Bound for US university

Lots of questions - hopefully I can answer some. I help many students prepare for either HS boarding school in the US and also colleges. I will preface my comments by telling you that my experience HEAVILY leans towards students who attend International schools that are US based.


Many US high schools (both public and private) are now offering an IB diploma and US universities recognize this. So - if you daughter goes to IB, US universities already know that this as an extremely challenging curriculum and see her drive and motivation.


I'm not able to clearly answer the GCSE question and US universities - (most of my students are either in US boarding schools or attend US based international schools here) but I know that there are many students from GSIS and other ESF schools who successfully go on to US universities - different curriculum, different testing basis, but still accepted into U.S.universities.


The advantage to going to a school that offers AP courses - is that many colleges give credit for AP scores above a 3. (Some more competitive universities like Stanford only give credit for 4's and 5's.) I had a student who had 5 AP's test completed, all with 4's and 5's on them - so she will get at least 5 semesters or 10 quarters worth of college credit when she starts as a Freshman. It's a nice perk - it also weights your GPA - which can also be good - if you are applying to a college system (like the University of California system) that allows you to weight your GPA when you calculate. (in other words, a A- - at 3.7, when you weight it, becomes a 4.7 which can have a significant impact on your cumulative GPA.)


Boarding schools can be wonderful experiences - laden with lots of excellent opportunities, but it can be stressful getting in. The acceptance rate for international students is lower than if you are living in the US as a US citizen. Most schools tend to cap their international students at around 7%, although some do take up to 11%, but it is rather rare. In order to attend, she will have to take the SSAT or ISEE, possibly TOEFL, apply, interview and wait for acceptances. In some ways - it is like applying for college.


you can check out boarding schools and see them at the following website -


www.boardingschoolreview.com


There are lots of different types of boarding schools - some big, some small, some high pressure (Exeter, Choate, Hotchkiss, Deerfield, St. Paul's) some lower pressure like Westminster, but there are different types for different students. Some students want an intimate setting, a close relationship with many classmates, and a feeling of family - smaller schools like St. George's can meet their need. Some want a big school, with a proven track record for rigorous academics, excellent sports and extracurricular program, and great matriculation rates to Ivy's and top universities - Groton, Exeter, and Andover come to mind.


The one thing that the exorbitant tuition buys you is a great teacher to student ratio, which you won't find at an ESF. Typically, most school class sizes are around 15 or less, and overall, on campus the teacher to student ratio is less than 1 to 10. There is just a lot more contact with the teacher, so generally more attention paid to indivdual students.


This is not to say that a great education cannot be had at an ESF, nor is it necessary that she attend a US boarding school in order to attend a US college. If your daughter is a good student, works hard, proactive and builds good relationships with her peers and teachers, she'll be fine at ESF. BUT, if she would possibly benefit from closer relationship with teachers and a tighter more cohesive community, boarding school may be a place for her to consider.


For SAT prep - there is a great website - and FREE too, which was started by two Harvard graduate students and a professor. I highly recommend it to all my students - and for the most part, they all LOVE IT. It offers a very good vocabulary building system, tutorials which are full of GREAT pointers, lots of questions, and lots of test drill practice. If your daughter is still a bit a ways from the SAT, slowly having her work on this website will be of a great benefit to her.


www.number2.com (in reference to the number 2 pencil you need when taking standardized tests)


She only needs to register with her email - and it's all free. You can be a coach as a parent and monitor her account and see how often she is logging on and get a sense of her progress.


As a final note, US colleges still very much want a "package" of a student. They aren't interested in a single faceted student, but rather prefer one that has multi-facets. I try to remind my students that they are trying to sell themselves as a package to a certain extent - not just academics with a great GPA, and great scores, but other things - extra curricular activities, especially anything that has leadership roles are great. If they play sports - trying to excel at that sport and eventually making it to team captain. In art, developing and continuing with passion and if you can win some awards - GREAT. It's simply more than the paper - ultimately, your daughter needs to come alive as a PERSON. It's the interview, the essays, the grades, the scores, the whole package.


The decision to send to boarding school is very hard and personal. But it may be an option worth thinking about. Attending boarding school is by no means a guarantee of any additional success however. It's only a possible avenue to get to a goal, a goal which can be reached by multiple roads.



Good luck! Let me know if I can answer any more questions. I'm currently in the middle of helping high school rising seniors apply to their colleges...so I'm a bit frazzled...

hkchoichoi, that's (another) impressive post!

hkchoichoi,


I sent you a PM. Please check.

Kamaole -


I can tell you this - a lot of parents after they calculate intensive tutoring, extra lessons and the other fees they occur here - including taxis shelpping them all over the place - find boarding schools actually LESS expensive. Because the boarding school sort of offers everything THERE and no need to go anywhere else. That is the nice advantage of the boarding school. (just as a thought.)


Bishop Strachan is an excellent school with really strong matriculation to great universities. It was probably a heart wrenching disappointment to your daughter to not be able to attend.


Most US boarding schools do offer financial aid - I know - crazy to think about getting financial aid now - and also for college. BUT - if she has lost interest, and HKIS doesn't have the room - it may be worth considering to do all that you can. I do find that students who are the most motivated and are excited about education are the ones who do the best - ultimately it is about self motivation and drive. If she has it, it would be worth investing in. I get quite a few students who don't have it and have parents who are pushing me to push their child to get it - and it just doesn't happen. It's totally internal and if your daughter has it - I always like to say that there is ALWAYS money somewhere to get the education that person desires.


Best of luck!

kamaole,


I agree with hkchoichoi. Bishop Strachan is a great school and it might be worthwhile to go back and revisit the possibility.


HKIS has the most affluent offsprings in HK too. It's just something you cannot avoid anywhere you go.


Have you considered Li PO Chun United World College? It's boarding, it's here in HK, and it's got the academic rigors that can rival that of the very top schools in the US.

Kamaole -


a couple of thoughts - and neither of them will really help you make you decision unfortunately.


I would say the true mark of a great student that will be successful in college - is the one who can make the BEST of whatever situation she is in. Many students go on to excellent universities - by making the most of their education opportunities even if they are NOT at boarding schools. AS you mention, HK does have a lot to offer - a chance to be bilingual (how advanced is her Mandarin anyways?) potential opportunities for unusual community service that may stand out from the crowd, as well as an international experience that won't be had at a US boarding school.


On the flip side - a US boarding school is NOT all rich privileged girls who think that money falls from trees. If you look at schools like Miss Porters' - they have between 35%-40% of their student population on some sort of financial aid. Some boarding schools have over 70% and even prestigious schools like Andover has 40-45% of their student body on some sort of financial aid.


TRADITIONALLY, boarding schools were reserved for the nation's rich and elite - but in the last 75 years schools have really moved away from that sort of ideal. Schools themselves realize a rich student body of all sorts of backgrounds is the best way to teach students about all sorts of people as well - a limited student body of just the rich elite doesn't help a student cut it in the real world - the world is not full of the rich.


Just some food for thought. I cannot tell you whether she should apply - as I don't know your daughter. You will be the best judge of whether she is sort of "pouting" and refusing to take advantage of the opportunity that she has here or if she is really despondent and truly unstimulated in her current academic environment.

Patricia - responded to your PM as well.