Schools in the USA – education information
America has long been a world leader in education. Annually, the best schools in the USA accept for studying thousands of the international students aged 11-18 years old. Education in the leading schools in the USA is a number of advantages for a successful career and the realization of student’s abilities. Studying at school serves as a basis for gaining knowledge, new discoveries and developing skills for successful implementation in the future profession. Obtaining education in the US provides great opportunities to continue education without problems in the prestigious universities in the world.
Studying process in all educational institutions in the USA makes an emphasis on the development of personal qualities of students, ability to defend your opinion and to find a way out of any situation. Educational programs aims at the development of interest to studying, knowledge of yourself and the world around student.
Each TOP school in the US practices in studying individual approach to all foreign students, providing them with opportunity to choose additional learning disciplines and extracurricular events. The international students will not only get a theoretical base in all general education subjects, but also improve theoretical knowledge of English, overcome the language barrier and improve practical communication skills, make friends from different countries.
Education system in the USA – core features
Each foreign student, who has a fluency in English and has successfully passed a test, can go to study in America in one of the secondary schools in the USA. The entire US school system is divided into 4 stages:
- Preparatory school
- Primary school (1-5 grades)
- Middle school (6-8 grades)
- High school (9-12 grades)
Such educational structure allows teachers to apply different methods of teaching and upbringing to children of different ages, and also to provide foreign students with a wide variety of additional programs that will interest them in the educational process.
The academic year in American schools divides in two semesters, and at school, the child spends 5-8 hours a day, including lunch break. During year the students have opportunity to go home on Christmas, Easter and summer holidays.
Middle school in the USA – how studying process is organized?
From 12 to 14 years old the students master the program of the 6th-8th grade in one of the best secondary schools in the USA. Moving to a new stage of education in any American school, children are assigned to new academic groups. In the middle school in the USA the student study such compulsory disciplines, as Mathematics, English, natural sciences. Also, each student chooses 2-3 subjects based on personal interests, it can be anything from art, the history of a particular country to drawing or computer science.
High school – education process for the foreign students
The foreign students aged from 15 to 18 years old study in the high school in the USA from 9 to 12 grades. The system of secondary education in the best schools in the US always provides opportunity for the international students to independently choose additional disciplines. There is a certain list of subjects that children are compulsory to study, but they can choose all other disciplines on their own.
Studying in the high school, the international students pay much attention to the preparation for the final SAT test, which results influence the enrolment process in the prestigious college or the university in Europe.
All high schools in America have in-depth educational courses the Advanced Placement AP. The program of increased complexity consists of 34 subjects and corresponds to the initial courses at the university, therefore, it will be much easier for future students of the best universities in the world to adapt to their studies in the future. The more prestigious the school, the more subjects of increased complexity it can offer to the international students. The results of preparation on this educational program give the best students benefits for admission to universities in the USA, Canada and the UK. When passing the subjects for an excellent grade, everyone has a chance to win priority enrolment for admission to Princeton, Harvard and Yale Universities.
All graduates of American schools obtain High School Graduation Diploma. In order to graduate from school with a diploma, each student must earn from 20 to 23 credits for subjects from the compulsory program + for elective subjects during the entire learning process. One credit is the studying of one subject during the academic year. In addition, the student must devote 5 hours per semester to socially useful activities.
Accommodation options for the foreign students
TOP schools in the USA offer to the international students 2 types of accommodation:
- School residence on campus
- Host family.
Modern campuses with rich infrastructure, beautiful recreation areas and new equipment will make your child's life in America unforgettable. Equipped and technologically advanced buildings for studying, compact laboratories, spacious classrooms, workshops and creative studios contain everything that the students may need in the process of obtaining a prestigious education in the USA.
Basketball and football grounds, golf courses, swimming pools and tennis courts are always open for sports enthusiasts on the territory. All creative children will be able to find something to do in an educational theater, a school choir or a film club.
How to get to school in the USA?
Each leading school in the USA independently establish admission procedure and requirements for applicants. As a rule, the more prestigious the educational institution, the longer the list of entrance requirements and the higher the passing score. However, there are a few common points.
The following package of documents is necessary to provide when applying:
- Foreign visa
- International certificate, confirming a high level of English (American test SSAT or certificates SLEP, TOEFL, IELTS)
- Report card for 2-3 years from the previous place of study
- Recommendations from teachers
- Student questionnaire
- Motivation letter
- Certificate of vaccinations and the conclusion of doctors.
In some cases it is necessary to provide necessary student's creative portfolio. After the school administration reviews all the documents and makes a preliminary decision on the applicant, the foreign student will be interviewed by the admissions committee of the educational institution (in person or via Skype). During this conversation, the school representative determines the child's wishes for the curriculum, the absence of a language barrier and general communication skills. Also, a foreign student is tested for knowledge of basic subjects.
The price of education in the USA for the foreign students
Many factors influence the total cost of studying. The tuition fee depends on the reputation of educational institution, its location, accommodation type, intensity of extracurricular program, chosen educational program, and the percentage of graduates who later enter the top institutions of the world and Europe.
The cost of studying with living and nutrition varies from 35,000 to 90,000 USD in the prestigious schools in the USA.