<p>Hello,
Ive got a a17 year old daughter who just finished her junior year in an American school. The thing is that there are no actual lessons or classes; the students pass all classes simply as we pay for the schools tuition.Everything is in the schools administrations hands except for standardized tests,( SAT1 ,etc.)
my D wants to go to a ‘normal’ school but is somewhat hesitant because shes got the chance of focusing on her SAT2’s by staying in the same school and having a 4.0 GPA . My question is what do i do ?? Do i admit her to another school where she has to earn her grades or do i just let her sail through high school smoothly ?
I would really appreciate your opinions
( hope my post is clear this time )
Thanks</p>
<p>What do you mean there are no classes? What do the students do during the day?</p>
<p>Send her to a real school. If she’s not learning in her current school, she won’t be prepared to face college level work. It’s not just about getting into college but actually succeeding in college. She won’t succeed if she’s not legitimately academically qualified for the school.</p>
<p>Are you saying she may not be learning anything because she is not attending any actual classes? You pay tuition, she gets A’s, and everything is hunky-dory?</p>
<p>we are currently in Egypt because my husband happens to be working here at the moment. The schools in Egypt are unbelievable, we came here late so that was the only school that accepted her.
My D is registered in a school where we pay for the year that she is admitted in but there are like centers here where they teach English and math for the SATs.
We knew this school by an office ’ American training and educational services’
<a href=“http://www.ates.8k.com%5B/url%5D”>www.ates.8k.com</a> check it out !
i really don’t know what to do !</p>
<p>Also, if she just finished her junior year, it’s kind of late to change at this point. She should be starting her college applications this fall. OK - your clarification post just popped up. Can you just withdraw her from the current school and have her do distance ed classes? There are many options to take classes online, and she could pick classes that would help her prepare for her SAT IIs (although doesn’t she need to take them SOON?). Has she taken any SATs yet (I or II). I am wondering if she has any idea of where she stands now, and how much preparation she actually needs. I homeschool my kids, so while they are taking some of their classes at a homeschool resource center, they are also doing a number of their core classes at home with me. We are using a combination of online programs and purchased resources, including thinkwell.com, CTY distance ed (cty.jhu.edu), Teaching Company DVDs (teach12.com), and CyberEd programs (homeschoolbuyersco-op.org). The nice thing about doing it ourselves is that we can schedule work (mostly) as we want it. So, if your daughter wanted to focus on SAT IIs for a month or two and double up on other work later, it would be doable.</p>
<p>they also give her books for the subjects that she needs to study for that year and then she goes to that center for the exam whenever they set the date.</p>
<p>She already took SAT 1 and registered for SAT2s in November. Biology and Math. Shes just worried bout whether to go to a school or to just stay at the current school.</p>
<p>So, basically she’s given books, learns them on her own, and then takes exams in those subjects and gets prepped for the SATs? Are the exams real exams or are they automatic As?</p>
<p>The current school strikes me as being close to a scam. If you can afford it, I would strongly recommend CTY or similar distance courses until you can get her into a conventional school. I do not think she should stay at the current school if it is not providing her a real education, even if she does get all As. All As in an international school without recommendation letters from teachers (I’m assuming if there aren’t classes, there aren’t teachers to give recommendations) will be a red ■■■ to colleges. I’m sure colleges are familiar with a variety of international schools and know how to see whether one is legitimate or not. </p>
<p>I suggest getting her into a real school or doing homeschooling with supplemental online/distance study courses.</p>
<p>Hmm one problem that I see with her current situation is that when the time comes for her to ask for recommendations who will she ask if she has no teachers?? Also some universities (at least the ones I applied to) ask schools outside the us to explain their school system…</p>
<p>ETA: I’m not sure where you’re currently living in Egypt but if you’re close to one of the two International Schools of Choueifat in Egypt I suggest you take a look at it. They have a good educational system that is recognized by American Universities (several of my friends and I all got into highly respectable universities)</p>
<p>Yes, what about the school report? All colleges ask for a form from the school’s GC and a school report, which includes information about the school, the courses, the grading system, etc.</p>
<p>From the school’s web site it seems it is equivalent to a school in this country where you can get your GED if you for some reason didn’t finish HS. Probably covers the basics but difficult to tell how rigorous it is. </p>
<p>And some courses just need to be taught in a classroom setting. Literature discussion, Chemistry lab…</p>
<p>On the positive side, perhaps your D could learn some Arabic while she is there?</p>
<p>So you guys suggest i admit her to a real school ?
she wants to go because shes thinking of studying medicine in the UK.
Thanks Guys for your feedback!</p>
<p>Well if she’s going to the UK and doing grade 13 (which is what people usually so when applying to the UK) then that’s even more reason to send her to a real school.</p>
<p>Sorry for the confusion. Typical American schools have up till 12th Grade. British ones have till 13th. I was just saying that if she wants to study in the UK (you mentioned it above) then taking 13th grade might be an advantage for her.</p>
<p>Philips Exeter or Andover have thirteenth grade in America. I know kids who don’t get into elite schools and go there for a thirteenth year. Then reaply to the colleges at a later date.</p>
<p>Am I correct in thinking your daughter is beginning her senior year now? If she wants to attend a UK school the deadline for medicine (which is a 6 year undergraduate course) is **15th October <a href=“to%20start%20Sept%202008”>/B</a>. Secondly, is she doing any APs, IB or A-level subjects? She really needs one of these. I have never known a US student here accepted for any subject without one of these. They don’t care about GPA or SATs. For medicine, students usually have to have 4 grade As at A-levels including Chemistry. So I reckon 5APs at level 4/5. Medicine is the most competitive subject. She will be competing against internationals with perfect grades from tough competitive school systems such as Singapore and Hong Kong.</p>
<p>There is a national quota of doctors needed for the UK health service so the number of internationals admitted is tiny. About 6-7 per school. I think you are limited to 4 or 5 applications as well. Also, if you qualify as a doctor in the UK, you are not automatically allowed to practice medicine in the US. (though you are in the rest of Europe, Australia, New Zealand and probably other commonwealth countries). I don’t know all the details about it, but such a student would have to take lots of tests again to be allowed to work in the US as a doctor. I have never met a US student here doing medicine (I have been here 7 years!) and I suspect it is for this reason, as well as the HUGE cost financially. </p>
<p>Really, on the above information, I think it is extremely unlikely your daughter will get on to a UK medicine course for 2008. If she is not doing any real studying, I think it is unlikely she would be adequately prepared for any college.</p>
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