by Zoe Gordon
Photo by Zoe Gordon
When you get to the summer between junior and senior year, you start to realize you have to compose your college resume. What have you done with your high school education? What makes you stand out?
If you spent most of your earlier summers working, as I did, this may be especially important for you. Summer programs to the rescue.
So, now, you might be thinking, what could I do to maximize my resume’s potential?
Well, what interests you? What do you want to study in college? More importantly, what kind of career do you want?
After you’ve asked yourself these questions, you’ll hone in on a few programs. Go for the best!
Here’s where Vogue comes into the story. Yes, I went straight to the top. I applied to Vogue’s summer program, and I got in! In fact, I got my acceptance email in Publications class, which was very exciting for the whole class and, partly, why I’m writing this article.
If you are interested in fashion or design and need ideas for a summer program, consider Vogue.
The Vogue College of Fashion offers a summer course in New York City, London, and Madrid called Vogue Summer School. It’s available to ages 14 through 17. You can focus on styling, media, or business.
Styling is all about visual storytelling through fashion and how to create a strong narrative through fashion. The main principles include the different types of styling (editorial, commercial, and personal).
Media is centered around journalism, the role of an editor, and media’s role within the fashion industry. The program includes content creation, media strategy, workshops, and guest speakers from Vogue and Condé Nast brands.
Business is about brand development and marketing. This program helps build skills in making a brand standout, promotional strategies, and how to connect to an audience.
You can pick from several terms for each course to make it work for your summer schedule.
This is only the second year ever that they will be hosting a summer program at the Vogue College of Fashion in New York City. The classes are held at the General Electric Building at 570 Lexington Avenue, but students will be traveling across the city to participate in site visits, which substitute class time. All of the courses work on a project to be completed by the end of the program.
To get a better sense of what your day might look like, classes begin at 9:15 a.m. and run for three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon, with an hour in the middle for lunch (yes, very French). They typically run until 4:30 pm. Curfew is 9:30 pm Sunday-Thursday and 10:00 pm Friday and Saturday, but students do have check-out requirements for after classes and on the weekend. These include staying within the five boroughs, travel by MTA, and travel with at least one other student.
The registration for Vogue Summer School opened in mid-October of 2024, so I’d expect a similar window if you’re interested for next summer. Those who applied early in the registration window were eligible for a discount on tuition of $500. Applicants must submit their most recent school transcript or report card, as well as a very short essay. There is an application fee of $50.
Vogue Summer School should email you within 2-3 weeks about your acceptance status. If you get into the program, you will get instructions on how to enroll to your chosen program and start a payment plan. Students have access to a Vogue Summer School in NYC admitted students page, which includes information about classes, dorms, meals, the program schedule, curfew, checking in and out of the program, IDs, co-curricular activities/events, a packing list, and dress code.
Vogue Summer School also includes all sorts of activities outside of class time. The program has an Instagram Photo Challenge, which is for the duration of the student’s term. The challenge starts at a scavenger hunt in Central Park. Students who participate will submit photography taken during the program.
There’s also a selection of optional events that students can participate in, including a Q&A held at the Vogue Headquarters with speakers prominent in the fashion industry, a Brooklyn Bridge Walk/Public Art Tour at sunset, classic film night, Community Day excursion, Exploration Day, NYC Neighborhood Tour, and perhaps most enticingly, Vintage Shopping Crawl.
If you’re looking to pursue a career in fashion, you can’t go wrong with a Vogue summer program. So, get out there and strike a pose!