Going to a Sixth Form College

£8k per term , of which there are 3 in an academic year so £24k per year. Plus accommodation etc.

Don't worry. There are still plenty of retakers, though it's less certain what will happen now AS, the point at which many are asked to leave, will no longer exist. However the overall expansion of the sector means that in most colleges they won't be the dominant group.

And stereotypes don't always work. I knew someone who taught English as a foreign language in a sixth form popular with the scions of the new Chinese super rich, who claimed money and a comfortable childhood had eroded much of the Asian work ethic.

Which is why it's important to know what you want and get advice on what might be a suitable place. There is a huge choice.

but MPW was such a blast when it was the proof of the failures of ALL of the top schools
I love looking up the creative ways it was removed from the CVs

TiP no argument with you. My understanding is that there are people within the Korean community who provide guardianship services which could make life easier. (Boarding schools usually at minimum require a UK based guardian.) DS' friend spent quite a lot of time with his guardians.

I don't know what age you are LIZS, but would think that unless you are in your early/mid 20s things have changed a lot. DLD'S rapid expansion and calling itself a school is one example. Ashbourne is also an example of somewhere doing its best, within the constrains of a tutorial type college, to provide wider activities for younger students. Tutorial colleges are no longer the preserve of failed public school types (OK some may be) but often full of very hard working and ambitious international students.

There should not be a visa problem with a recognised course at a well recognised college.

But a consultant is probably a good idea. Studying in an international environment in the UK could be great fun. However it is important to work out what you want and ensure you make an informed choice to get a good fit.

Nms , no I hadn't heard of DLD but grew up near Bellerbys etc in an area v popular with short term overseas students, many younger than op. In those days they also had a reputation for intensive tutoring rather than pastoral concern which I assume has changed. The DLD 14k boarding cost is on top of tuition fees of 21- 24k , clearly not a sum to be sneezed at when even Eton et al are cheaper, but could well be normal in this circumstance.

Op, there have been issues in recent years with some colleges getting visas on behalf of students who then don't attend let alone qualify and as a result application processes and checks have become more rigorous. It might be worth looking into this and the criteria required first. I'm doubtful that many private schools would accept a 17/18yo into y10 (14/15yo) , a year/2 out seems the most, but I'm sure you could find a few who would.

Needmoresleep
I am very well aware of the New Malden Korean population
BUT
the OP does not mention any family connections to provide the financial / visa guarantees that are now required
( British people always think the UK is welcoming - its not)
THey have the right to live in the US at the moment but seem to want to jump to the UK with no means of support

caution is entirely sensible

OP I don't think some of the advice you are getting here is very good. I am amazed that someone giving advice to an overseas student has not heard of DLD. Or thinks that central London boarding at £14k is excessive.

Lots of overseas, particularly Asian, come to the UK to complete their education, often then applying to UK or other English speaking Universities.

If you are academic I would think about taking your GCSES in a year. This is offered by several London tutorial colleges, certainly Asbourne College (we know a boy who earned 9 A*'s despite switching both system and language) but possibly DLD, MPW and others.

Subscribe to the Good Schools Guide online, look under tutorial colleges and then approach the most promising. They will know more about students coming in from different systems. Do come back here to check you are dealing with someone well established.

Consider colleges in Oxford, Cambridge (there is a college there which is very popular with Koreans though I don't know the name), Cardiff Sixth Form College and Concord in Shropshire. The latter attract a large number of students from Asia and get very good results. Living costs are much lower outside London.

If you can do you GCSES in a year, though 8t is very hard work, you are then in a good position to progress to a two year A Level course.

If you are not as academic you might be better off in a smaller, more English, boarding school. I don't understand American grades but you would need to speak to them individually to see where they place you. They may insist you spend two years taking GCSES. Or one year taking a limited number of GCSES in London and then onto a more typical school for A levels.

It is a big and expensive decision and you might use an educational consultant (the Good Schools Guide might be as good as anyone). But rest assured. There are lots of Asian students making similar transitions. One of DS' best friends arrived from Korea at a slightly younger age but with no English. He has done fine.

(Also there is a very big Korean community in South West London in a place called New Malden. One option might be to find a family you could board with. New Malden to DLD is a straight forward train journey.)

Yes, the London crammers can be fine.
Also there are some UK state comprehensive schools which allow boarders to live there - there is one in Devon which is popular with the Chinese. These seems to cost only £10,000 a year which is quite cheap compared to the other options
See www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10883613/10000-to-put-foreign-child-in-state-school.html

On the guardian issue don't worry about that. They are easy enough to hire and find.

UK boarding schools are full of far Eastern students. The visa isn't a problem. The school will arrange.

There is also no GCSE prerequisite for A-level. It's a stand-alone qualification.

Apologies, I've always thought that they were described like grammars! Just looked at DLD boarding fees £14k minimum for shared accommodation

Lizs
Yup, MPW is most definitely a crammer
and a highly successful one that meets a need
and has done for many many years

but OP needs to be aware that visa rules are no laughing matter

I think those are what are less politely known as crammars. Started as language colleges and intensive revision courses for retakes but seem to have developed to meet an international market. Can you really afford accommodation and living costs in London on top of tuition fees? Do you have family in US or Korea? It might make a difference to your visa which passport you have. You haven't said what attracts you to the UK system rather than others.

One year GCSE
www.mpw.ac.uk/locations/london/courses/gcse/
highly successful just not cheap !

Can you show an example of a one year gcse? I fear they may be largely refresher courses, assuming some prior knowledge, rather than teaching from the beginning.

But you aren't listening. You will need qualifications at GCSE or equivalent level to enter at A level which you don't yet have. Relatively few secondary schools and 6th form colleges in UK are religious affiliated and there aren't many 6th form only colleges that are private.

Are you actually looking for boarding school as then you are looking at fees of 30000plus per year. For under 18s you'd need a UK based guardian too. State 6th form colleges would not arrange accommodation and you may not be eligible for what are known as Further Education colleges or State boarding schools . You also need to look at student visa requirements and funding. I don't think anyone can make recommendations until you have done your homework on the basics of what you need.

You are allowed to sit A levels withough GCSE. You would normally be aged 16 and end 2 years later at age 18. You could also consider a UK boarding school too for sixth form.

Make sure you are up to the standard before you give your money to any school as if your English or grades are not good enough it might be a waste of money. You also need to check you will get a visa to come here too.

Look at what UK universities students go on to from the college you choose - do they get people into Oxford and cambridge and the better universities with a high academic standard or not?

There are different things to consider - immigration, education and money.

9th grade is Year 10 by age here (14-15), but behind academically. In Year 10, you would be studying a maximum of 10 subjects in depth. High School graduation (12th grade) maps to Y11 here.

If you weren't already 17, it would make a lot of sense to start in the UK in Year 10. However, you can go straight into sixth form, where you do 3 - 4 subjects only, depending on what courses you have taken so far.

You will find a school that can accommodate you, but it might not be according to your dreams.

You need to be able to satisfy immigration criteria, and will need a lot of money to support your cause. School fees will be £15 - 20k per year, and then you need living costs on top.

It is not as straightforward as just choosing one. I'd not heard of DLD before and their fees are costly for any day school. How do you plan to support yourself and where would you live? What attracts you to UK now and what are your longer term plans. Unfortunately there are establishments who are less scrupulous in accepting applications and funding , promising visas and recognisable qualifications, but not delivering what is expected, so do be very careful before parting with any money.

At 9th grade I doubt you'd have reached a transferable qualification level. GCSEs are typically taken over 2 years minimum at 15/16 so anywhere offering a later entry or shorter courses will also be catering for resits, so perhaps not the most academic of establishments. Private secondaries may consider taking you out of year into a sixth form for a levels or IB but you'd need a level 2 qualification first and they generally cut off by 19.

visa might be an issue