197 best English boarding schools in USA

The main specific of the best boarding school in America is approach to studying. It is aimed not only at academic education, but also at the development of intellectual abilities, which allows the child to realize himself in sports, art, any other hobby.

The graduates of English school in the US have competitive advantages in case of enrolment in American universities - and it's not just about the impeccable quality of their academic education: independent, purposeful, sociable, disciplined, motivated to achieve applicants are easier to give interviews, taking entrance tests, if any.

The secondary education divides in three main stages, which last for 12 years:

• Elementary schools

Here children receive basic knowledge in the main subjects of the school curriculum. Basically, all disciplines (with the exception of art, music and physical education) are taught by the same teacher. Before the start of classes, all children undergo an initial knowledge and ability level test – it distributes them into the appropriate groups from A to C (A is a gifted class): in general terms, this is an IQ test. If desired, the student can “move” between groups: for example, if the program turns out to be too difficult for him or vice versa, he is ahead of his classmates in success.

• Middle school (6-8 grades)

In the middle classes, the system of educational credits is already widespread virtually everywhere. The list of compulsory subjects is slightly reduced (career guidance and career prospects are necessarily included in it), but the general curriculum of each student only becomes larger – subjects and electives of personal choice are added to it. At the end of each year, children take transferable exams (also counted under the credit system).

Teachers are already divided into disciplinary blocks and subjects, and the active study of foreign languages (both modern and classical) begins.

• High school (9-12 grades)

This is not only the final stage of secondary education, but also a full, thorough preparation for admission to universities: at this stage, students earn credits that will help them to successfully enrol and receive personal scholarships. Studying almost from the 9th grade becomes specialized. There are few main profiles: industrial, commercial, agricultural, academic and general education. The list of compulsory subjects includes only a few disciplines: mathematics, natural sciences, English and humanities courses – the rest are recruited in the chosen specialty.

Almost every secondary institution accepts children from the age of 12: they live on campus until the age of 14, after which children are given the opportunity to change the type of accommodation to family, attend school during the day. Majority of foreign students choose living on campus.

There is a competition for up to 10 people per place: for enrollment, applicants need a competently filled out questionnaire, an extract on their progress for at least 2-3 previous years, written recommendations from teachers translated into English, as well as an interview (in person or via Skype) and testing (most often in mathematics and English).

Many boarding schools in the USA also provide SSAT: this test allows to determine English proficiency level, to develop the ability to apply it in practice. The exam is aimed at American applicants, foreign students can provide a SLEP or TOEFL certificate in return.

After reviewing the applicant's documents, the date and time of the interview are assigned to him. The interview is conducted by phone or online (via Skype). The interview allows to determine the level of English proficiency, as well as the motivation, purposefulness of the child, the coincidence of his profile interests with the specialization of the educational institution.

The main list of required documents for the submitting family is as follows:

• Copy of passport
• School annual grades for the last 2 academic years + quarter/trimester grades for the current academic year
• International language certificate  (TOEFL and SAT preferably as new as possible so that they are relevant)
• Recommendation letters from teachers of English and mathematics
• Motivation letter
• Registration forms and school forms
• Interview via Skype.

In addition to the above list, children are also required to take internal school tests in mathematics and English to determine whether the children are sufficiently well prepared at the time of admission to a private school.

The average cost of studying in the boarding school in the USA varies depending on the prestige of the institution, its ranking, average graduation rate in high school, as well as location. The tuition fee fluctuates from 35,000 USD to 90,000 USD in the most elite, including accommodation, meals, studying.