24 CIEE schools and districts were recently recognized in the 2017 Best School List published by U.S. News & World Report. This week, we’re going to teach you more about the public high school ranking system and what U.S. News & World Report uses to measure performance at schools. There are dozens of state and nationally ranked public high schools in our catalog, so please contact CIEE to learn more about these prestigious options for your students!
U.S. News & World Report surveys high schools constantly and provides consumers with a snap shot of all of the public high schools in the U.S. They collect extensive amounts of data and rank high schools in four tiers:
In addition to these distinctions, they also provide a numerical rank:
Earning any of these three distinctions is an enormous honor for a high school, as there are thousands of schools in the U.S. vying for a spot on this list. Looking at the distribution of these honors, U.S. News & World Report recently released a survey showing that only 2.4% of all high schools in the U.S. earned a Gold Medal distinction, 10.3% earned the Silver Medal distinction and 16.8% for the Bronze Medal distinction. Schools that did not earn a medal accounted for 70.5%. U.S. News & World Report also disclosed further information about how they determine these annual awards, based on four unique steps:
We are proud to carry some of the best high schools in the U.S. and offer top notch experiences for your students. We carry several Gold Medal schools which rank at the top 2.4% in the country. Some examples of our top Medal schools include:
To learn more about rank and searching for public high schools, you can visit U.S. News &World Reports website or read the full article announcing the 2017 rankings. Timon from Germany chose Indian River Charter High School last year for the variety of music, art, and theater classes it offers. Its proximity to the beach was an added bonus!
Timon says his classes there have taught him, “how to have more confidence and how to speak freely and fluently in front of other people.” Indian River also arranged a field trip for his Spanish class to visit Miami and explore Little Havana to see Cuban culture up close. Timon has really made the most of being in an American school by taking advantage of extracurricular activities offered. “I joined the student council, and at the beginning of my exchange year we planned and organized the homecoming ball of my school. I am also a member of the Spanish competition team of my school and we went to a competition in Orlando in March. Although it was a competition and we had to study for it pretty long, I had a great time!” As a part of Host Family Appreciation Week at CIEE, we asked our host families to share their stories hosting international students, and how it has impacted their lives. The Elozory family lives in Tampa, FL and is made up of host mom Bonnie, host dad Daniel, their teenage daughter Diana, and service dog. They are a first time host family and hosting Natalie from Germany this year. The Elozory family told us: “I love being a host mom. It gives me the chance to share our lives with another kid. We get to see the world and especially America through fresh new eyes. Our exchange student feels like an important and complete part of our family. We've had so much fun showing her America. It's made us get out and enjoy the gifts of our own great country. Getting to know all of the other exchange students in our area has also been such a rich experience for us. We find the kids to be very energetic, thoughtful, and inquisitive people. They are the doers of the world. They've left the comfort of home to venture out and meet and live with foreigners. I find them brave and interesting. They have expanded our view of the world. Seeing our exchange student blossom and grow has been exciting. She's gotten involved in sports, the choir, and many things our own kids didn't do. We get to see her preform in shows and compete in events. It broadens our life experiences. We've met so many people because of her. Sharing your life with another person expands your understanding of the world. It allows one to see things new and afresh.
My daughter plans to travel to her student's home this summer. We are so excited for her to see the larger world. Certainly the exchange student program fosters a universal dedication to peace through knowledge and understanding of each other. We learn how we are different and also alike. It's a wonderful lesson for young people to learn. ” To see more stories from Host Family Appreciation Week, visit our Host Family News blog. The Idler family in Rockaway, New Jersey is excited to host another student next year! The Idlers first hosted a student attending Morris Catholic High School with CIEE in 2015-2016 and are looking to repeat the process. Parents Jacquie and Steve have busy careers but make time to travel and spend time with their three grown children, Johnathan, Danielle, and Gregory. Their previous exchange student played on Morris Catholic’s basketball team and they loved cheering him on.
The Idler’s hometown is only a short train ride away from New York City which provides plenty of exciting day trip opportunities. When Weijia was choosing where to go for her second year in the USA with CIEE, she knew she wanted to go somewhere warm! As a High School Exchange USA student in 2015, she was placed in Pennsylvania. Now she attends Calvary Christian Academy in warm Ormond Beach, Florida. Calvary Christian is a good fit, she says, “because it's a small school and the teachers are really willing to help you be sure you understand and can make good grades in the classes.” Her favorite class is American History.
Weijia has tons of fun with her two host sisters and enjoys jumping on their trampoline and celebrating their birthdays. Weijia’s Local Coordinator, Kristi, works at the school and gets to see her often. Kristi says, "Weijia loves animals and is even considering a career as a veterinarian in the future. Living in a home with several pets has been a joy to her as well!” Calvary Christian Academy recently held their annual prom. Weijia attended with her friend John. Public high school athletics are a serious pastime in many places around the U.S: some American families even to move to certain districts or cities just because the public schools boast particularly strong athletic programs! From there, participation on a winning team can lead to athletic careers or even college scholarships. But something important to note for High School Study USA students applying to public schools: many public schools around the U.S. prohibit students with F-1 visas from participating at the varsity level. This was done in part to promote and preserve competitive athletic opportunities for domestic student populations. Also, some public schools have tried increase and pad their competitive ranking by recruiting international students in the past, leading to rules that prohibited participation by students with F-1 visas at the varsity level. Public school varsity-level restrictions can vary, so it’s important to check the regulations for the state and school you are applying to. However, while athletes with F-1 visas are subject to these rules, it doesn’t mean they can’t have the top-level athletic experience they want. Here are a few solutions we can offer our students to ensure they are on the right track:
Setting a student’s expectations before they come on their study abroad experience is key. By knowing when certain sports are held (spring vs. fall), when try outs are, and if they can play at the level they want, we can help guide students to schools that are the best fit. Let's get the ball rolling! Applying to an American university can be a difficult process for any student. CIEE is here to help guide your students through the process and educate you on valuable, free resources, all students should take advantage of while they’re studying here in the U.S.
One of the most valuable, free resources available to your students are the guidance counselors at their school. Here are a few facts about guidance counselors that will help your student take advantage of all the services they have to offer.
At CIEE, we work with some of the top-ranked high schools in the country. Many of these schools place students at Ivy League colleges and have strong connections. Guidance counselors can provide students with a list of recent college acceptances to help show them what colleges they might have the strongest connections with. In this competitive market, any advantages help!
There are two main tests that international student applicants may be required to take in order to determine their level of English: ELTiS and TOEFL. Almost all U.S. high schools that CIEE partners with accept results from the ELTiS test, however some schools require the TOFEL. In addition to the ELTiS and the TOEFL exams, some U.S. high schools require additional test results from any student who is applying. Two of the most common additional tests are the ISSE and the SSAT. Learn about each of these tests below and share what you learn with your students to help them be better prepared for the school application process. ELTiS: English Language Test for International Students
The English Language Test for International Students (ELTiS) is a standardized test designed to measure the listening and reading comprehension skills of high school age English language learners. It is a shorter test, only 1 hour and 10 minutes long, and it evaluates students’ ability to understand academic classroom language. Essentially, it tests if the student can manage the English language requirements of secondary school classes where English is the language of instruction. The scores are available immediately. TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) has a paper version or an online version, called the TOEFL IBT. Many U.S. universities require the TOEFL IBT for international student admissions at the university level. TOEFL scores take about three weeks to get to the student or school. This test is generally more difficult because it is used for university entrance as well as for high school. In contrast to the ELTiS, the TOFEL and tests only general English abilities. Because the TOFEL has been around longer, schools that have been accepting international students for many years often require the TOFEL test. This is most common with boarding schools and prestigious private schools, but not always. Most schools that CIEE partners with accept ELTiS scores because it is the test recommended by CSIET, the regulatory standards council that releases guidelines for running international F-1 visa programs. SSAT: The Secondary School Admissions Test The Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT) is another test that some U.S. high schools require, and it is a popular admission requirement for exclusive private schools. Schools rely on the SSAT to assess a student's overall academic abilities, rather than knowledge in specific subjects. The SSAT is 3 hours and 5 minutes long and covers 167 questions including an unscored essay that is sent to schools. It evaluates quantitative skills, reading comprehension skills, and writing skills. While this test is difficult, it gives the prospective schools a holistic assessment of the student’s academic strengths and weaknesses. Taking this test also provides a predicted Grade 12 SAT score. ISSE: Independent School Entrance Examination The Independent School Entrance Examination (ISSE) is used for admission to some private high schools. The test is given several times throughout the year, but the majority of the testing dates fall during the fall and early winter and the number of available test dates depends on your location. This test includes sections for verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, reading comprehension, mathematics achievement and an unscored essay. Schools that use this test have found that have found that the ISEE test scores are the most consistent indicators of predicting success for students for their rigorous academic programs. The test is 2 hours and 40 minutes long and covers 161 questions including a scored essay. Many private schools will require a second standardized test along with the English test. Because private schools in the United States are so selective, many schools use a secondary test, such as the ISEE or SSAT, to allow them to compare students from very different educational backgrounds. Very rarely, schools will set limits to these scores. Often times they are used to help the student instead of hurt their chances of gaining admission to a school. Most boarding schools require the SSAT, while some independent schools accept either the SSAT or the ISEE. While it makes the application process longer and more difficult, these tests are used to help determine which students are very serious about applying to the school, compared to those that are applying because it is easy. Hello from the Birkel family in Falmouth, Maine! Host mom Michelle, and host dad Paul have two daughters and live in a beautiful home on the Maine coast, right down the road from the CIEE office in Portland! Michelle and Paul foster a home environment of independence, respect and personal responsibility and it is obvious in the way their close-knit family interacts and gets along. They spend their free time as a family going to athletic events that the girls are participating in (basketball this season), engaging in outdoor activities, like walking the family dog, or going hiking.
If the weather is bad, the family will stay inside. By turning their basement into a game room, complete with a pool table, foosball table and a ping pong table, and a large room on the second floor turned into a gym, there is no need to leave on a rainy day! The Birkels are excited to welcome an international student into their family this year, and share all that Falmouth and hospitable Maine culture has to offer! |