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

[snapjack543]

Hi everyone,
First time poster here. We are considering relocating from the states to London in the coming year and it's come down to finding a suitable schooling situation for our current 3rd (10 yrs old) and 6th grade (12 years old) daughters (i.e. rising 4th grader, rising 7th grader).

We know there are loads of other factors, but one major consideration for us is where students are likely to matriculate. We are particularly keen on having our children attend university back in the states for several reasons. So far, the top of that list appears to be American School in London where more than half head to the states. There appear to be a few of other popular options that have been suggested for expats: International School of London, Dwight School, and Southbank. Most of these students matriculate to European universities, it appears, given what we've read on their websites.

Firstly, is our understanding of these schools accurate? (if not what are we missing?)

Secondly, are there state schools we should also consider in our short list? We've mostly steered clear of state schools and the entire catchment area discussions thus far but we're open to it if it looks like a realistic option (though it does not given how behind we are on the learning curve and ages for gaining entry to the most competitive state schools).

Thanks in advance for your insights!

ACS which has campuses in Cobham, Egham et al. Outside central London but within international communities .

ACS which has campuses in Cobham, Egham et al. www.acs-schools.com Outside central London but within international communities .

With regard to state schools, your 10 year old would be most likely starting secondary school (year 11) from next September and the admissions deadline has passed, so you’d most likely not get a choice of the most competitive ones now. Your 12 year old would be going into Year 9 as an ‘in year’ admission so again you’d have very little choice of the ‘better’ state schools.

There’s also TASIS - when I worked there kids mainly went to American Unis and that still seems the case. Again, not in central London but in lovely areas where well laid Americans live!

thanks. That confirms what we've come to figure out on our own thus far. Unfortunate, but expected. For a 10 year old, I thought she would be in year 5 next year? (kindergarten is year 1?)

Yes you would probably do best to stick with the US curriculum. Private schools have a growing number of pupils going to US colleges but you should note many go on Sports scholarships - hockey, rowing, football and rugby etc.

Yes you can go from a state school with A levels to a US university for free on a scholarship but the only dc I know who has done this has gone on a rowing scholarship (rowing is a niche sport if you live near the Thames).
If you live in the UK there is no government loan funding accessible for attending a university outside the U.K. so apart from the dc winning a scholarship or meeting the criteria for a handful of bursaries it's financially out of reach. Most U.K. state schools will direct your dc to a U.K. university.

There are lots of Facebook groups you can join for Americans in London etc that will help you with American schools.

A 10 yo would be year 5/6 now , depending when they turn 11.

What is the month and year of birth of the 10 year old? She would be going into year 6 or year 7 in September

She turned 10 last week. Dec 2014.

So entering year 6 in September 2024. Could apply for state schools next October, assuming there are no longer term residency criteria.

@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?

Apologies for the naïve questions on forum and school lingo. "dc" refers to our children I assume?

"private schools" you mean the free state schools, right? We've learned that "private" have opposite usages between US/UK so I assume you're referring here to the free govt schooling option here.

That aside, our goal is that they're are fortunate enough to attend a T20 school in the US and we've been planning financially for that possibility regardless of private or public (aka US state) institution.

Regarding UK curriculum, we've read mixed things about it in terms of its recognition. From what we gather A-level is comparable, if not, more rigorous than the IB/AP programs? Any insights on that matter would also be appreciated. American School does not offer IB as far as we can tell, while the other popular ex-pat schools appear to pitch IB as a major feature of their school.

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

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.

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! 😀

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.

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.

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

We may have to re-read much of this discussion forum in light of our incorrect assumptions about the usage of private/public. 😂

Thank you all for the clarifications!!

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.

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.

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!

Very much appreciate your opinion here. I myself went through the IB program in the 90s so I'm quite familiar with rigor and recognition, though I'm not sure about the point about helping for the SAT. In the US that tends to be true due to selection bias. In many US cities, IB the most competitive sought after secondary school option and therefore attracts the brightest.

Regarding IB/A-levels, I agree with the points made about it not being a large distinguishing factor (if at all) amongst selective universities. It's a bit ironic to see that ASL doesn't offer it, though the program is well regarded in the US. At the end it's best for our DC and our thoughts are that schools that have the highest matriculation rates to US schools tend to have the most knowledgeable guidance counselors (I don't know the equivalent titles in the UK).

Marymount looks great. Boarding school is a entirely separate discussion we've not begun to entertain yet. It probably won't be on our shortlist.

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.