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Asian family looking for high school.
porpschool February 20, 2012
We are moving to Houston from London. We have moved many times but this is the hardest because our daughter is a teenager. We are looking for a good academic school and more importantly for my daughter, where she can fit in. She will be in the 10th grade (sophmore). I was told that private high schools are not culturally diverse. We are open to both private and public high schools. Katy will be too far away from the city. Husband's office is near Belliare. She is so worry about not blending in. Currently, she is attending an international school in London. Any recommendation will be so helpful. Changing school (especially in the middle of high school) is so stressful.
cyblos February 21, 2012
Bellaire HS and Lamar HS are two very good and diverse public high schools in Houston. Both have good reputations within the community.
Debakey HS is a stellar magnet high school for the medical sciences, but entry into the program can be tough as a result.
Though I have no direct experience with them, there are the Awty International School (somewhat near the Galleria Area)l and The Village School ( west Houston) which both have a very international school feel.
Best of luck in your search-76725
vivandsimon February 28, 2012
I have children at the British School of Houston (BSH) and Awty International.
In my opinion BSH is more diverse and would feel more familiar to your daughter coming from London. There are all nationalities and the kids are all very welcoming.
Awty is much stronger with languages, BSH is probably better at sciences and both schools do IB.
If she will be in Yr 10 from September, she can continue with her GCSEs at the BSH and then go on to IB.
You'd have to check, but I think the Village School may do IGCSEs too.
If you want to go to public school, I agree with Cyblos and would add Memorial High to the list.
Also worth considering are the vacations. US schools are off from the end of May to August and have very little time off during the year. BSH and Awty's timetable would be more familiar.
Good Luck!76887
linusofi February 29, 2012
There's St.Agnes in the Bellaire area. It's private and all girls. However, it's neighboring campus is Strake Jesuit which is also private and all Boys. Although classes are not mixed, there is a close relationship between both schools which takes the stress away from "all boys or all-girls".
76902
linusofi February 29, 2012
There's St.Agnes in the Bellaire area. It's private and all girls. However, it's neighboring campus is Strake Jesuit which is also private and all Boys. Although classes are not mixed, there is a close relationship between both schools which takes the stress away from "all boys or all-girls".
76903
BBGWitt March 3, 2012
Don't forget to check out Kinkaid and St. John's private schools. Excellent academics. Both might be convenient for you to Bellaire. Both have fairly diverse student bodies (although small schools - not large like a public high school) including Asian-American kids. Also Awty per the other recommendation. You would need to do this immediately as they are finishing their admission process for next year right now. Call even if you are still in London.76961
orozcotammy March 8, 2012
We also moved here from London two years ago. Our children went to ACS Cobham in the UK. I think there are two factors to consider. If your daughter is considering universities outside the US, you should look at schools with the IB program such as AWTY or British School. Bellaire and Lamar high schools (public) also offer IB but they are very large (at least 10 times bigger than your international school in the UK.) I do not know your daughter, but my children would have had a very difficult adjustment to such a large school. International school children are used to alot of diversity and a very friendly, welcoming environment. AWTY and BSH are probably more similar to what she is used to. The other factor to consider is cost. We are American and without expat compensation, we could not afford an international school here in Houston. If this is the case, I would consider St. Agnes. It is all girls, but as the other post mentioned, is next door to the all boys school and have many shared courses and activities. I have known many girls that go there and have toured the school for my daughter who is now in 7th grade. It is Catholic but has both ethnic and religious diversity. I will be sending my four daughters there if we remain in Houston. Good luck and do call the schools as soon as possible as they are finishing their selection process for next year!77066
cn2784 March 10, 2012
Where are you located ?
Transportation and School safety must be consider.
Many very good Highschool in Houston/KATY/ KINGWOOD/
Also take a look at Kerr High School. (a lot of Asian children go there).
Go to :
http://www.texastribune.org/texas-education/public-education/more-than-5800-texas-public-schools-ranked/
and down load "Download Texas School Rankings Data" on the lef side of the page (CSV / file 1.9 MB) cut and paste into XLS cutsheet. You can sort for a good school near you.(over 5800 schools from Ele to High School in Texas).
This ranking is more accurate because they took out most "Polictical Rating" such as minority, poor family ect.
My son and two of his friends went to Kerr and now doing very good at Rice.
Good luck
77103
AppletonLearn March 21, 2012
Those are all good suggestions. I would also recommend Episcopal High School. It is a great school, also diverse, and right in the heart of Bellaire. Good luck on your selection. If your daughter needs any additional academic support, once you have selected a school, give us a call at Appleton Learning.77308
StJohnsMom March 21, 2012
My daughter went to St. John's School for middle school and high school. I cannot recommend it highly enough! In an article in the Wall Street Journal in the fall of 2007, St. John's School was listed as one of the schools to consider if your child wants to get into Harvard. Academically it is outstanding and possibly the best school in Texas. It is small, which I think is an asset. Her class had about 130 students. They do have a wonderful performing arts and visual arts program, as well as a great athletics program. My daughter loved it so much that she is determined to send her children to St. John's, when she has them. She has friends that she met at St. John's who she will remain friends with thoughout her lifetime. Every child there is exceptional, but they really do not know how exceptional they are. Volunteerism is very important at St. John's and all the students participate. They have a good percentage of Asian students at St. John's, as well as other ethnic groups. Because of it's reputation, many more colleges send recruiters to St. Johns. My daughter had no problem getting into a good college and was very well prepared.
I watched the reports for many years, and the two schools which always had the most National Merit Scholars are St. John's, and Bellaire. Both Kincaid and Episcopal High School are nice schools, but they do not come close to the academic achievements of St. John's and Bellaire. St. John's is a private school, and the tuition is actually less than either Kincaid or Episcopal. Bellaire is a public school, and if you are zoned to Bellaire, you will want to look at it and St. John's to decide what will work best for your daughter. Good luck and welcome to Houston!77325
