Boarding schools in USA: Pre-Ivy League elite.

Borja Pérez-Mínguez | Travel blog

If you are looking for the best of the best possible education, the universities that always come to mind are the ones included in the prestigious list of the Ivy League, a sport conference integrated by the most prestigious and elite universities located at the east coast ot the United States (Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Yale and Princeton). The few students that get accepted have a brilliant future ahead of them after graduation. The same concept applies to the rest of top tier elite universities located in other areas of the USA like MIT, Berkeley, Chicago, Caltech, Duke, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, etc.

Many Monarchy members of different countries, Presidents of the Government, senators, scientists, Nobel prize winners, entrepereneurs and successful businessmen are part of the exclusive group of students who have studied at these Ivy League universities.

The acceptance rate of new estudents at these centers  is very low, and the best way to secure a place at the Ivy League universities is undoubtedly studying 4 years through the eliteboarding schools in the USA, Pre-Ivy League, since all of their students secure acceptances at the top universities of their choice.

These elite boarding schools have also a very low acceptance rate since thousands of exceptional candidates from all over the world apply each year and very few have the privilege of being finally accepted. I’s also very important to keep in mind they require a 4 year commitment since they won’t consider candidates for just one academic year.

In order to apply to one of the top private boarding schools it’s mandatory to meet the following requirements:

• Apply with over a year in advance, no later than October. After reviewing the materials, the schools confirm the acceptances in January.
• Superb transcripts in the past 3 years. Nothing below A in academic results.
• Almost bilingual English level. Results from official SSAT and TOEFL exams must be provided.  
• Being a well known member of the community: Recommendation letters proving leadership skills, community service, internships, etc.   
• Practicing some extracurricular activity: being a part of sports teams, play music instruments, art interests, etc.
• 4 year commitment. Most boarding schools allow students to study just for one academic year, but these elite boarding schools require completing 4 years, 9th-12th grade.
• Budget of around 50-70.000$ tuition for each academic year + extras like health insurance (2.000$), texbooks, uniform, flights, transfers and our fees (4.000€ + VAT).

If the candidate fulfils all the above requirements, we can officially apply, but even then, no acceptance is guaranteed since thousands of candidates are in the same position, the very best of every country, and the acceptance rate is very low.

As we have been able to confirm after years of experience and visiting hundreds of private schools in the USA, meeting teachers, staff members, college counselors and current students, studying 4 years at one of the elite private boarding schools is surely the best way to secure a place at the Ivy League universities.

In one of our latest trips to New England, we had the privilege of visiting some of the best elite boarding schools in the world located in New Hampshire: the worlwide recognised Phillips Exeter Academy and St. Paul’s School, two of the most historic and academic schools founded in 1781 and 1856 respectively.

These two elite boarding schools are part of a select group of top centers, whose students are all accepted after graduation at the Ivy Leage universities, considered the best of the world. Former famous students of these gruop of elite boarding schools are President of the USA George H.Bush (Phillips Exeter and Yale), Facebook founder Mark Zuckerber (Phillips Exeter and Harvard), Secretary of State John Kerry (St. Paul’s and Georgetown), FBI Director Robert Moeller (St. Paul’s and Yale), etc.

During our school visits we were able to verify first hand the incredible level and cutting edge academic classes and laboratories, sport facilities and art buildings where students reach their full potential. It was brought to our attention the millionaire donations done by former students and successful businessmen who want to help improving the schools and in some way give back and recognize the received education as crucial part of their accomplishments.

The complete list of these elite boarding schools is the following: Phillips Exeter, Phillips Andover, St. Paul’s, Choate, Deerfield, Groton, Hotchkiss, Lawrenceville, West Nottingham Academy, Milton, etc.

Some of the features all schools share are the following:

• Founders of the Harkness method: 12 students in each class seated in a round table while debating about every topic with the teacher moderating in the middle.
• The reduced class size allows a much personalized treatment and encourages active participation.
• Students are shaped to be future leaders.
• State of the art academic, sport, music and arts facilities.
• Academic excellence.
• Academic Year tuition: 50-70.000$ + extras.
• Lowest acceptance rate in the field.

Therefore and due to the extreme difficulty of obtaining a place at those schools, the candidate should apply with over a year in advance while in 8th grade and for a 4 year commitment: 9th to 12th grade in order to graduate. These schools won’t consider students for just one academic year.

We will always advise interested families and candidates about these options, but the profile must be very academic and the places can’t be guaranteed.

Below you will find the best photos of the schools we promote in the area showing the best facilities, classes, labs and programs.

At the following link you will find all the details of the program: https://www.internationalacademicprograms.es/en/usa-boarding/

Private schools with host family in USA: Arizona.

Borja Pérez-Mínguez | Travel blog

In one of our latest trips to the United States we were able to visit the area of Phoenix in Arizona, a state well know for the polite and respectful manners of it’s citizens and a great destination for 3 type of students:

1. Students who want to live a truly American experience since it’s by far the area in the United States with less international students. The schools we selected for the academic year programs offer a complete American immersion since 98% of the students are American with a very reduced international population.
2. Candidates looking for a warm weather environment all year long with very mild winters (about 15º) completely different from the cold states in New England or New York (-20º).
3. Students who love nature activities like hiking, camping, cave exploration and all kinds of adventure sports.

With such a low number of international population, all students practice English at all times and that encourages closer relations and making new friends easily so Arizona becomes an ideal destination for students who prefer quiet areas where everybody knows each other and feels as a part of the community.

Regarding the academics, all schools offers strogn STEM options (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and some of the best students compete in robotic tournaments at state and even national championships.

Thanks to the reduced size schools we were happy to see as we explored each campus how everybody was more friendly and happy and encouraged to help each other. One of the traditions they have is the clan system like in the Harry Potter movies, so each student belongs to a clan or house, and during the entire length of the academic year program earns points for academic, sport, music or art results. The houses also competed against each others in all kind of different games, and the winners would get many different prizes like pizzas, field trips, permission to wear casual clothes, etc. This fun system allows a quick integration in the community and becomes a huge success for new students since they feel welcomed since the moment they arrive.

In sports as we always find in all the schools we promote at International Academic Programs, the options offered include a wide range of opportunities like soccer, basketball, tennis, track and field or baseball. Each one is played in an specific season and therefor the students get to compete in 3 different sports against other private schools in the area during the entire academic year.

For arts enthusiastics, the schools offer many alternatives like music, band, chorus, dance, ballet, jazz, painting, photography or drama among many others.

Arizona is also a great choice for students with a low English level since the schools offer amazing ESL programs (English as a Second Lenguage) for students struggling with the lenguage. This program adapts to each student’s needs and provides all need support with very reduced class sizes (7 students) and up to 1-2 daily hours help without any extra cost, so the program is very persinalized and allows students to quickly improve their English skills.

Regarding weekend activites we find all kinds of options such as adventure sports like kayaking, zip lining, climbing or hiking, many different field trips, visits to amusement parks, major cities, museums, mini golfs, NBA, American Football and baseball games, etc. All these activities is included in the cost of the program so students get to experience many American activities.

All schools are located in residential areas of very quite towns within 50 minutes from Phoenix, so they have all the amenities of a big city, in a very safe environment.

At the following link you will find all the details of the program: https://www.internationalacademicprograms.es/en/usa-family/

Private schools with host family in USA: New York, Long Island.

Borja Pérez-Mínguez | Travel blog

In the past few years we had the privilege to visit many times and select the best private catholic schools of the area of New York, undoubtedly one of the most excting destinations in the world.

All the schools are located in very quiet and safe beach towns in Long Island, about 50 minutes away by train to the center of Manhattan. Every school offers state of the art facilities in academics, sports, arts or music with cutting edge programs for every specialty.

Every single school has the College Prep designation so all their graduates secure places at the best universities of the United States with the guidence of their College Counselors.

As most of the private schools International Academic Programs promotes  in North America, due to the increasing universal claim, the centers provide very strong STEM programs (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). For science options and thanks to generous alumni donations, the schools offer incredible facilities worth millions of dollars like the spectacular Anatomage Table. This machine allows students with medicine interests to study the human body, giving them the opportunity of virtually dissecting bones, organs, or even bloodstream cells to study in detail every single aspect of the anatomy. This is an incredible option for students who want to become doctors in the future. At this moment there are only 16 of these very expensive machines in the United States so it remains as an unparalleled alternative for students who really want to pursuit medicine careers.

Regarding sports the schools offer the best facilities and teams in all the estate, with outstanding top class programs in soccer, tennis, basketball or baseball among many others.

It’s essential to keep in mind that due to the incredible competence in sports in all the schools of the state (the best universities try to choose the best athletes at these schools to join them), the new students won’t be able to participate in competitive sports during the first year. This state law is set to prevent athletes from all over the world to spend one year at those schools and get an advantage towards other domestic students. For these reasons, new students can’t particpate in competitive sports until they have spent one entire academic year in the state of New York. For the students who only want to study for one academic year, they could join local clubs, (without competition) or participate in the following school options: sailing, track and field, cheerleading, rowing or equestrian programs.

For arts enthusiastics the schools offer some of the finest programs in the USA, with top level music options like the best chorus in North America (competing at national level), band, thater, drama, performing arts, painting or ceramics.

The environment is very safe, quiet and familiar, located in residential catholic areas and surrounded by gorgeous beaches, lakes and parks, ideal options for nature activities.

The students get many different recreation opportunities in town like movie theaters, restaurants, shopping malls, bowling centers, etc, and are situated only about 50 minutes away from the center of Manhattan. New York City is one of the most recognized cities on earth and provides an unparalleled scenario perfect for family activities like visiting musems (MOMA), walking by Central Park, having lunch at Little Italy, shopping at the Chelsea Market or Soho, visiting Wall Street and Ground Zero, or attending Broadway plays, NBA, American Football or Baseball games just to mention a few.

In all the trips we have done to New York in the past years we were able to visit each corner of the city and no matter how many times you visit Manhattan, you can always find some excuse to return! We encourage parents to visit their children while they study their academic year in New York and spend some days at the always spectacular Big Apple.

At the following link you will find all the details of the program: https://www.internationalacademicprograms.es/en/usa-family/

Boarding schools in USA: Military schools.

Borja Pérez-Mínguez | Travel blog

In some of our latest trips to visit the best boarding schools in the United States, we traveled to the states of Alabama, California, Texas and Florida, where we were able to confirm a new growing spectacular alternative for international students looking for a more disciplined environment, the military boarding schools.

The options we selected are divided in 3 different categories:

1. Standard private boarding schools with additional military options, so regular students live at the same school as the military program students.
2. Mixed military schools.
3. Boys only military schools.

At any of the above mentioned alternatives of the academic year program the purpose is always the same: personal growth, leadership skills, discipline, and becoming part of something bigger than themselves.

Among all the students we met in our trips participating in these programs we founded all kind of alumns: some of them mentioned a military school was not their first choice and they were signed by their parents to redirect their low performance academic results. Others, on the other hand told us it had been their own personal choice since they came from military tradition families and backgrounds. The third type was students who studied at standard boarding schools but eventually joined the military programs some of them offered.

The most important feature that defines the military schools is the improvement capacity and personal growth the cadets experience. Thanks to the military different grades, the inculcated respect to their superiors, teamwork and the encouraged desire to improve their results, all students consider themselves as a part of the family and they will be eager to provide all needed help to any other recruit so they can all achive their full potential.

It’s essential to keep in mind all students are completely different and have their own motivations to participate in the programs, but even so they are all unlike the students from standard boarding schools. They all pointed out how much they had changed, the level of discipline and the leadership skills they learned while participating in the military programs they all also applied to their personal lives outside the school and with their own families.

Like any other of the programs we promote at International Academic Programs in order to select the perfect school for each candidate, we must know in advance the student’s profile, interests and type of program they are looking for. Some schools offer more traditional military programs just for boys located in rural environments and with modest facilities without unnecessary luxuries while other schools are designed for the students who struggle the most with their academic results and need more discipline. On a different note we can find another type of students, the ones who have great academic results and want to join aviation programs to become pilots in the future.

For a different kind of experience, there are other mixed schools with state of the art facilities located in warm areas close to the ocean like Florida or California, and offer spectacular water related programs like sailing, scuba diving and many other options. A great alternative for parents who want a military school but not as strict as the modest ones.

About weekend activities the students can practice paintball (as you will see in our report below), learn survivor skills, orientation, nature related activities, kajaking, hiking, etc.

Some of the most disciploned military schools offer important incentives to students for good behaviour or academic performace, keeping their bedrooms and the uniforms tidy, etc, so students can earn privileges like free hot dogs, burgers, pizzas, going to the movies, playing pool or ping pong. Thanks to the disciplined environment students show the best possible attitudes.

At the following link you will find all the details of the program: https://www.internationalacademicprograms.es/en/usa-boarding/

IM

Boarding schools in USA: Texas.

Borja Pérez-Mínguez | Travel blog

In one of our latest trips to the United States, we visited and selected the best private boarding schools for academic year programs in Texas, on the richest states in North America thanks to it’s strong economy, fuelled by the success of their business, industry and oil sector.

There is a saying in USA: Everything is bigger in Texas, and we verified they are not wrong!

Texas is undoubtedly one of the less known states for Europeans and the idea most people have about it has nothing to do with the reality since during the entire week we spent visiting the best schools in the state, we never shaw citizens with cowboy hats, horses or any kind of weapon like you could imagine by it’s reputation on movies. It’s important to keep in mind that Texas is one of the biggest states in North America, and it’s size is bigger than most European countries. Most of their schools are considered the safest in the USA and every single Texan citizen we met were by far the most polite Americans we have seen in a long time.

Another common feature they all share is being deeply respectful since at the time we spent in Texas, the former first lady Barbara Bush, wife of President George H.W. Bush (1989-1933) had recently passed away and all the schools had the American flag hanging half mast as a sign of mourning.

In every school we were lucky enough to meet international students from all over the world (China, Brazil, Ukraine, Korea, Switzerland, Japan, Spain), and they were all very happy and having a great experience and of course recommended it to any potential candidate interested in studying an academic year in Texas.

Among the schools we visited we could find all types of centers: catholic schools, secular schools, military schools (for students looking for a more disciplined environment), mixed schools, single sex schools or located in rural areas or urban environments close to major cities like Dallas, Austin, San Antonio or Houston.

For weekend activities the students get to choose among many different options like trips to major cities, going to the movies, shopping, restaurants, museums and all kind of sports events like NBA games, (Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs), American Football, (Dallas Cowboys), soccer games of the MLS, ice hockey options with top teams of the NHL, or even Formula 1 or Moto GP races.

One of the principal features all schools shared was the reduced class sizes of around 10-15 students so the attention studentes receive is much personalized, with a very practical academic system and a very close relation between teachers and alumns so they can all achieve their full potential.

The academic results the students earn at these schools are exceptional and allow them to secure places at the best universities in the USA. Just as all the other private boarding schools we promote at International Academic Programs, every boarding school in Texas is a College Prep center and therefore offers specialized guidence to their students by their College Counselors to guide them through the entire process of universitiy selection and applications according to the students academic results.

Every school also had state of the art facilities and each one had their own espectacular campus with cutting edge classes, labs, music and art programs with some of the best sport fields we have seen in the States: soccer, football, golf, swimming, tennis, basketball, or lacrosse programs with very good results every year at regional and even national championships.

Finally we have to mention the warm weather the state offers when we compare it to the cold winters of the east coast states so it becomes a great choice for students without ski or snowboarding interests.

At the following link you will find all the details of the program: https://www.internationalacademicprograms.es/en/usa-boarding/