Top high schools in the US you should know | IDP Vietnam

High school in the U.S. is divided into 3 main models:

1.1. USA Public High Schools

USA Public High Schools are a model established and administered directly by the government or states. Therefore, the financial resources of high schools in the US are subsidized by the government, resulting in the tuition fees of public schools in the US are often lower than private schools.

Tuition fee: Ranges from 18,000 to 35,000 USD/year depending on the school (equivalent to about 400-800 million VND).

Object:

• Local students live near high school areas in the United States.

• International students in the form of exchange (Cultural Exchange).

Eligibility for international students:

• There is a J-1 visa (a short-term visa for exchange programs).

• Have a good English background (IELTS >6.0 certificate to qualify for the Visa application process).

• GPA of 7.5 or higher.

Note: Exchange students can only register for a maximum of 1 year, after 1 year the visa expires, and they will transfer to private schools if they want to stay in the US or return to the exchange representative school to continue their studies.

1.2. USA Private Day Schools

Private Schools - the private high school system in the United States is not regulated by the local government or the government. Students attending private boarding schools only need to go to school during the day. When they are not studying the main course, they can study on their own or participate in clubs or extracurricular activities organized by the school.

Different from public schools: Students will be able to live in the homes of local families, helping international students to have more exposure to the culture here.

Tuition fee: Slightly higher because it is not subsidized by the government like public schools, ranging from 25,000-30,000 USD/year (above or below 600 million VND).

Condition:

• International students only need to apply for an F-1 visa and do not need to renew annually like J-1s.

• Minimum GPA of 6.5.

1.3. USA Boarding Schools – Private Boarding High Schools

It is the same model as a private school, but Boarding Schools are different from boarding schools in that students will eat and live in dormitories right on the high school campus in the United States. The school organizes extracurricular activities and weekend recreation to increase the cohesion of students living in the halls of residence.

Tuition fees: Boarding schools have the highest tuition fees compared to the above two models with tuition fees that can be up to 60,000 USD (equivalent to more than 1.2 billion VND) due to additional costs of accommodation, security, and gym,... However, high schools in the United States always have scholarship programs for international students who intend to study here.

Study Abroad Requirements:

• GPA above 6.5.

• Have an international English certificate or take a SLEP test to test your English proficiency.

Duration: Different from the high school age in Vietnam, the high school program in the US lasts for 4 years, from 14 to 18 years old.

Subjects: Students who wish to study high school programs in the United States must complete the subjects listed in the following table:

Forms of homework:

• Do papers (essay writing or multiple-choice tests).

• Do the test on the computer.

• Work on projects individually or in groups.

• Homework (reading or answering short questions and emailing them to the teacher for grading and comments).

• Other activities such as acting, researching topics, etc. (mainly to get plus points).

Form of grade evaluation: For percentage scores, it is typical practice to start at 100% and subtract the missing points. The grading levels are described in the table below:

Studying in high school in the US has quite a lot of differences compared to studying in Vietnam both in terms of program and learning method. Concrete:

Here are the top 10 high schools in the U.S. in the 2022 National Rankings by U.S. News & World Report.

4.1. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

Founded in 1985 at 6560 Braddock Rd, Alexandria, Virginia, Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology is a public school administered by Fairfax County. The school has provided students who are passionate about science and technology with a dynamic but also challenging learning environment. Since its establishment, the school has achieved many outstanding achievements such as:

• Top 1 National Rankings of US News - a prestigious newspaper in assessing the quality of education in the US.

• Top 5 high schools in the US study according to the STEM model.

• Ranked first in the ranking of the best public schools in Fairfax.

• Leading high schools in Virginia according to Niche Rankings - a prestigious ranking based on a survey of students and parents in the area.

• Top 1 Best High Schools in the Washington Area, DC Metro Area High Schools by The Newsweek

Curriculum: Focuses mainly on Math, Science and Technology; there are also other diverse subjects such as Arts, Physical Education,...

Duration: 4 years

Graduation requirements: Students must do a technology lab project with the knowledge they have accumulated in 4 years of study.

Activities outside of regular school hours: Outside of regular school hours, students can visit the Geoff Jones Library to study or participate in fun extracurricular activities organized by the school. In addition, each year students will participate in the Thomas Jefferson Conference to exchange scientific ideas.

Tuition: Despite being subsidized by the government, the school's tuition fee is still slightly higher than other public high schools in the US, falling to 60,500 USD (more than 1.2 billion VND). However, the school also has many scholarships that support tuition fees up to 50% - helping to partially support tuition fees for international students and students with excellent achievements.

4.2. Academic Magnet High School

Magnet Academy was founded in 1988 and is located at 5109-A West Enterprise Street, North Charleston, South Carolina. When it was first established, the school's motto was "seriously smart", and in 2018 it was changed to "eruditio et honor" (scholarship and honors) led by a student council member to represent the school's core values.

Achievement:

• #2 in the National Rankings by US News.

• #7 best public schools in the country according to an index-based survey that includes the quotient of AP exams of all students and the number and quality of grade 12 students graduating.

• #1 best high school in America Carolina.

• #2 in Charleston County School District Rankings

Training program: Focuses mainly on training according to the AP (Advanced Placement) program.

Graduation Requirements:

• Take and pass a minimum of 4 AP courses.

• Over 120 hours of community service over the course of 4 academic years.

• Complete AP Research and AP Seminar in lieu of graduation thesis.

Activities outside the main school hours: The school organizes extracurricular activities, physical education and sports for students such as: swimming, baseball, soccer, golf, tennis,...

Tuition fee: Fluctuates at a high level, about 43,000 USD (approximately 700 million VND), including the cost of club living, gym, security, study materials,...

Scholarships: Hoc Viet Magnet has many high-value scholarships. In 2020, the school awarded more than 1000 scholarships, each worth up to 3,000 USD to international students as well as students with impressive academic achievements, among many other valuable scholarships.

4.3. Signature School

Unlike the above two schools, Signature School is the first semi-public high school in the United States (still receiving government funding but operating independently of the public school system) in Indiana. Located at 610 Main Street, Evansville, Indiana, the school is extremely famous for its impressive series of achievements such as:

• Won the title of "Best High School"

• #3 in National Rankings by US News.

• #2 in the "Top Most Challenging High Schools" voted by Jay Mathews Challenge Index - a survey of the top prestigious educational training programs in the US.

• #1 best high school in Indiana according to Newsweek.

Academic Programs: As part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, the school has a variety of classes that offer AP and IB credit,...

Graduation Requirements:

• Perform at least 100 hours of school and local service.

• Complete AP and IB courses according to the set quota.

Tuition fees: Because there is still support from the state, the tuition fee here is not too high, about 10,000-20,000 USD (200-400 million VND).

Scholarships: The university's scholarship programs are extremely diverse, with scholarships to encourage learning or partial and full scholarships,... help you reduce your financial worries and stabilize your residence in the US.

4.4. School for Advanced Studies (SAS)

Accredited by SACS as a dual enrollment high school in the United States, the School of Advanced Studies (SAS), founded in 1988, is part of the Miami-Dade County public school system in Miami, Florida.

Outstanding achievements:

• Ranked 6th out of 2000 top public high schools in the U.S. according to a 2013 Newsweek report.

• Ranked 4th in the 2022 National Rankings.

• Top high schools in Florida.

• #1 in public schools in Miami.

Curriculum: Students at high schools in the United States have many differences in skin color, race, religion,... Therefore, the school always focuses on training humanities and traditional education.

After-hours activities: After serious classes, students can have fun by joining clubs such as: Food, debate, visual arts, game clubs,...

Tuition: Students will be exempt from tuition fees; receive free textbooks and materials, moreover students can get free subway or school bus rides sponsored by MDCPS.

Scholarships: Since tuition is already free, the school does not have scholarships to support tuition fees, instead it is a scholarship for outstanding individuals in the school. For this reason, international students who come to study at SAS will only need to take care of living expenses and other money such as club and gym living expenses,...

4.5. Payton College Preparatory High School

Named after football legend Walter Payton, Payton College Preparatory High School is a high school in the United States that is part of the Chicago Public School system. Established in 2000, after 22 years of continuous efforts and development, the school has achieved many proud achievements such as:

• #5 in US News National Rankings (2022).

• Ranked first among the top public schools in the state of Illinois

  according to Newsweek statistics.

• Intel School of Distinction Award (2010)

• Leading the best American high schools Chicago.

Academic Programs: Payton College Preparatory High School is known for its cutting-edge academic programs according to international standards. The university focuses on training and applying science and technology to teaching as well as real life.

After-hours activities: Festivals and summer camps are held regularly to develop life skills for students. In particular, Payton School is the only high school in the United States in the world to have a Confucius Institute on campus.

Tuition: Payton's tuition varies from year to year with an average of about $35,000; Payton also has a tuition-free program, but it is only available to students living in the area. In addition to tuition fees, students also have to contribute a lot of other expenses such as: activity fees for sports teams, buses, laboratory fees,...

Scholarships: International students for tuition fee waivers can hunt for full scholarships or 50%, 90% scholarships,... of the school to be able to reduce the cost of studying here.

4.6. The Davidson Academy of Nevada

The Davidson Academy of Nevada was founded in 2006 through a law that allowed the opening of a high school in the United States exclusively for students with specialized giftedness. From the 2017-2018 school year until now, in addition to the direct campus at 1164 N Virginia St Reno, Nevada, the school has also opened an online campus to help talented students from all over the world can study most conveniently.

Achievement:

• It is continuously in the top "schools with top elite students" in the United States voted by the Washington Post - a leading prestigious newspaper in the United States, on par with US News or Time Magazines.

• #1 Public High School in Nevada.

• #1 STEM learning school.

Curriculum: Davidson Academy classifies students by ability rather than age. An education that is personalized for each student, not "one size fits all" like other high schools in the United States; focusing on critical thinking skills and developing the inherent talents of each student, helping students to develop significantly compared to their peers. The rigorous training environment and unique learning methods are opportunities for each student to promote their full potential.

Tuition: Students studying in Nevada are tuition-free. However, if the student intends to participate in an additional preparatory course in addition to the graduation requirements, he or she will be solely responsible for paying tuition fees and other surcharges. For international students, there are two paths: One is to register for online classes at the school so that they can save on living costs; the other is to directly go to the US to study at the Academy.

Scholarships: The school has a need-based scholarship fund so that students can generally apply, in addition to many scholarships funded by other organizations such as the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC),...

4.7. Central Magnet School

Part of the Rutherford County high school system with a long history, Central Magnet School is an academically specialized public school located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Famous for its seriousness in learning, Central Magnet School has won many outstanding awards, typically:

• Ranked 7th in US News' National Rankings.

• Recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School for academic achievement in 2020.

• Leading in the Tennessee and Rutherford County Schools Rankings.

• Top 3 schools in the group of Magnet High Schools

• #165 schools that train according to the STEM model.

Academic Programs: The school offers high-quality academic programs with 100% of students enrolled in AP courses, offering three dual enrollment options and a variety of honors courses. Graduation Requirements:

• Fully participate in at least 4 advanced courses.

• 25 hours of community and school service.

• Write a graduation thesis.

After-school activities: The school is known for its wide range of clubs, from sports to the arts and life skills development clubs that students can choose to suit their interests and strengths.

Tuition: High schools in the United States in Rutherford County have sky-high tuition fees. Through the PowerSchool subscription, parents will receive all the details of tuition fees and other payments so that parents and students can track them in a timely and accurate manner.

Scholarships: Central Magnet School has a variety of scholarship programs available to students every year. In 2021, 249 scholarships were awarded with a total value of nearly 700,000 USD (equivalent to more than 1.4 billion VND).

4.8. The School for the Talented and Gifted (TAG)

Ranking 8th on the chart is The School for the Talented and Gifted (TAG). The School for the Gifted and Talented was founded in 1982 in the state of Texas. TAG is a prestigious high school in the US with many remarkable achievements, some of which can be mentioned such as:

• Voted the best public high school in the United States by US News for many years in a row (from 2012 to 2016).

• Named "America's number one public high school" by Newsweek.

• Rated "standard" by the Texas Department of Education in 2015.

• Ranked 4th in the group of Magnet High Schools.

• Ranked 8th in the group of schools teaching according to STEM programs.

• Leading Texas high schools.

Academic program: Because it is a high school in the United States for excellent students, TAG's curriculum is compiled by the Texas State Board of Education, which is considered the heaviest compared to other high school programs in the state of Texas.

Admission criteria: To enter the school, students need to have an average score of Math and English in the national exam of over 85/100, the remaining subjects are over 75 and the average score of all subjects at secondary school is 8.2.

Tuition fee: This is an issue that many international students are interested in when choosing to apply to this school. TAG tuition fees range from 30,000-35,000 USD (600-700 million VND). In addition to tuition fees, students also have to pay additional fees such as security and clubs,...

Scholarships: The university has many scholarship programs to support international students to study here and scholarships to encourage study with different values such as: Advanced Placement Program, National Merit Scholarship,... with a total value of 2,500 USD - 5,000 USD depending on each scholarship.

4.9. Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology

As a special public U.S. high school in Lawrenceville, Georgia, Gwinnett School of Math, Science, and Technology was approved by the Gwinnett County Board of Education in March 2006.

Achievement:

• Ranked 11th in the STEM training school sector.

• Ranked 9th on US News' National Rankings.

• Top 1 best high school in the state of Georgina.

• Top 1 schools in Atlanta, GA Metro Area High Schools.

• Obtained Green Ribbon certification in 2016

Admission Requirements: An interesting point that is unique to Gwinnett is that high schools in the U.S. enroll through a countywide lottery. However, students need to meet many requirements to participate in this lottery.

Curriculum: The school focuses on teaching according to the STEM program with a variety of Advanced Placement (AP) courses. The school's focus – as the name suggests – is Math, Science and Technology, but other subjects are still trained at the highest level.

Tuition fee: GSMST is a public school, so the tuition fee will fluctuate at 35,000 USD/year, not including other contributions such as extracurricular activities, clubs, gyms, etc.

Scholarships: In 2022, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) awarded National Merit scholarships to a group of students with impressive achievements at GSMST, each with a value of $500-2000.

4.10. Julia R. Masterman Secondary School

Ranked 10th in the US News rankings, Julia R. Masterman Secondary School is a high school in the United States combined with a famous high school in Philadelphia. It is a specialized school located in Spring Garden Street. Established in 1958, Julia R. Masterman School remains one of the most difficult schools to get into in the country with only about 3% of students accepted.

Some of the school's achievements include:

• Rated as one of the best public pre-university schools in the country with two Blue Ribbon awards.

• Top 1 high school in Pennsylvania.

• #10 in U.S. News National Rankings.

• #5 in the group of Magnet High Schools.

• #205 STEM schools.

Curriculum: Includes intensive AP courses with 97% student participation, along with electives such as Art and Scientific Research. The school is fully equipped with the necessary equipment for teaching and learning with modern laboratories, projectors, and sports equipment,...

Tuition fees: The school has a fairly high percentage of ethnic minorities enrolled in school, accounting for 57% of the total number of students; 100% of students are economically disadvantaged, so the school has taken measures to support students such as tuition fee exemption and reduction. In addition, there are additional fees such as gyms, and clubs,.. can be cut if reasonable.

Scholarships: The school offers NMSC scholarships to students, and the school also has its own scholarship fund to encourage students to study and support students with special disadvantaged backgrounds.

Currently, the demand for studying abroad at high schools in the US of countries in general and in Vietnam in particular is extremely large. However, study abroad counseling centers mostly focus on undergraduate and postgraduate study abroad programs, which is why parents and students will have difficulty accessing scholarship programs for high school students.

Scholarship Eligibility:

• Have a TOEFL >550 certificate, equivalent to TOEFL IBT >80 and IELTS >6.0.

• Minimum secondary school report GPA of 8.5/10.0.

• Pass a proficiency test such as the SSAT.

So what types of scholarships are available for high school students? According to what we have learned, there are 4 popular types of scholarships available to students who intend to study in the United States, including:

SEAYLP Scholarship: This is a Southeast Asia Youth Leadership Program scholarship sponsored by the U.S. Embassy. Students who receive this exchange scholarship have the opportunity to study and experience American culture for three weeks; in addition, they are also supported to pay all tuition fees and living and travel expenses in the US.

Summer Program Scholarship at the University of Chicago: This is a full scholarship for high school students from 3 countries: Vietnam, Brazil, and Mexico. Scholarship recipients have the opportunity to experience classes at the University of Chicago and experience living in a student residence hall. It is so attractive, but there are only 2 scholarships per year, so the competition rate is very large.

YYGS Scholarship (Yale University): Supports 100% of tuition fees, this scholarship is applied to all high school students around the world who wish to study high school in the United States, helping students experience the learning environment at a leading prestigious university in the United States. Usually, students will have to apply for the scholarship in June to enter the new school year.

UWC Scholarship: An extremely prestigious World Link scholarship program opened to help disadvantaged students. The condition is that students are in high school and priority is given to students with permanent residence in rural areas; who have sufficient qualities and responsibilities for themselves and the community, .. This helps disadvantaged students have the opportunity to study in the leading education systems in the United States.

With more than 50 years of construction and development, the IDP team has accompanied and helped more than 450,000 students who wish to study abroad in countries with top education such as the US, New Zealand, and Canada,... Coming to IDP Education Vietnam, we will provide you with all the necessary information about studying abroad at high school in the United States, including applying for a visa, the cost of studying and living in the United States, and tips on how to hunt for scholarships,... help you have a roadmap to prepare for studying abroad in the clearest and most effective way.

It can be said that studying in the US right from high school is a trend for students today. Studying at a high school in the US helps students to exchange and meet with a large number of international friends, helping young people to develop comprehensively both knowledge and life skills. Contact IDP today for more advice on high schools in the U.S. and the best option for your child!