<p>What are the top considerations to look for when choosing a high school in France/Switzerland (specifically) or Europe (generally) in terms of ensuring that the student will be prepared and -- assuming the student is willing and able -- desirable as an applicant to competitive U.S. colleges?</p>
<p>I don't think the high school matters too much. Your grades and activities are important. Wherever you study, try getting good grades and become involved in the community. Many European schools do not offer extracurricular opportunities, some offer none at all, but you can always find something out of school. Do not choose your high school with the college in mind.</p>
<p>Thanks for the viewpoint. I'm not choosing a high school with any college in mind. I'm just interested in finding schools that...just for instance...cover math at levels desired by US colleges. Are there schools that offer AP? Should I look at IB programs? Are there certain hidden traps that I should watch out for? Are some types of curriculum going to fall short?</p>
<p>from what i've seen colleges don't really look at ap as higher than ib or vice versa, just choosing one of those shows that you want to challenge yourself academically. make sure your school will give you all the years you need of english, math, etc...check out some college websites to see the "recommended" years of study for each, although you probably have some wiggle room in this situation.</p>
<p>Many large European cities have an "International" school and their courses tend to parallel the offerings of U.S. high schools. Many of them also have an IB option you can complete in addition to regular coursework.</p>
<p>If we go outside the "international" or "American" school options -- which may be necessary unless he boards -- is it going to be a struggle to keep a high schooler on track for college and are there some common pitfalls to avoid or some benefits that must be grabbed?</p>
<p>The key would be to find a school that US colleges/universities are familiar with. My son attends a school in Wales (boarding) and it is an "international" school. The grading scale is completely different (scores of 1-7) the terms are different (multiple terms instead of quarters or semesters -- we still haven't figured it out) and there is little information shared with home (very different than the US) and only IB classes are offered -- no AP.</p>
<p>However -- this school sends lots of kids to ivies and top schools in the US (and lots of kids to Oxford/Cambridge). One of the reasons it is successful with placement is that those schools are familiar with the school and actively recruit from the school.</p>
<p>I think you would have a much harder time with college placement if the school doesn't offer a "standard" program and the colleges are not familiar with them. </p>
<p>Another possiblity would be to homeschool him -- not all countries allow this. In this case, he could still attend a high school, but you would keep his transcript and act as his guidance counselor. You could supplement his curriculum as necessary, have him take AP test, etc. it would a pain -- but might be a possibility.</p>