The autumn term sees teachers writing letters for seniors going to college and those leaving for boarding schools. These days, the number of letters of recommendations I write for students applying to prestigious summer schools also seems to be on the increase.
Attending university-run courses during summer can almost be called the latest fad. When one parent brings in an application form, I can be certain others will follow.
Maths, science and creative writing summer courses at well-known universities such as Stanford, Oxford and Princeton seem enormously popular.
Locally, the University of Hong Kong, Chinese University and the University of Science and Technology have developed similar summer programmes, with many deadlines set for the end of this month or February.
Sometimes, one student will attend different modules at several universities over one summer, even though many institutions make it clear on their websites that successfully completing a summer course is not considered at all in admission.
I am often asked if students should apply to university-run camps and attend structured academic summer courses.
We are told that over the summer, students will have an enjoyable taste of life on a world-class campus, and a valuable opportunity to interact with leading academics and gain new knowledge. Some colleges even allow credits to be earned towards undergraduate studies.