the week there are tours of Christ Church, the city of Oxford and other colleges, as well as excursions to castles, stately homes, Roman villas, cities, towns, villages and museums. In the evening there might be a pub crawl, a special lecture, croquet and wine in the Masters Garden and Evensong in the college chapel, which is also the Oxford Cathedral. At other times participants can enjoy Oxford's concerts and theater, the college picture gallery, riverside walks in Christ Church Meadow and boating on the Isis (as the Thames is called in Oxford).

The price of a one-week course -- including tuition, accommodations and all meals (except those on excursions) is £980, or approximately $1,960. There are additional charges for excursions and rooms with private bath. Participants who stay over Saturday night between courses also pay a supplement. The registration deadline is April 1, 2008, but early application is recommended and even encouraged with the early-bird discount.

A brochure with complete information about all aspects of the program and an application form is available online or from The Oxford Experience, OUDCE, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA, U.K.

Write and read comments about this post.

Labels: education, england