Feature Articles
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Folders
Which accreditation organisations are legitimate, which ones aren't? How can you tell the difference between the legitmate and the bogus, and why do they matter anyway. Open this folder to find lists of recognised accreditation and inspection agencies, warnings against the dodgy ones, and in depth information on why you should care.
What's a "good" American school and how can you tell? What are standard benchmarks? Do all international American schools have exactly the same curriculum? How do Advanced Placement courses and exams fit into the picture?
Coming from abroad, understanding the system, whether your child has a chance of getting in, whether British schools are as daunting as their reputation, how to check out a school....a wealth of articles reprinted from The Good Schools Guide.
A quick guide through cross curricular planning: at what age can you jump between curricula, and what do universities in the US and UK think about it? And if you want to consider a US university, there are ways pay for it if you're an American - or if you're not.
Everything you need to know about writing and advising for the Good Schools Guide International.
Check your destination (and admit, the first thing you'll need is airport information!): if Jane Mason goes there, we have her up-to-the-minute advice for arriving at airports abroad. The snappy short articles in this folder are just as definitive as, but not to be confused with, the famous military publishers of the same name. These travel tips come from a globe trotting consultant who makes it her business to enjoy the process of travel, and to find the comforts and shortcuts in every conceivable language and airport.
What is an AP course? The British curriculum? Is there any such thing as an American curriculum? Here is every curriculum, exam and school system mentioned in the GSGI (with succint descriptions in clear concise terms....which is almost NEVER the case on their official and mostly useless websites). If you need information on one we haven't defined yet, just let us know. Open this folder for a world of articles on the most popular ones that cater to English-speaking expats.
Taking small children abroad...what could make you more nervous??!! Some of these articles are excerpts from other Good Schools Guide International articles, or they're stand alone articles in their own right. So some are country-specific, whether Moscow or Sydney, but much of the information is universally useful, so here it is in one folder.
Definitions, descriptions, resources, solutions....these mini-guides to Special Education Needs in the UK and US will equip you for those countries, but help you find your way (and at least know what you're missing) in more far-flung corners of the globe.
How to choose a boarding school, how to plan once you've chosen, or whether to go to boarding school at all: open this folder to find articles and thoughts from parents of boarders, plus boarders themselves.
Can you transfer out of the American system into the British, or out of the British into the IB? If summer is winter in Australia, when does school begin? What happens to children who need someplace to land in between, for extra work, visa help or beefing up on skills?
Outstanding UK guide to US universities, written by hilarious British student Alice Fishburn when she was at Harvard, published in 2004 and now online for the first time. Slightly updated in 2009 by long time US college councilor Margaret Gandy (www.collegeguidepost.com)for the GSGI, it contains a comprehensive account of some of the most popular (and competitive) US universities and colleges, complete with complementary articles for British students contemplating higher education across the Atlantic. THIS JUST IN: NEW ADDITIONS BY JOHN WALLIS! Read his blog as he couch surfs across the US, reviewing 20+ colleges and universities to add to Unis in the USA.
Articles
The British school system....wherever you find it, everything you need to know in this article by Sandra Hutchinson, one of the leading editors from The Good Schools Guide.
Words, agencies and phrases that are found peppered throughout the GSGI, many that are peculiar to one country (especially Montreal), or wander into a range of jargon for a particular area (say, US Financial Aid).
A third culture kid (TCK) lives in a country other than that of his parents’ citizenship, thereby creating a third culture. TCKs develop many first class skills such as linguistic talents, confidence, self-reliance and adaptability but they can also feel a sense of rootlessness and a lack of identity without a permanent place to call “home.”
When is an international school not an international school? Or even a school where most students aren't international at all, but instead locals whose parents want them to have a British or American education...at least on paper? What should you look for, what should you ask? By Jennifer Sharple - Expat, parent, journalist.
What to look for in an international school and how to strategize the search: what to look for in accreditation, staff, special needs, financial stability; pitfalls to beware of, what should wave a red flag. By long time expat and journalist Jennifer Sharple.
There are many mystery words amongst English speaking peoples, but some are more likely than others to incite international incidents....
How do French schools work? What should expats expect from French schools? How do non-French children (and parents) make the system adjust to themselves (they don't), or learn to fit in (and it is possible)? A quick description of the ins and outs of the French education system written by long time expat Rosemary MacKinnnon.
Finding a summer job if you're an expat teenager living in France....