Tracy Said:

Shouldn't it be "Are you smarter than a 5th grader who went to a gifted private school"?

We Answered:

I know, I shouldn't be stumped that much from this show but I am. Those 5th graders are on steroids for the brain.

Felicia Said:

How do I go about getting to America from the UK at the age of sixteen and attending high school there?

We Answered:

AFS and YFU are both very reliable programs -- in fact, the best. However, the problem is there are almost no exchange opportunities to and from GB any more due to visa issues. (Ireland is a little different.)

Unfortunately, you cannot just come to the US at age 16, live and study here on your own. You would have no legal standing, be unable to sign a contract (therefore you couldn't rent any place to live), the school would not accept you without a sponsor.

I think at this point, your best bet is to study as hard as you can as you are doing now, save your money and come as a university student. You will need proof of ability to support yourself, but won't need sponsors.

Shirley Said:

what is high school in th US like?

We Answered:

That depends.

I went to a high school with over 5000 students. There were no uniforms. Classes are insanely easy and extremely boring, for most foreign exchange students even the advanced classes are pretty simple. No one cared about social status like you described at your school. Stereotypes do exist, but mainly cause people hang around people with other interests and similar personalities...like if you like to party youll hang out with other kids who like partying. And even though there were stereotypes, everyone was generally nice to everyone else unlike in the movies.

On the contrary, you might end up at a tiny school with 200 students who all wear uniforms and they do care about social status and people tend to be mean to each other and nothing fun ever happens.

It really depends on where you end up.

Dan Said:

Federal Funds should not go to Private school vouchers, disagree or agree?

We Answered:

I agree.
I think government is doing a miserable job educating our children.
I don't want anymore of my money going to that failed system.
You admit that private schools have fewer problems than public schools.
That's because people are paying for results. No results, no money.
Instead you think we should continue to throw money down a hole rather than pick what works better for our children.
In a private system, bad teachers and administrators are canned instead of living on in perpetuity in the public sector.
It would be more affordable if we weren't forced to waste thousands more per child in a system that isn't working.
We are always told that education is underfunded while private schools do a better job with less cost per student.
I pay for public schools in taxes and I have to pay for a private school because our public schools are ranked near the bottom.

Sheila Said:

PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOLS IN AMERICA!!~~ URGENT?

We Answered:

Your problem is that most private day schools do not accept international students on visas, even if they did in the past, many no longer do. It's a huge hassle, and parents were having kids live by themselves while their family was back in their country. Too much responsibility for the schools. Boarding schools, however, are more willing to take international students. Even if boarding schools have a day program, generally they will not allow international students to attend the day program.

I don't think it matters all that much about your nationality or where you attend school as far as admissions, at least on the west coast. Many of the international students I know about are asian. Of course, if they have 10 spots for international students, they don't want to take them all from the same school unless there aren't any other qualified applicants. It's more a matter of lack of space, especially right now with the schools likely filled.

Any good private school is likely full right now. Admissions generally takes place the year before you want to attend the school. Even in this economy, the schools are being filled, some have their largest classes ever. So if a school has space, I'd check on it very carefully.

Here is a website to find schools that take international students:
http://www.ice.gov/sevis/students/index.… (PDF list)
http://www.ice.gov/sevis/map/approvedsch… (Map)

ASSIST http://www.assist-inc.org/ Cultural exchange program

In the LA area, Ribet Academy may have space and admits International students. It's a good school, not top academically, but it does have some very bright kids. It's not the prettiest school, but it's fine. They have a Host Family program. I think they may have spaces because the tuition, while half of what many LA private schools charge, is a bit much for the population in the area, and I believe it has gone up quite a bit in the past few years.

Ribet Academy http://www.ribetacademy.com
http://www.ribetacademy.com/pages/progra…
http://www.ribetacademy.com/pages/admiss…
http://www.ribetacademy.com/pages/commun…

List of private schools:
http://www.privateschoolreview.com

Good luck!

Deanna Said:

Why do people pay thousands to go to private schools?

We Answered:

My daughter sends her 2 girls to private school, not because they have better teachers, but because they have a better class of pupils, sorry but it's true!
She works hard & spends all her earned pay on their education!
I just hope they appreciate it.