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High schools in the USA
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High school education in the USA is becoming popular with a wider range of student nationalities, as Gillian Evans reports.
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Motivated by the perception of an easier route into US universities and colleges, international students are enrolling at US high schools in increasing numbers. Patrick Finn at St Timothy’s School in Baltimore, MD, reports that enrolments have jumped from 10 per cent of total student intake five years ago to 27 per cent today. He attributes this growth to “international recruiting focus to a greater number of countries, enhanced by working with agents and travel in various countries”.
Similarly Juan Christiansen, Admissions Counsellor at Riverside Military Academy, Gainesville, GA, says their international student numbers have increased considerably over the past couple of years as a direct result of their expansion into new markets. He explains, “China and Mexico are the growing nationalities at our academy. We have made several recruiting efforts in China and we are starting to see the results. Mexico has been developing in the last two years due to word-of-mouth [recommendations] from our current parents. We are also doing more marketing in specific areas of Mexico.”
Many high schools have earmarked Latin America as their next growth area, while China has become a significant player in recent years. Kathryn Auger at Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Wilbraham, MA, comments, “The number of Chinese students has grown as awareness of boarding schools increases and visas are more easily obtained.” Chinese and Koreans make up the largest nationality groups at Auger’s school, but while Chinese numbers have been rising, Korean enrolments have dropped “due to the current economic crisis and currency exchange rates”, she adds.
Most US high schools provide plenty of English as a second language (ESL) support by offering a whole range of ESL courses including summer, academic preparation and pre-sessional tasters. Students also benefit from highly modern facilities. According to Auger, one of the major draws at Wilbraham & Monson Academy is its Centre for Economic and Global Studies programme. “Our students learn about global economic issues, the role of activism in the world and the impact of global events. We boast state-of-the-art facilities including a brand new stock-trading floor, which simulates live trading of stocks and bonds,” she explains.
Increasingly, education consultants and agents are playing a greater role in this sector of the US market, as high schools extend their recruiting reach into other countries. “We have made several trips overseas to promote the school and our programmes,” asserts Christiansen. “We also work with education consultants to maximise our resources and distribute information about Riverside to individuals we could not reach.”
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