FAQs

What counts as a practicum?
  • Off campus study: semester, year off campus; Network of Complementary Schools
  • Arts: dance, drama, art, tango, pointe, hip hop, figure drawing, RPI Young Actors Guild
  • Career Exploration: internships at RPI, NYS Museum research labs, dentistry, architecture, etc., and math beyond what we offer, as in Math Circle
  • College classes: academic classes or pre-college music programs: Intro to Psychology at Siena; Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music
  • Music performance: Empire State Youth Orchestra
  • Community Service: Phila, Boys and Girls Club, Hope 7 After School
  • Sports: fencing, riflery, self-defense, horseback riding, lacrosse, etc., not for PE credit
  • PE: sports taken for PE credit with permission of director of athletics; e.g., figure skating, horseback riding, riflery
  • Language: Hebrew, peer practicum in Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian
  • Music: instruments for which we do not have adjunct instructors, day students taking music off campus
What grade level can take a practicum?

Any grade, depending on interest and time available – open blocks during the day or after school or at weekends

What is the cost of a practicum?
  • Internships and community service: no cost
  • Practica involving classes or instruction: fees paid by parents directly
  • Transportation: school employs North East Shuttle to take students to practicums during the school day for all students and after school for boarders. The school pays approximately 80 percent, and students pay approximately 20 percent
  • Each one-way trip currently costs the student $5 Troy area, $7.50 Albany area, $10 Schenectady/Niskayuna/Clifton Park
How does a student set up a practicum?

The first step would be for the student and her advisor to sit down and look at the student’s schedule and then brainstorm what she is interested in exploring. A good starting point is the extensive list of what has worked well for other Emma students.

If a student would like to look outside this list, it may be possible for her to develop her own independent study. For an off-campus practicum, the student needs to have a block of time that includes travel time as well as time for her program. If the student has time and no sports/choir/orchestra conflicts, Ms. Mossop will discuss the options the student has come up with and make calls to set up a first meeting. The student and Ms. Mossop attend this or the first session together. The student fills out a practicum registration form that includes her adviser’s signature to make sure the student isn’t over committing. Then she sets up her transportation schedule with Ms. Biggins in Student Services.

Does the student get credit for a practicum?

The student gets practicum credit, which means her practicum appears on her transcript. At the end of each semester she receives a comment on Grades & Comments. For college classes, the transcript is sent to the registrar, and the grade goes on the student’s Emma Willard transcript/G&C. If the student is taking a sport for PE credit, she receives Emma Willard credit.

What guidlines are used to determine whether practicum credit is given?
  • The student has exhausted all on-campus opportunities to pursue a specific, demonstrated interest. An exception is made for day students who have been pursuing voice, musical instrument instruction or dance before enrolling at Emma Willard School. These students may continue with that teacher and receive practicum credit.
  • The school does not offer a course that would allow a student to pursue advanced level work in a specific area of demonstrated excellence.
  • The student is not using this practicum to fulfill Emma Willard School graduation requirements in any department. Exceptions, which are granted by the athletic director and the practicum director, may be made for students pursuing competition or advanced-level sports training to fulfill a physical education requirement. Exceptions do not guarantee that the school will provide transportation.
  • Students who pursue internships, other programs or college courses that do not fit the criteria stated above, and who have not been granted an exception, will not receive academic credit; nor will school transportation be provided. While under school jurisdiction, students must have parental permission and permission from the dean of students to leave campus to participate in any internship, college course or other program not granted academic credit by the school.
How do I appeal and request exceptions to the practicum guidelines?

Any student requesting exceptions to these guidelines must do so in writing to her adviser, the assistant head for academics, the practicum director and the chair of the appropriate department. This group will arrive at a joint decision. Requests must be resubmitted for each academic year.

How do I get transportation to my practicum?

The practicum program provides subsidized transportation through the Northeast Shuttle service to local practicum sites. Student SmartCard accounts are billed a fee per semester based on the distance from EWS. While every effort is made to accommodate students wishing to pursue local practicums, numbers may need to be limited because of scheduling considerations and cost. Students may be responsible for organizing their own transportation in some cases. Transportation for day students is not provided after 3:30 p.m. or on weekends.

What are the guidelines for off-campus study/semester away?

Off-campus study programs offer Emma Willard students the opportunity to learn in a different environment for a semester or a year. The philosophy supporting off-campus study is grounded in Emma Willard’s mission statement and is based on the premise that students should be encouraged to seek learning experiences that foster personal and intellectual growth, that expand knowledge of other cultures, that cultivate an appreciation for diversity, that provide a clearer sense of self and one’s place in the world and that inspire a commitment to service and leadership.

The practicum director is the coordinator for all off-campus study programs and serves as the point person and facilitator for communication among off-campus programs, students, parents and the administration. The practicum director also coordinates the pre-application process and convenes the off-campus study review committee.

Students who wish to study away from campus are required to complete an off-campus study request form by February 15. This form is available from the office of the practicum director and must be signed by the student’s parent(s). Sophomores and juniors are eligible to participate in one-semester or full-year off-campus study programs. Seniors may apply for semester-length programs but may not participate in a full-year off-campus program. As an alternative, seniors seeking a full-year off-campus study experience before going to college are encouraged to consider taking a post-graduate year for this purpose.

All students applying for off-campus study must be in good academic and social standing and must demonstrate that participation in the off-campus study experience will not prevent them from satisfying all applicable graduation requirements on schedule.

In some situations, upon her return to Emma Willard, a student may need to demonstrate that she is prepared to move on to the next level in an academic department. In order to do this, she may be required to take a final test or exam, but in no case will this be used to generate a grade.

Students in residence for the fall term have priority in housing assignments. Boarding students choosing to be away for the fall term are not allowed to participate in the housing lottery and may not reserve a room (or roommate) in anticipation of their return. While Emma Willard guarantees housing to any boarding student returning from off-campus study at midyear, it may not be possible to provide a particular space of the student’s choosing. The dean of students works closely with the admissions office to anticipate housing needs at midyear and ensure that students away on spring or full-year off-campus study programs are included in the housing lottery.

While there is no specific limitation placed on the number of students who may study off campus in a given term, enrollment needs may be considered in reviewing requests for off-campus study. In cases where this necessitates that some requests for off-campus study be denied, factors such as strength of academic record, record of service and leadership and seniority are considered.

The off-campus study review committee acknowledges the complex reality that each program has its own fee structure and payment mechanism. In cases where a student’s off-campus program tuition is paid through Emma Willard to the program, families are expected to adhere to the school’s payment policies and deadlines. In cases where a family pays tuition directly to the off-campus study program, the school will not assume responsibility or liability for the payment of fees. Given the limitations of Emma Willard’s financial aid resources, scholarship funds are committed to on-campus enrollment needs. Unless Emma Willard has a contractual obligation with the sponsoring organization, institutional financial aid will not be available to defray the costs of off-campus study.