The international student experience begins with our commitment to an intellectually diverse and balanced representation of cultures, learners, and passions, and continues by transforming the personal experience through inclusive and empowering programs. Brewster is home to motivated students from around the world – some come to strengthen their English skills while others, already fluent in English, come for an academically challenging and supportive environment.
How You'll Thrive Here
Prep Start Orientation
An orientation program exclusively designed for new international students that will prepare you for your first day at Brewster with confidence in the classroom, comfort in knowing the resources of campus and Wolfeboro, and familiarity with students and faculty. Parents and guardians are welcome to attend. This service is included in the international student fee.
ISO Hangouts
ISO stands for International Student Organization. This club invites all international students to share and celebrate their culture in our community through cooking authentic international dishes featuring home recipes as well as culture presentations prepared by international students about their culture and deliver it to our community. All are welcome. Additionally, ISO club members will have the priority to sign up for day trips to Boston, Portsmouth and Portland.
Cultural Events
International students collaborate with the Director of International Student Programs to plan and celebrate their holidays and traditions such as Eid al Fitr celebration dinner, Lunar New Year hot pot dinner and Thai New Year (Songkran) culture presentation during the All School meeting. Every spring, the ISO club hosts our annual Culture Celebration Night, This highly anticipated event is a favorite for many on campus, and creates great opportunities for students to share and celebrate the many different cultures represented at Brewster.
Dorm-Stay Programs
During both the Fall and Spring Family Weekend, international students can sign up to stay in the designated Brewster-supervised dorms on campus. Brewster will provide overnight teacher coverage in the dorm, transportation, and chaperones who will take the students on field trips to nearby towns and shopping centers. We will also provide on-campus, supervised open gym hours. This service is included in the international student fee.
Students are uniquely supported during their time at Brewster by international programs staff dedicated to ensuring an integrated and engaging experience.
Program Highlights
- Prep Start International Student Orientation
- I-20 and visa assistance (Requirements)
- ELL Program (See Academic Support Program)
- Airport transportation during holidays/school breaks
- Dorm-stays program on campus during fall and spring long weekends and Brewster-arranged American host families opportunities during Thanksgiving break
- Guidance on TOEFL registration and provide logistics for special home edition of the TOEFL test.
- Weekend day trips to Boston, Portsmouth, and Portland, Maine
- Culture Celebration Night
- Thai New Year Celebration
- Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr Celebration
- Lunar New Year Celebration
- ISO Hangouts: Weekly meetings to learn and celebrate a new culture in our community. Each Tuesday, an international student will prepare a presentation about his/her culture/country/city and deliver it to our community. All are welcome.
FAQs
What kind of cultural activities and organizations are there at Brewster?
Annual activities include: Culture Celebration Night, Lunar New Year Celebration, International Food Appreciation Dinner, International Karaoke Coffee House Night, ongoing international recipes sharing with the Dining Hall. Clubs include the International Student Organization (ISO) and One National Ethnicity.
How does the I-20 process work and who is the contact person at Brewster?
The majority of international students come to Brewster with an F-1 student status. The process for acquiring visa status begins with a Form I-20, which students receive upon acceptance and enrollment to Brewster Academy. Once an enrollment contract with deposit is processed, Brewster’s Primary Designated School Official will process the I-20 form through SEVIS and will mail the original copy to the enrolled student. Susan Crowley coordinates the I-20 process at Brewster. Learn more here.
How is housing determined and is storage available?
New students are typically assigned an age-appropriate roommate whose native language is English and matched for common interests and compatibility. Returning students have more flexibility over their roommate selection with continued guidance from faculty mentors.
Wolfeboro is a summer resort town and has many storage options available to families at a fee. Brewster will assist in the coordination of storage for returning students each year by dormitory and when students graduate, most facilities will store belongings for the summer and ship directly to the student's college.
What resources are available to students near campus?Wolfeboro is the oldest summer resort in America! The town is just steps away from campus for all students to enjoy. Amenities include two grocery stores, a pharmacy, four banks, clothing shops, an independent book store, a post office, cafes, and restaurants (Mexican, Asian, American), and even a hospital – all in a breathtaking location and safe town. In addition, weekend activities include trips to larger cities for access to malls, department stores, outlets, cinemas, cultural excursions, and much more!
What is the process for travel and transportation during school breaks?
Brewster has a travel coordinator who arranges transport to and from campus for the five breaks for which students must leave campus, as well as transport to campus at the beginning and end of the school year. Families reserve this transport for a nominal fee. Additionally, the travel coordinator can assist when a student needs help arranging private transport to and from campus for special circumstances when school is in session.
What are cell phone and communications options at Brewster?
We provide campus-wide Wi-Fi so that students using Whatsapp, Wechat, Skype, Facetime, Kakao Talk and Line, etc. should have fast access to communicate with their families and friends. In addition, Verizon and U.S. Cellular have the strongest signals on campus. International students can bring their own unlocked CDMA-compatible cell phone or buy an U.S. pre-paid cell phone upon their arrival to Brewster.
Program Highlights
- Prep Start International Student Orientation
- I-20 and visa assistance (Requirements)
- ELL Program (See Academic Support Program)
- Airport transportation during holidays/school breaks
- Dorm-stays program on campus during fall and spring long weekends and Brewster-arranged American host families opportunities during Thanksgiving break
- Guidance on TOEFL registration and provide logistics for special home edition of the TOEFL test.
- Weekend day trips to Boston, Portsmouth, and Portland, Maine
- Culture Celebration Night
- Thai New Year Celebration
- Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr Celebration
- Lunar New Year Celebration
- ISO Hangouts: Weekly meetings to learn and celebrate a new culture in our community. Each Tuesday, an international student will prepare a presentation about his/her culture/country/city and deliver it to our community. All are welcome.
FAQs
What kind of cultural activities and organizations are there at Brewster?
Annual activities include: Culture Celebration Night, Lunar New Year Celebration, International Food Appreciation Dinner, International Karaoke Coffee House Night, ongoing international recipes sharing with the Dining Hall. Clubs include the International Student Organization (ISO) and One National Ethnicity.
How does the I-20 process work and who is the contact person at Brewster?
The majority of international students come to Brewster with an F-1 student status. The process for acquiring visa status begins with a Form I-20, which students receive upon acceptance and enrollment to Brewster Academy. Once an enrollment contract with deposit is processed, Brewster’s Primary Designated School Official will process the I-20 form through SEVIS and will mail the original copy to the enrolled student. Susan Crowley coordinates the I-20 process at Brewster. Learn more here.
How is housing determined and is storage available?
New students are typically assigned an age-appropriate roommate whose native language is English and matched for common interests and compatibility. Returning students have more flexibility over their roommate selection with continued guidance from faculty mentors.
Wolfeboro is a summer resort town and has many storage options available to families at a fee. Brewster will assist in the coordination of storage for returning students each year by dormitory and when students graduate, most facilities will store belongings for the summer and ship directly to the student's college.
What resources are available to students near campus?Wolfeboro is the oldest summer resort in America! The town is just steps away from campus for all students to enjoy. Amenities include two grocery stores, a pharmacy, four banks, clothing shops, an independent book store, a post office, cafes, and restaurants (Mexican, Asian, American), and even a hospital – all in a breathtaking location and safe town. In addition, weekend activities include trips to larger cities for access to malls, department stores, outlets, cinemas, cultural excursions, and much more!
What is the process for travel and transportation during school breaks?
Brewster has a travel coordinator who arranges transport to and from campus for the five breaks for which students must leave campus, as well as transport to campus at the beginning and end of the school year. Families reserve this transport for a nominal fee. Additionally, the travel coordinator can assist when a student needs help arranging private transport to and from campus for special circumstances when school is in session.
What are cell phone and communications options at Brewster?
We provide campus-wide Wi-Fi so that students using Whatsapp, Wechat, Skype, Facetime, Kakao Talk and Line, etc. should have fast access to communicate with their families and friends. In addition, Verizon and U.S. Cellular have the strongest signals on campus. International students can bring their own unlocked CDMA-compatible cell phone or buy an U.S. pre-paid cell phone upon their arrival to Brewster.
Xiang Wang (Jason)
Director of International Student ProgramsBiography
Jason Wang came to Brewster during the summer of 2018 after working at Vermont Academy (VA) from 2013 to 2018. While at VA, Jason worked closely to support international students, taught Chinese, coached soccer, basketball, and tennis while serving as a dorm parent and advisor. From 2015 to 2018, Jason co-designed and led the VA Trimester Abroad Program in Hangzhou, China, where VA students spent 2 months in China studying Chinese culture and language and visiting many Chinese cities to develop a global competency and citizenship.
At Brewster, Jason's primary role is to create and lead robust International Student Programs where the Brewster Community celebrates its rich cultural diversity while providing academic, social, and emotional support to its 80 international students. An immigrant from China and having studied abroad in Sweden and Denmark, Jason admires, understands, and empathizes with the challenges international students face and overcome on a daily basis. He wants to make sure Brewster feels like home yet encourages students to step out of their comfort zone to learn from each other and become global citizens to contribute to the greater good. Additionally, Jason teaches Chinese language classes and is the Community Life Parent in Avery House.
During his free time, Jason walks and plays with his Labradoodle pup, Mickey, and watches many European soccer matches. He is a strong supporter of AC Milan and Boca Juniors, soccer clubs from Italy and Argentina. Jason is also a world traveller where food, history, language, music, and soccer become the central themes of his itinerary.
