American School in London

[Tupacca]

My DS is in Year 7 (6th grade) of a UK school that goes up to age 13. I would like to get him into the American School in London at age 13. Can anyone advise me how I might best prepare him to give him the best chance of getting a place? I see they need either SAT or ISEE results. I contacted a couple of tutoring companies that say they specialise in getting kids prepped for these two tests. They advised trying for the ISEE rather than SAT. But their tutoring fees are eye watering!! £130 per hour. I only found them by googling. Does anyone have a personal recommendation of a tutor conversant with those tests?? There are differences obvs between UK curriculum and US one so he'll need some help to bridge the gap.
I'd also love to get him to know some kids from the school so he feels enthusiastic about it. He's not keen on change, so it'd be easier if he had been to some ASL events (and liked the place!) or knew a couple of kids. Any ideas welcome. He's at a tiny private school now and his friends will be going off to a whole range of different schools at 13 so it's doubtful he'll be with anyone he knows when he moves on age 13 so I want to make the transition as easy as possible for him. I realise ASL is super tough to get into so any advice regarding turtoing/prep welcome. DS is very academic and bright but will deffo need help to bridge the US/UK differences in maths etc. I went to school in the US and it was about 100% more fun than the UK system. Plus ASL seems amazing!

Yes, family who are not expats attend international schools including ASL. In general, I would say those families who opt for an international school versus the British School system at some point in their child's life is because they want their child to attend a US university. There are ASL high school graduates who continue on to UK or European Universities but the majority still move onto a US university.

If your child does opt to attend a US university, be aware that financial aid to international students is not offered by many US universities.

Thanks a lot for the advice. ASL seems amazing but so far from where we live which is why we were considering Dwight. It would be very helpful to know what you all think about Dwight as a IB school and if anyone ever considered it. We live in Barnet so Dwight is close by unlike the other schools mentioned in this thread.

Yes, locals attend international schools. Unlike traditional international schools, I would say that international schools in London have a much higher local / British population. On one hand, you have locals who want to educate their children following the American curriculum with the idea of having their children attend US universities. On the other hand, you have families who were expats but have permanently settled in the UK.
Unless you plan to send your child to a US university, I would say you are better off sticking with a UK curriculum which may prepare them better for the exams they would need to take to enter the UK / European University system. American curriculum in high school / senior year is very broad compared to the British curriculum.

Hi all, Wondering if anyone has experience of the ACS International School in Cobham?

Yes - International schools including ASL have families who are not expats. Typically these families are interested in having their child attend a US university.

Do you have any experience of ACS Cobham? Or heard much about it? Wondering who ti compares to ASL for example

How it compares. Not who...

I am not sure if Cobham follows the American curriculum (Common Core) or just offers American AP classes in high school and high school diploma. It also offers an IB program.
Cobham iis easier to get into than ASL . Maybe because they have more turnover or spaces - not sure. Cobham is an option families who live close to Surrey consider. If you live in the West End, school would be too far (commute too long).

Campus looks glorious. And on the train line from us. maybe a 40 min journey in total. An option if ASL is too hard to get into. Though in both cases I could do with earning more if I'm going to afford them!

Have you looked at TASIS www.tasisengland.org/page.cfm?p=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwx43ZBRCeARIsANzpzb_aNPFm7a3PzUzj5nz3jQ-RUG3RischxVvD69B5txTASzPlJtHTW9IaAjevEALw_wcB

I looked at the website but Egham much harder for us to get to than Cobham. Journey time is too long. Looks lovely though.

ASL offers financial aid. The aid is based on need and thus the amount of aid granted to families varies.

Thanks London ExPat. I think equity in a London house would prob put me out of bursary limits.

Do you know much about ACS Cobham? I read an old Musmnet thread that said kids who aren't super wealthy are made to feel bad and are excluded! I hope not.

I mean excluded socially. Not excluded from school. Lol.

Tupacca - DD1 went to ACS Cobham and graduated last year (she was there for the whole of high school). We are Brits. We didn’t even bother trying for ASL (my two were formerly at ASP) as none of DD’s cohort who went to London managed to get in (even the Americans). Feel free to PM me with any questions!

And we were probably the lowest income family in the school!

Personally, I feel ASL students are very inclusive. Parents and students mingle with each other regardless of economic status. As the children get older, there will be some students that like to show off their family's wealth by what they wear (designer wear) but most students actually see that as a negative characteristic. They know these students are trying to show off. My children's friends come from various backgrounds and cultures. It's one of the things I love about an international school.

With regards to financial aid, ASL follows US standards (NAIS) which does allow families to own a home and have equity. If you can not afford the full tuition, it is certainly worth the effort to apply.

NAIS states:
Bottom line: If you feel your family cannot afford to pay the full cost, regardless of your income, it’s worth the effort to submit a financial aid application.

Hi Everyone! I am an American living in London, and I taught at ASL a few years ago. I now specialise in exam prep for the ISEE and SSAT. I work with students coming from the British system or the American system. Having worked with hundreds of families over the course of 7 years, I can say that you will find someone who knows the exam expectations well to be very valuable. Both exams are quite competitive, and the vast majority of families I work with wish they had started preparing sooner. The time students have to prepare is often limited, and someone who specializes in the exam can help your child quickly analyze his/her strengths and weaknesses and develop a plan given the time you have. I love helping families with this task, so please get in touch if you are considering having your son or daughter take either exam.

Thank World Kelly I'll bear you in mind.
I did get the impression ASL kids were v inclusive. I was wondering about ACS Cobham kids.
Such a pain the international schools are so much more expensive. I'll have to grow my business fast!

International schools are extremely expensive in London because of the high cost of living. ASL has a mix of children who are sponsored by a parent's employer, parents who pay full tuition, and those with financial aid. If I were to compare my children's education in the US to London, I definitely would say I pay more and not get more.

However, I should add that the experience at ASL including having a global class makes it worth it. Academically and in terms of resources, we don’t get more given the higher tuition.

I'm slightly despondent about our chances of getting him into ASL. So much competition. But we'll try. Most of the British private schools are £18,000 to £21,000. Add another £7000 for ASL and ACS. Though I can see they have far more wonderful facilities then the British schools. I just have to figure out how to earn more! I'd love to get him away from the British system though. I had a bit of both growing up and know which I preferred.