most popular US expat schools, do we have this right?

UK private schools are sending increasing numbers of students to universities in the USA. In 2021/22, Eton boys had 39 offers from US universities. In 2023, 10 girls headed across the pond from Wycombe Abbey. These big boarding schools have dedicated US college advisors. They also have parents with deep pockets who can afford the fees at US colleges!

More “normal” private day schools are following as pressure for places at Oxbridge increases. For example, Francis Holland Sloane Square sends several each year.

I have my feet on both sides of the pond and I am actually quite horrified by the preparation required at a relatively young age for US college admissions over there. My 14 year old DCs friends aren’t going for their last and final upper senior year at summer camp as their parents are making them do stuff for admissions prep instead. Likewise, they are also surprised at the higher academic levels provided by the GCSE and A-level syllabus over here. In some subjects A-levels have the same content as first year US college degrees. So AP classes aren’t even at the same level.

The learning style is also very different. You can get 80 something % in an exam and that’s a grade 9 (the highest possible grade). Multiple choice questions are minimal and there is very little ongoing testing. You have to properly understand and retain information and then you’re tested in a single set of exams. There is also an increased focus on application of that knowledge, not just retention of facts.

For this reason many US colleges actually really like students coming from the U.K. education system.

There was a blogger https://abroadpurpose.com/ who was adamant she wanted her kids to stay in the US system when they came to the U.K. but they took the plunge and didn’t look back. Her kids are younger than yours though.

I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer here - you have to follow your gut. I just think you might be surprised by what the U.K. system can offer your children to get them where you want them to be.

That’s very unusual - US 3 rd Grade = UK year 4, so 8/9 year olds.

If there were six year olds in US 3rd Grade, they must have skipped multiple grades. Which is obviously possible, it’s not really worthy of comment that OP’s children haven’t.

You have a 10yr old now in 3rd grade?
Wait, OP said birthday was Dec 2014, so that could be just turned 9yo in 3rd grade?
Still, wow. I was 7yo when I started 3rd grade, and far from the youngest.

I think you need to add additional considerations.

If you are here for several years, do you really want to put your children in an American bubble? Would they want to do the DofE award?

Do you want to have a boarding option (eg occasional boarding from a few nights to a week or two), in case you have business or travel commitments.

I think your idea of keeping your children in one system or the other is spot on.

GCSEs are sufficient for most US state colleges, despite being awarded at age 16 rather than 18. A-levels and IB are similar to AP courses. A-levels are more concentrated, as they involve just taking three courses, with an option to do an extended project, and vocational choices. The IB is broader.

I used to work at ACS Egham as a teacher. My first impression was that the school community is very transient, with children moving in and out all through the year. My second impression was that the teaching was very didactic - chalk and talk, rather than teaching skills and values.

There are plenty of international schools in the London area. I think you have to pick an area to live in that suits your own commute, and then look into the schools.

Can you give an example of the US colleges your children may be interested in?

The majority of IB schools in UK only offer the diploma in sixth form as an alternative to A levels, not PYP or MYP, opting for traditional gcse in year 11 instead. Some of the American and international schools are the exception, but their fees can be substantial.

I think your point about guidance / college counselors is the most important aspect to consider in your choice of school. It can be the make or break factor.

State schools (known as public schools in the US) tend on the whole not to have the excellent college admissions counselors that public schools in the US have. There are state schools in the UK where none of the staff would even be able to help a student apply to a well-regarded British university, let alone an American one.

Any British school with a track record of sending students (with any set of qualifications) to American schools - and not on sports scholarships - would be worth looking into. When you do your investigations, focus on the caliber of the college counselors.

(Also, though I've used the term college for convenience here, third level education is always referred to as university in the UK).

T20 is a relatively new term as applied to undergrad colleges. I know the sort of school you're thinking of, though, and you're probably aware that admission can be something of a crapshoot, since there are so many very well qualified applicants from the US and abroad looking for coveted acceptance letters. Having the experience of life outside the US would possibly help your children stand out from the pool. But there are no guarantees even with excellent grades and a raft of meaningful extra curriculars on their resumes.

The IB has a certain cachet - it's touted in my UMC American suburban area as a very desirable approach, but frankly in my observation, for the purposes of admission to highly selective colleges, it's only valuable if a student takes the maximum allowed honours level courses as opposed to standard.

If you believe your girls are bright and would have a chance to be admitted to a highly selective school in the US, a decent number of AP courses would be equally attractive to an admissions committee - with interesting extra curricular under their belts too of course; this goes for all curriculum options.

Check goodschoolsguide.co.uk, they cover all schools worth the monthly subscription as you do the research.
London, most top public (fee) selective schools send kids to US yearly but the amount varies. Most families will also use independent US education consultants to set up a pathway or guidance. Each school will have website with sixth form leavers destinations.
Year 6 autumn term is when 11+ exams and interviews are given. Some schools goes from Reception(kindergarten) to 11 years old, Senior schools are 11 years to 18 years.
Kindergarten in UK is quite focus on reading via phonics and maths. Public schools, check curriculum and homework hours set on their websites.
Good luck!

Marymount offers the IB.

I would opt for the IB if I were you, because otherwise your girls might find gen ed or core coursework in an American university more challenging than it would be otherwise. Plus, the IB breadth is a better preparation for the ACT or SAT, and it's a more easily quantifiable set of grades that most if not all American universities will have seen before on a transcript.

No. Using “private” I meant fee paying. As others have said you need to research very quickly about where you are living and what state (no fees) options will be. Not all schools will have spaces for 12 year old or even 10 year old. They might be full. State schools tend to have fewer going to USA unis. For obvious reasons.

Most unis here take IB or A levels. Not that many schools offer IB in our state system. More in the paying private sector but definitely not all schools. Many students going to the USA from here will have done A levels. So I cannot see that’s a barrier.

Any school offering IB has spent money offering that curriculum. Of course they will want to sell it as superior. It is for some who are good all rounders. For others A levels are a better bet. Here, the majority don’t do IB. They are not disadvantaged. The vast majority going to Oxford and Cambridge won’t have done it. So choose a school that suits dc for their talents. If they are very strong academic all rounders, IB is good. If they would prefer fewer subjects post 16 and to specialise a bit more, A levels are fine.

I know a family who sent their girls to Marymount International School, and both went to college in the US.

The term "public school" was to distinguish this form of education from the alternatives of having a private tutor in your own home or an education that was restricted to sons of people in particular careers or destined for becoming priests. Generally a fee paying school with a number of charitably-funded free places that are highly competitive.

I would say IB is more rigorous than A level: six subjects plus extended essay plus theory of knowledge plus compulsory activity and community work.
It’s a more rounded education imo. If you know exactly what you want to study at university eg maths then a level is probably the way to go as not all schools offer the more challenging IB maths courses.

Meant to add if your children are academically strong there will be the chance to sit the 11+ exams in the autumn of year 6, to potentially get into selective or super selective state schools from year 7, if that appeals. These will be among the best performing state schools in the UK and are very highly sought after. However options very much depend on where exactly you are based, and it’s very competitive so most students doing the exam next autumn will already be preparing/ have tutors.

In the UK -
‘private schools’ are independent, fee paying and often selective

‘public schools’ are the most exclusive private schools (often boarding)

‘state schools’ are the free government schools, most of which base admission just on where we live.

We all know the ‘public school’ name is weird! 😀

English schools:
State = government funded
Private = school fees
Public = school fees, and us usually used for pretty exclusive schools (Eton sort of stuff).
NB Scotland and Wales definitions are different again.

IB is as rigorous as A'levels - and broader in scope. A'levels are very selective - you typically study 3 subjects - and that can be 3 sciences, or 3 arts subjects. So you can specialize very early.

And, Yes, DC is used to mean darling children.

No, private = fee paying
state = no fees
public school = type of private, fee paying. Not really a public school at all but what some are called.

dc- dear/darling children

the good news is that as your eldest dc is currently year 5, then assuming you are resident in the Uk by then you can apply to state schools up until October, to start in September 25. In the meantime however you’d have to go where there is spaces, which could be different schools for both children

@snapjack543 I assume you have your finances in place for USA uni but I’m assuming you won’t get “in state” prices. So where are you aiming? Private schools do have dc going to USA unis and you also know how it works so can plan your strategy. Dc can apply with A levels taken here but it depends if you want the uk curriculum or not. Certainly dc from here go on sports and other scholarships but surely you don’t need this if you are from the USA?