Finally, children not only fail to get a good education, but also undermine students' self-confidence, so it is very important to choose a really suitable institution. 20 18 American high school application season has gradually begun. More parents who want their children to study in high school must carefully choose institutions suitable for their students.
I 20 18 American high school application time planning:
Before making an application plan for the United States, we must be clear about the application time of American high schools and reasonably plan the study abroad time of one to one and a half years. The specific time to choose a school is about August-September, and you can initially determine the school you want to apply for. At this time, students and parents must choose carefully. It is most important to choose a school suitable for students. Don't blindly look at famous schools and ignore students' feelings!
Second, how to choose a reasonable school for studying in American high schools?
Selection basis 1: school type
American high schools can be divided into boarding high schools and day high schools according to whether they provide accommodation or not. Boarding high school students study and live in school, and many teachers' homes are also on campus, which is not only safe for students, but also has more opportunities for teachers and students to communicate. The international students in high school live in the local family in the United States, and the children's interpersonal circle expands, which is conducive to children's understanding of American culture and faster integration into American society. There is no difference in academic quality between boarding schools and day schools. However, due to different accommodation methods, it is hard to say which one is better. Only by choosing the way that suits you according to its characteristics is the right choice.
Selection basis 2: graduates' whereabouts
From the whereabouts of graduates, we can see the quality of a school graduate, and thus see the comprehensive teaching strength of the school. When enrolling students, American universities not only pay attention to their studies and SAT scores, but also pay attention to the characteristics and potential of this child. The better the graduates, the higher the ability of the school to train students.
Selection basis 3: American high school ranking.
Many students who want to study in the United States are very concerned about the school rankings. Here, Bailey wants to correct everyone's misunderstanding of the ranking. First of all, the ranking is arranged by different private institutions in their own way, not by the state or government agencies. Take American universities as an example, there are several well-known rankings, such as American News and World Report, Time Magazine and Forbes. These private organizations rank according to the indicators they think are important, and there is no comparability between these rankings. For example, US News and World Report ranked the University of California at Berkeley at 2 1, while Forbes ranked at 50, but Time magazine ranked at 9.
So far, there is no private high school ranking in the United States that is recognized by everyone. Therefore, when an institution tells you the ranking of a high school, you need to consider other factors.
Selection basis 4: average score of SAT test.
The ranking can't be trusted, but there are still some simple indicators for parents and students to refer to. For example, every regular school should be able to publish the average SAT score of students. If you get a high score, it at least shows that the students in this school are not bad in learning quality and teaching. If the school doesn't provide an average SAT score, you can take it as a warning.
Selection basis 5: Teaching staff
When American high schools choose schools, one of the most important aspects is the faculty. The teaching staff of a school mainly includes two aspects, one is the qualification of teachers. Most excellent American high school teachers have obtained master's degrees and have advanced teaching concepts and methods, which can better train students. The second is teaching experience. Many teachers in American private high schools are experts with teaching experience of more than 10, and have rich teaching experience. They have a comprehensive understanding of students' psychology and study habits, which can improve students' academic performance.
Selection basis 6: time of school establishment.
Some middle schools in the United States have a long history, and many have been established for more than 65,438+000 years. We generally recommend that students choose a school that has been established for more than 40 years. These schools have accumulated certain educational ideas and formed certain advantages. Of course, schools with a history of more than 100 years will have greater advantages, but the equipment with a long history will be a little old and the teaching philosophy will be relatively conservative. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.
Selection basis 7: school curriculum
Generally speaking, we suggest that children can choose institutions with more AP courses. These institutions are of great help to the cultivation of children's future learning ability, and can also lay a very solid foundation for children to go to college. At the same time, you can study some college credits in advance. For children with weak language foundation, don't relax your attention to English for a minute at home. In choosing schools, it is best to choose institutions with ESL courses, so that children's language will be effectively trained and strengthened, and such schools will pay more attention to international students.
Selection basis 8: geographical location
There are 50 states in the United States, which are simply divided into four regions: the east coast, the west coast, the north and the south (few students go to the middle). Most students and parents choose the East Coast and West Coast, because big cities are concentrated and educational resources are concentrated, and there are many good choices nearby. The northern part is close to Canada and the Great Lakes region, with humid and rainy climate and low temperature, and the southern part is warm and humid, close to the subtropical monsoon climate of Mexico.
In other words, children choose what kind of climate they like. If you like four distinct seasons, choose the east coast and the west coast. If you don't like the big sun, you can choose the north. If you don't like rainy weather, it will be a good direction to choose universities in the south. In addition, if you have relatives and friends in the United States, it is also recommended to choose a school closer to them. Although it is not always troublesome, at least it is more convenient to take care of them.
Selection Basis 9: Proportion of students in China.
There shouldn't be many children in China, especially those with average academic performance, in the same school. Boarding cattle school is good, because the learning environment and level in Niu Wa are very high. With ordinary children, the bad influence is often greater than the good influence, unless these children are very sensible and sunny, they will promote and supervise each other, but this probability will be relatively small. This is a lesson. In fact, there is a dilemma in this respect. It is necessary to have several children to take care of each other to avoid loneliness and not have a negative impact on each other.
Selection basis 10: Accommodation form
Private high schools in the United States can be roughly divided into two types from the form of accommodation, boarding private high schools and day private high schools. Relatively speaking, parents in China prefer boarding when attending private high schools in the United States, because most of their children are under 18 when attending high schools. If it is a boarding high school, the teacher will assume the responsibility of student supervision, and it is safer to live on campus after studying every day. However, if some parents have relatives in the United States, their friends will also take the initiative to choose to go to high school and usually live in relatives' homes.
Third, which schools should not be chosen for studying in American high schools?
1, there are too many students in China.
Generally speaking, in order to maintain the local color of a school, considering the language environment of the school, the number of international students in a school should not exceed 10%, while the number of students in China should not exceed 5%. Most American high schools will strictly control this data when enrolling students, and control the number of students enrolled in China every year.
However, in recent years, the number of international students, especially those from China, has increased dramatically. Some schools have expanded the enrollment of China students for various reasons, so that 70% of the students in one grade come from China, and even more than half of the students in the whole school come from China.
Therefore, it is not recommended to choose such schools, especially children with weak language foundation. The English environment in such schools is not helpful for China students to improve their language level. When choosing a school, students and parents should not only pay attention to the SAT scores of the school. Sometimes, abnormal SAT scores are caused by too many senior students in China.
2. The scale is too small and the facilities are simple.
Many American high schools are located in the golden zone of urban areas, so this kind of schools will not be discussed. The scale discussed here means that the school's floor space and teaching facilities are too simple in normal areas.
I once went to an American high school in Texas. Relatively speaking, Texas is a state with low population density, and the area where this school is located is not the core area. However, there are only two teaching buildings in the school, and all teaching activities are carried out and implemented in these two buildings, and the playground is also shared with the neighborhood next door.
This kind of school is not suitable for China students. Besides studying in class, students don't have enough resources to develop their hobbies, and many extracurricular activities can't be carried out because of the limited area.
There are also some schools that are in disrepair and the equipment is too old. Even the air conditioner and computer are from the last century, and the floor creaks when you step on it. Although these schools are retro and tasteful, you will feel very limited when you can't connect to the wireless network.
The geographical environment is too remote.
The United States has a vast territory, and almost 50 States have high schools that can accept international students. However, due to natural conditions, some states have bad weather, and some hidden schools may not be suitable for most students in China.
There is a high school in Minnesota, where it snows all the year round and there are few people nearby. After students arrive at the airport, they need to transfer to several buses to get to school. Because it is a day school, there are fewer homes nearby, and it may take several kilometers to meet someone. Choosing the right family is also a big problem.
In winter, due to the snowstorm, schools are often closed, and many outdoor activities cannot be carried out. Sometimes, the family can't send the children to school normally. On weekends, eating Chinese food nearby is also a luxury. Basically, the nearest shopping mall is also a few hours' drive. Although staying away from noise is beneficial to students' study, too isolated places are not suitable for our international students' study and life.
4. Schools with the sole purpose of making profits Some private high schools are run by individuals or enterprises. The main social function of the school is to teach and educate people. Of course, some schools will blindly charge high tuition fees or collect various fees in other names because of the deviation of the organizer's purpose and taking profit as the main goal of running a school.
Most of these schools have a wide range of classes, and they have not been established for a long time. Teachers are relatively lacking in teaching experience. It is very important that the management and teaching of students are not rigorous enough and there is no unified and systematic planning.
Over time, once the school does not pay attention to the management of the school and students, its internal structure will inevitably be loose, students' feedback will be poor, and there will be no good students in future enrollment. In the long run, many schools will close down.