American Explorer Program

ELS Language Schools at University of St. Thomas - Minnesota: St. Paul (MN)

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Price

Special offer

181 € discount for all courses and accommodations from 12-52 weeks Show details »

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Course description

The American Explorer Program at ELS Language Centers is designed for students wishing to include some English lessons in their short stay. Students receive 15 weekly lessons of morning instruction, and will have the afternoon free to explore the surrounding area.

ELS recommends that students select a duration in 4-week increments (4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, etc.). Durations under 4 weeks (2 or 3 weeks) and in non-4-week increments may be available if space permits. These durations require special request and must be approved by the ELS Center Director.

Course topics

The curriculum for Vacation English at ELS Language Centers focuses on the following topics: English structure and speaking practice, reading and writing, practice of learned skills at the Language Technology Center.

Class schedule

Course duration
2-12 weeks
Start dates
Every Monday (except for beginners)
Start dates for beginners
09 Dec 2024
Classes per week
15 lessons per week (each lesson lasts 50 min)
Class days
Monday - Friday
School holidays
28 Nov 2024 and 25 Dec 2024

ELS does not hold classes on the holiday dates above. The school does not compensate for these holidays, so make sure to choose your start date accordingly.

Class times

Morning session
08:30 AM - 09:20 AM
Break
09:20 AM - 09:30 AM
Morning session
09:30 AM - 10:20 AM
Break
10:20 AM - 10:30 AM
Morning session
10:30 AM - 11:20 AM

Class schedule may change depending on availability and season.

Class level

All levels, beginner to advanced
You will take a placement test before your arrival in St. Paul to determine your class level.

Class size

Average 12 students
Maximum 15 students

Student age

Age range 16 years old and older
Average 23 years old
(21 in the summer)

Certificate

A certificate of completion will be issued at the end of the course.
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Photos

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  • Students of ELS Language Schools at University of St. Thomas - Minnesota: St. Paul (MN) 5/10
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  • Campus 7/10
  • Students of ELS Language Schools at University of St. Thomas - Minnesota: St. Paul (MN) 8/10
  • University 9/10
  • City of St. Paul 10/10
reviews

Reviews

90% recommend

based on 10 reviews
5 stars
6
4 stars
3
3 stars
1
2 stars
0
1 star
0
Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing

"Very interesting experience thanks to which I improved my speaking skills"

Eliska Svihovcova, student from Czech Republic

In my opinion, the school is located very well. The teachers are nice and can help with anything. The furniture was great, only the computer or projectors would need to be replaced with new ones. The activities were great.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
22 Jul 2024 - 16 Aug 2024
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"One of the best experiences i had live in my entire life, learning more about my self and the world around us."

Matilde Castro Sola, student from Chile

Hi my name is matilde i studied in els center for 3 sessions, the clases were pretty good, i enjoyed every minute of class. The teachers were so nice, i love them, what i didn’t like, was having no native teacher in one session, because i needed to learn the native pronunciation and sometimes was difficult to understand. for me the location was good if you live in down town, theres a lot of museums, and stores near, What I didn't like so much was that the center was in Minneapolis and not on the St. Paul campus, because I felt that on the campus where I studied there weren't as many people circulating, or university activities, I felt that it could have been easier to make friends If the center was in St Paul, then every day I would take the shalldle bus to go to the other campus, and do activities there. What I really liked was the variety of university clubs that one could participate in, for that reason I was able to make friends, it was incredible, I learned a lot from native people, and I was able to live an American university experience, they showed me a lot of the culture was incredible. I love the St. paul campus, was so beautiful, with purple every where!
I really enjoyed some activities of els, i love to make cookies, s’mores, halloween activities and celebrated birthday every month.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
11 weeks
Date of study
21 Aug 2023 - 10 Nov 2023
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"A unique experience"

Francisco Daniel Lopez Castro, student from Mexico

It was all very fun, the university is very nice, you have many places where you can study quietly, the gym is very well equipped, the teachers I had were a great support, very well prepared, with many tips that helped me feel, that in In a very short time my English took giant steps. super recommended the course at UST.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
3 Feb 2020 - 28 Feb 2020
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"I had a very good experience along with a great learning."

Pablo Ignacio González Soto, student from Chile

I had a really good experience. First, the welcome of ELS was very warm and friendly and for me that's a very important thing. Both the classes and the teachers were organised in a good way, which allowed me to improve and learn a lot. Also, it was very easy to get to the University, due to the shuttle buses available for students. Finally, the opportunity to use the facilities of the university made this experience better because I was able to play tennis and have fun with my friends.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
14 Oct 2019 - 8 Nov 2019
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"A lot of fun"

Unai Notario Gonell, student from Spain

It was pretty good my skills improved a lot and I had a lot of fun too so thanks

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
7 weeks
Date of study
16 Sep 2019 - 8 Nov 2019
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"It was happy memories with nice people."

Hye Jung Kang, student from South Korea

Everything was better than I expected. The classes were very interesting, and the teachers were wonderful, and they were very helpful in and outside classes. Also, it was really nice that I could use the facilities of St. Thomas.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Date of study
19 Aug 2019 - 23 Aug 2019
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"I had a very pleasant time and can only thank my two teachers for the very helpful work."

Christian Guth, student from Germany

My wishes and concerns regarding the subject matter were addressed and I was able to learn what I wanted. My teachers Barb and Michell focused fully on Project Management and showed me many new applications.

The amount of material I learned and the tasks I had to complete after class were appropriate. I would especially like to thank Barb for the free time she has given me to have small talk outside the subject area.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
2 weeks
Date of study
10 Jun 2019 - 28 Jun 2019
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Organized"

Abdi Ahmed Mohamed, student from Ethiopia

ELS was very great place, i wish i could stay more! Teachers and other admin staff were vere supportive and friendly too.
There was a fun activities which one of them i have participated and really enjoyed being with the students and had a fun with them, for the quality of the class was absolutely high class and every class was on time.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
1 Apr 2019 - 26 Apr 2019
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Theare were many good teachers in ELS"

Daisuke Matano, student from USA

Our class was diversity team. I made some friends who are come from different countries.

All teachers were excellent and they are good at teaching English to student whom English is not mother language.

Location and facilities was good for me.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
7 weeks
Date of study
4 Feb 2019 - 29 Mar 2019
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Good experience"

Alberto Berti Riboli, student from USA

i had a good teacher . the location is very beautiful and good organization, very good facilities and not many fun the activities

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
17 Sep 2018 - 12 Oct 2018
Would you recommend this school?
No
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
housing

Housing

ELS offers the following housing types:
homestay

Homestay - Single-person room - Breakfast and dinner

357 €
weekly
Age range: 16 years old and older
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast and dinner (14 meals per week)
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
357 €
Host family students look forward to eating dinner in the evenings with their host families, celebrating holidays and other traditions with them, and having the opportunity to practice their English with them every day. Host families assist students in finding their way to the Center on the first day, and teach them how to use the bus system, as needed. Students who choose to live with host families are able to learn more about American culture than those who live on their own.
student-residence

UST Residence Halls - Student residence (on-campus) - 2-person shared room

367 €
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Housing type: Student residence (on-campus)
Room type: 2-person shared room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Kitchen and laundry
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
367 €
Traditional style on-campus dormitory rooms are available. They are double rooms, with shared bathroom facilities. Girls' dormitories are separated in different parts of the building from the boys' dormitories. However, ELS students live alongside American University of St. Thomas students. The rooms include a bed, dresser, desk, refrigerator and microwave. There is a shared kitchen space available in the building. Bed linens are also included. Self-service laundry machines are available in the same dormitory building.

All buildings are secure, requiring keyed access. There is a Resident Advisor in each dormitory hallway to provide support and assistance to student residents.
visa

Visa support

We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. However, the school can supply you with all the documentation you need to support your visa application.

If you are studying full time in the United States for more than 18 hours per week, you will receive an I-20 that you need to submit to the US embassy along with your F-1 student visa application. The I-20 has a SEVIS tracking number on it. Students who wish to apply for a student visa must pay the SEVIS fee online before going to the US embassy or consulate for their visa interview.

Your I-20 will be sent to your home address by regular mail at no charge to you. If you wish to receive your paperwork by express mail, you will be charged $110 when you register.

Please note that United States law states that an I-20 can only be issued to students who intend to pursue full-time English language studies. United States law does not permit students to study part-time with an F-1 Student Visa. If you are studying for less than 18 hours per week, you have to apply for a Visitor Visa (B1/B2) on your own.

Learn more about how to get a US student visa »

Flights and airport transfer

Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to St. Paul based on your budget, schedule and preferences.

Travel insurance

Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.

Learn more about our insurance plan »

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questions

Questions and answers

Have questions? Get answers from ELS Language Schools at University of St. Thomas - Minnesota: St. Paul (MN) staff, Language International student advisors, and past students.

Ask a question

"Is it possible for a student to attend only 3 weeks of a 4-week course?"

Oliver Rizzo, ELS Language Centers school representative (Student Services Coordinator Housing & Airport Pickup A Centers)

Yes. As long as the student fully understands the following:

· He would be entering mid-session and would be 2 weeks behind the other students.

· He would not pass any ELS level and would probably need to repeat the same level for the 3rd week

· He would not be guaranteed his required English level if the class is already full. If this happens, he would be placed in the next closest ELS level available.

· He would not have classes on the Friday of his 2nd week as this is graduation day for the full-session students.

· He would not have classes on the Monday of his 3rd week as this is the start of a new session and all new students will be taking placement tests on this date.

As long as he and his family understand and accept these conditions, the center will still approve his study.

Was this helpful? Yes

"Can ELS accept a 15 year old on the courser when the minimum age is 16?"

Marc Fargeas, student from France
Oliver Rizzo, ELS Language Centers school representative (Student Services Coordinator Housing & Airport Pickup A Centers)

The student will be accepted as long as he will be living with adults (and not just traveling with a group of other kids.)

Was this helpful? Yes
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