Girls' schools in the USA

The schooling system in the United States

Elementary School

Elementary education of American children begins at the age of 6-7. It all depends on the laws of the particular state or school the child attends. For children who want and can attend school a year earlier, KinderGarden is offered. Here, children are prepared to attend classes and interact with their peers.

Elementary school teaches the basics of writing, reading, counting and art. There are music classes and physical education classes.

The assignments are creative and fun. For example, students may be asked to describe something they see on the street as they walk. It could be a flower, a park, some unusual tree or a house. This is how young children develop creative thinking.

The standard class size in elementary schools is 25 students. One teacher works with them. Only creative or physical education subjects are taught by another person.

Secondary school

Children aged 11-12 study here. In secondary school, different teachers teach different subjects. At this stage, children are introduced to the freedom of American education. They can already choose the classes they want to take. Music, foreign languages, art and many other subjects are available. However, at this stage there are still required subjects: math, English, history, and physical education. There is also a subject called science. Here, schoolchildren acquire knowledge in the fields of chemistry, biology, physics, geology, astronomy, etc.

In this stage of education, children are divided into two schools. In one schoolchildren study, their performance is at an average level. The second - those who learn perfectly. It is believed that the second stream is more honorable, because there the children are more loaded than the first, the students learn better, they are more capable and intelligent.

The old cliché

This is the last school stage in the life of an American child. It begins at age 14-15 and lasts three years. Here the freedom to choose a subject is increased. Usually, math is required (must be studied for at least two years), English (four years), and natural science (three years). The exact disciplines may include branches of mathematics. Social disciplines may include narrow areas of knowledge. For example, the history of a region or area of the United States in the 19th century, world history, etc. Each discipline is taught at a different level: from the basic to the quite serious university level. As you can see, everything here is very individualized.

In high school, students can choose from a large number of elective courses. Depending on interests, students can take, for example, music, healthy lifestyle or business courses. All of these are also divided into several areas.

Such programs inspire children to be active. You will never see the same group of children taking the same electives in an American school. Students are constantly changing. Thus, a teenager grows up to be a well-rounded, sociable person, open to new people and knowledge.

A separate subject is physical education. To be more precise, there is no such discipline at all. In American schools, children participate in a specific sport. It can be basketball, swimming, soccer or track and field.

In high school, students are given semi-official names by their teachers and the community at large, depending on the class they are studying. Ninth graders are called freshmen (newbie), tenth graders are called sophomores (sophomore), eleventh graders are called juniors (junior), and then seniors (senior).

Unlike the system you are familiar with, when a graduate graduates from a school and only then submits documents to the university, in the United States the system is different. There, a student who is already in the 11th-12th grade knows not only where he enters, but also the results of his admission. While in school, he prepares and takes the college entrance exam (SAT or ACT).

The advantages of girls' schools in the United States

It is safe to say that girls' boarding schools in the United States are bearing fruit: educational institutions have created a special atmosphere that takes into account the gender identity of their students. So, psychologists have proved that girls in joint schools are more or less subject to increasingly powerful harassment of sexual behavior. On the other hand, raising boys requires special order and discipline, which is difficult to achieve in a blended learning environment. Let us discuss in more detail the advantages of separate education for girls.

Comfortable environment

In private boarding schools, good conditions are created for the development of individual qualities of female students - here girls feel more confident in the representation of their gender and are not pressured by stereotypes. They are not afraid of difficult tasks and do not hesitate to take the initiative, ask questions freely in the classroom and become leaders. Girls grow into independent, confident individuals who are able to make responsible decisions and take reasonable risks.

Teaching methods take into account the peculiarities of the female psyche

Teaching methods take into account the peculiarities of the female mind and psyche and contribute directly to harmonious development. As a result, female students develop language skills faster and learn material in exact sciences more slowly (unlike boys). Another example of thinking characteristics: girls need more time to think about a problem, while most boys are impulsive and shout out the answer.

Maximize disclosure of potential

Private schools in the United States are very focused on quality leisure. Numerous clubs, sections, electives, activities and short trips are organized for children. Girls' schools have a wide variety of areas - not only those considered to be girls' schools: everything from needlework to rugby. In such educational institutions, they do not believe that all female students must be humanities and provide equal opportunities to demonstrate their abilities in the exact sciences and humanities. This approach is bearing fruit: statistics show that girls from different educational institutions have higher knowledge in mathematics, computer technology and other exact sciences than students from general education centers. Girls have the opportunity to perfect themselves in creativity, languages, arts, mathematics, physics and other exact sciences. Considering that statisticians in technical professions earn much more than specialists in liberal arts, this is a significant advantage for future life.

Separate education, joint activities

Girls' schools are by no means closed by the Iron Curtain. Students participate in a variety of joint activities with neighboring general or boys' schools - these can be debates, competitions, school dances and discos. Practice has shown that the value of interaction with the opposite sex and its quality only increases in this context.

Good prospects after education

School graduates leave them with an excellent set of skills and abilities, the ability to be confident, unafraid to make decisions and compete. Because of this, female students can easily enter top universities and have a wide range of career opportunities.

What should to  look for when choosing a school for girl in the US?

State. The first step is to determine the state where you think the ideal school for your child is located. This could be a private boarding school in New York or Los Angeles, or an elite school in Boston. Thus, independent schools are considered classical, the most rigorous, the most adapted to the modern world and liberal in terms of discipline.

Types of schools. The most prestigious schools are those that, in addition to teaching, provide accommodation and organize leisure activities for schoolchildren. They are called boarding houses. Each boarding school has its own strict rules and uniforms, which are usually embroidered with the school's logo. In addition, any private girls' school has a leading educational orientation.

Institutional Ratings. Like many public universities, a private boarding school has its own status. It can be a small but at the same time sturdy secondary school in the suburbs with a good level of language, or an elite complex with high requirements for the core subjects presented. When choosing the most suitable option for your child, pay attention to the curriculum he will study and correlate it with the level of readiness at the time of entry.

Child characteristics. Some children up to a certain age feel more comfortable in same-sex teams. In the absence of boys, many girls have more distinctive talents. They are not distracted by the constant attention to their appearance and the importance of proving themselves in a childlike environment, and are fully immersed in their studies. Many of them demonstrate knowledge in the most unexpected places such as physics, architecture, sports, etc.

How to get into an girls school in the United States?

Application deadlines vary from school to school. Typically, foreigners need to have time to submit the following documents by January 31.

• A letter of motivation.

• Extracts from transcripts of current grades from your school.

• A recommendation from the teacher.

• TOEFL test results.

• Diplomas, diplomas, certificates (if any).

Conditional reduction of education in the USA can be attributed to adaptation to unusual environment. Undisputed advantages - graduates of American schools can easily enter the best American and European universities.

How much does it cost to attend a girls' school in the USA?

The USA is a country with a high level of education, so the price of services here will be high. In particular, the cost of studying in the USA on a boarding school basis will cost at least 30,000 USD. This amount includes the cost of educational services, accommodation, meals, and extracurricular activities.

In general, the price of educational services in the United States fluctuates depending on a number of factors. At reputable institutions, the cost is much higher than average. Location is also important. Education in large cities is more expensive than provincial education.