International Schools in Thailand - An Inside Look

[stevenjkt]

Any comments on American School Bangkok? Thought it would at least make tier 2 list...

[StefanBBK]

Just a sad note. It is disappointing that good education is limited the very wealthy families.

There is little ethic in that system. For all of us who can't afford 600k per year, let's do what we can and be the best parents we can be.

[long klong]

Excellent. I hope you will broaden the scope to include parental feedback on some of the problems they have faced. We had an unpleasant experience with the Director of the music department at an International school in Phuket. He was an Australian citizen but often boasted about his high English pedigree, especially when he was reprimanding a Thai or an Asian student about some small lapse in discipline. In doing so he made it quite obvious that his job was not just to teach music but that he was committed to a higher mission - "Civilizing" the non-English pupils by enforcing what he considered to be superior English etiquette. Our child switched from this man's assistant (who was English)for private lessons to a Thai teacher whom he liked more than the English teacher. The next term his music grades totally crashed. Thai or Asian Students who are exposed to this type of environment either directly or indirectly begin to be ashamed of their own culture. We did not take up the matter with anyone at the school since everyone at the top is farang. But at some stage We do want to approach the Ministry of Education and to propose appointment of a senior Thai national teacher whom parents like us can approach. I'll keep the rest of the details and comments for the future as I hope that this thread will continue for some time.

[Spock]

How many provide an education to the same level even of a quality comprehensive in the UK let alone a day private school in the uk.

Note these fees are for day pupils . if it were for boarding they would be approaching the same fees as a middle boarding school in the UK. Compare the facilities of these schools and the quality of the teachers with the namesake school in the uk, and they are a poor imitation.

I taught at Bangkok Patana during its growth period in the 90's and it was a quality school then with excellent facilities. It was the best experience in my professional life. There I was on better money than I'd have been in Australia. I have no doubt that it provides a superior standard of education to a comprehensive school and at least the equal of a day private school in Britain or Australia. I think you'd be surprised by the quality of the buildings, grounds, equipment teachers and the quality of student. There are heaps of applicants and only the highly competent would be selected by the 'elite' schools.

[aTomsLife]

"The top tier schools are another matter entirely. I argue that only three schools in Bangkok are truly top-tier, while four others border on it."

You never go on to explain what you think the other four are lacking, which renders them only borderline. Rather, the subsequent paragraph appears to abruptly skip back to your discussion of mid-tier schools.

In said paragraph, you list Shrewsbury International School, Harrow International School, International Community School and Ruamrudee International School as the best mid-tier schools. Are these then the four schools that are borderline first-tier, despite that you referred to two of them in those earlier paragraphs discussing mid-tier schools?

If not, then which four schools are borderline first-tier, and what in your opinion specifically makes them borderline?

Thank you.

[KhnomKhnom]

As I am sure the author knows, there is much more to the story. Teacher quality and satisfaction is an area I have second hand knowledge about... quality is very mixed and credentials presented are sometimes faked or simply misunderstood by hiring people.... dis-satisfaction seems to be the punch-in-out 7am to 5+pm requirement to be on the job.

Top end university situation, I know rather well, but that is beyond the topic.

[ExpatOilWorker]

This is the best post ever. I will read all the comments first and then add my own questions.

Thanks.

[ExpatOilWorker]

I have a 2 month old, so we still need to learn to crawl before we can walk and get an education.

I have considered Ruamrudee International School, mainly because something you mention in your opening "high percentage of Thai students".

A good education is of course important, but having the right friends and network seem to be equally important in Thailand.

Any comments on that and what schools that have the highest number of permanent resident students.

[thefactoryoutlet]

Good post but you are dreaming that any inter school in Thailand is good ! in my opinion anybody teaching in Thailand is usually an alcoholic, girls chasers or someone who has other problems...

The only good international schools in Thailand are the ones organized by foreign governments as French Lycee of Bangkok: no alcoholic there, only the best lecturers selected by the French government can teach there, how to find better ?

[bangkokbanks]

A well written and informative explanation about Thai International Schools. Thanks to the author for taking the time out to research much of the information. In the early years from preschool through 4th grade my daughters attended The Wattana Wittiya Academy Sukhumvit Soi 19 a Thai private school, that was difficult to get the kids accepted into and is a story all on its own. Education for my daughters was above average until I noticed in 3rd and 4th years the emphasis on memory without learning any background to a particular subject. My not being a government employee or working for a corporation, cost was the core reason for our daughters attending Thai schools. However, I knew the day would come when I had to get serious about their future. They could speak, read and write Thai very well; but in the real world that did not matter too much. To keep it short, after reviewing many international schools and nearly fainting a few times when presented with the registration and school fees, St. Andrews was the best choice. The kids were accepted there, the process and staff were excellent. And then just a week before school was to begin, the wife and I filed for divorce. Oddly, the divorce and moving the kids back to the States cost less than sending them to international school in Thailand. Perhaps the kids and my bank account won out in this case, or as they say “be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.” I will say St. Andrews would have been a perfect solution for my daughters and not drain my life’s savings. It would do well for us all to remember that school is only a part of the kids' education. It's a very important component but so is home life and parental love, expectations and input.

[maidee]

to say that education in our home countries is of good / same quality as those overpaid BUSINESSES that charge 600.000+ per year

it is because of big companies sponsering those crazy costs

it is really not helping thailand or thai education

or you belong to that 1% group, that owns 90% of everything

and next, they will feel entitled to become politicians and fill their pockets because they belong to the elite

[IntEdSource]

TravelerEastWest:

Most of my knowledge is related to schools in Bangkok and surrounding countries, so I cannot provide any definite answers regarding Prem. If it helps at all, I have never heard criticism of it.

stevejkt and aTomsLife:

This is beginning to touch on an area I would prefer to steer clear of if possible, as I do not think it would be helpful to disparage particular schools. Suffice to say, I have several friends who work at ASB and have described its operations. Despite being qualified, caring teachers, they become frustrated with it. In the case of the other schools, aTomsLife, you are correct in your interpretation of that paragraph, and I did touch on a few of the factors that I feel hold those schools back. However, two points I think cannot be emphasized enough are that some schools here simply are not seeking to match their larger competitors, instead aiming for a particular size and demographic, and the placing of schools in tiers (including my own) is always ultimately subjective.

StefanBKK:

This is a sentiment I fully understand, and one that I have discussed with my peers at times. It is in all honesty quite difficult to go to work sometimes and see the poverty that surrounds us. Would we like to be able to provide this same level of education to all children? Of course. Is it possible? Probably not without an entire restructuring of our economic and social systems. What I would point out is that many of our teachers do go out of their way to work with other schools and students in need in their own free time. Additionally, service to the community is heavily integrated into the curricula of the large schools, and they often initiate large projects, beyond simple charity, to develop communities in the region. (In reference to comments that have attacked the character of international school students, I would point out that many of these projects are started by the students themselves, and some of our alumni have gone on to found non-profits or work with organizations around the world to address poverty and other issues.)

long klong:

Parental concerns and feedback could indeed be a thread by itself. This varies a great deal depending on the school structure, the demographics of the parents, the curriculum and many other related factors. I agree that cultural concerns can play an issue, though this would most often be in the low to lower mid-tier schools (though not restricted solely to them). There were situations even in my previous school in which cultural sensitivity needed to be addressed.

The way that many international schools, including my previous and present one, try to address this is through the incorporation of Thai values into the mission and vision in some form, and actually follow through on those statements through the programs. In my previous school in particular there was an emphasis on appreciating Thai culture and showing respect even if one personally disagreed with aspects of it. I think that's the lesson both teachers and students should take away: disagreement is fine; disrespect is not.

Aside from cultural issues, the most common issues I've dealt with in the past have related to curriculum in one form or another. While Western parents are often more concerned with their children's overall wellness, many of the Asian parents want to see very specific features in the school's academic program: more homework, less homework, spelling tests, no spelling tests, etc. This most often required sitting down with each of them and walking them through the school's philosophy and the educational research to support various approaches.

Spock and Bangkok Banks:

Thanks to both of you for sharing your positive views of these schools. It seems that some are determined to believe that a quality education on par with other countries is impossible in Thailand, and your direct experiences are even more proof that it is entirely possible.

KhnomKhnom:

Are there some schools that fail to conduct proper background checks? I have absolutely no doubt that it does happen.

Is this occurring at schools that hire professional, licensed educators; charge thousands upon thousands of US dollars per year; have been established for decades; maintain extensive English-speaking HR departments with established layers of oversight; and are non-profits overseen by parent-elected boards? In short, no. I know through personal experience that the upper mid-tier schools conduct proper background checks as well.

ExpatOilWorker:

Thank you for the kind comment. I do think Ruamrudee is a good school, and if you want one with a high Thai population, they certainly do. (Though I don't know current figures, I have at various times seen figures of 70-90% of the total student population cited for Ruamrudee, Shrewsbury and Harrow.) I do not think any solid figures exist in respect to future permanent residents, but the likelihood of the students of those schools eventually settling in Thailand is obviously higher.

If you are seeking such as school because of the possibility of your child establishing a future business/social network, however, almost any top school would do the same. My best recommendation would be to visit the schools you are considering and get a feel for their individual cultures. Despite all of them being quality schools, they do have unique aspects and characteristics that make them suitable for different children.

thefactoryoutlet, think_too_mut and maidee

In response to many of the questions that have arisen here, I have provided links indicating the quality of schools elsewhere versus the top schools here. I have provided information about the salary scales and backgrounds of teachers at those schools. That you merely insist schools here cannot be good does not make it so.

think_too_mut, I have responded directly to several of your statements with evidence demonstrating the contrary. Rather than backing down or indicating that you were mistaken, you simply shift to a different argument and ad hominem attacks. You clearly have no intention of engaging in a conversation and simply want to antagonize. I have no desire or inclination to do so any further.

[Jai Dee]

One post containing ad hominem attacks and unfounded, critical statements has been removed from this thread.

[givenall]

American School of Bangkok has 5 week summer school for a fix cost that does not include all the fees (refundable, or non..), it may be a good way to check them out for people who are interested in the school

[culicine]

What do you think of Prem in Chiang Mai?

A more complex question can an English medium school ever do a first rate job of teaching Thai - to the point when graduating high school they are fluent/native speaker/ Thai school level in reading and writing in Thai?

Possibly, but certainly not in the content areas. I think it would be very difficult for a Thai national to sit the Thai GAT/PAT exams if they had only studied IB / A-level exams. They would need to do significant studies outside of school with Thai teachers.

[culicine]

Good post but you are dreaming that any inter school in Thailand is good ! in my opinion anybody teaching in Thailand is usually an alcoholic, girls chasers or someone who has other problems...

The only good international schools in Thailand are the ones organized by foreign governments as French Lycee of Bangkok: no alcoholic there, only the best lecturers selected by the French government can teach there, how to find better ?

I'm in a regular EP and practically none of my fellow teachers fit your criteria. And I don't believe for a second that your French teachers are banned from their national past time of drinking wine

[In Town]

In my experience as an international school parent in Thailand for ten years I agree with your impression of the top schools, although I would add your top four mid-tier to that groups as well. Like a university, a quality education is available at each of those schools for students and parents who seek it out. The differences are that the very top schools will spend more effort to strengthen those who are less motivated, and might fall through the cracks at lesser schools; and in facilities, with I guess ISB and Pattana having the space and money to have the best. I like the ambiance at Shrewsbury, and if I was British would consider that. I also like the ambiance at St. Andrews, although its a very small campus. When my friend was looking for a pre-school I recommended St. Andrews. Ruamrudee has a very good reputation among parents, although it is perceived as primarily Thai. I do believe that a few years ago Ruamrudee won a worldwide mathematics competition.

Edited February 21, 2015 by In Town

[Thai at Heart]

How many provide an education to the same level even of a quality comprehensive in the UK let alone a day private school in the uk.

Note these fees are for day pupils . if it were for boarding they would be approaching the same fees as a middle boarding school in the UK. Compare the facilities of these schools and the quality of the teachers with the namesake school in the uk, and they are a poor imitation.

I taught at Bangkok Patana during its growth period in the 90's and it was a quality school then with excellent facilities. It was the best experience in my professional life. There I was on better money than I'd have been in Australia. I have no doubt that it provides a superior standard of education to a comprehensive school and at least the equal of a day private school in Britain or Australia. I think you'd be surprised by the quality of the buildings, grounds, equipment teachers and the quality of student. There are heaps of applicants and only the highly competent would be selected by the 'elite' schools.

The OP listed 3. I went to public school so I understand the finances. Pattana is a pretty good school. For the money, it should be up with the very best overseas schools.

My question was how many? 3 .

Whoopee

[toenail]

Some farangs get mixed up or "group" the word teachers to the "wanna-be's" that are teaching English in some locally owned Language School or to breathing specimens that do not have a teaching certificate but are hired to work at some "ma & pa" "international school" illegally where the people employed don't even have a working permit. The top tiered schools in BKK that were mentioned in the post are NON-PROFIT schools meaning the money that is from tuition goes back into improving the school's curriculum, buildings, and maintaining a high enough salary to attract experienced, certified international teachers to their school. These top schools such as ISB or NIST have a school board of parents who are well educated, career oriented , and want the best for their sons and daughters attending the schools. The facilities are usually tops because the tuition is high and most (except for the Thai families) an international corporation is paying for the children's tuition. These schools are not owned by a family or Thai company - but are run by a board of directors and not into the profit business. A director at these schools knows the importance of offering the best academic curriculum which also includes music and sports. At these schools the work load is so demanding that a teacher does not have time to enjoy the "tourist sites" as a backpacker would. Many teachers have experience at other international schools and know what the expectations are. They are all highly qualified with masters and hours beyond, they come from stellar schools elsewhere such as American School of Singapore, International School of Taiwan, American International School of Dubai - all schools accountable for providing the best education for students that most likely will be involved with some international career.

[mike324]

Having attend ISB from a young age here is my two cents.

Which school is the best for your kid? OP has written a pretty accurate post. Is it worth the price? it really all depends on your kid, no school can make your kid a genius, guarantee med school, etc There are dead beat students in top tier schools, I had friends who went to ISB, graduated and are still total failures in life. Attending a top tier school pretty much gives you a free pass to top Thai universities no matter the grade on your report card.

Top tier school has better resources and facilities, so it gives your children a leg up over the other folks who don't have access to these facilities. Being able to access full size indoor and outdoor gym facilities and not being crowded is a huge benefit for a childrens well being. Classrooms are always top notch along with the technologies available for the children to use and even rent. One of the best resource I found was the library as well as access to research papers such as EBSCO. I was so used to using these resources when I got to college I turn to these resources as well only to find out you have to pay hundreds to access these research papers. Kids are taught to use and access these resources from a very young age which helps a lot with the development and their view of the world.

Top tier school are generally more diverse, good for networking and not have your children being stuck with mostly Thais.

Curriculum is excellent, I am still amazed at all the courses and information you learn from elementary all the way to high school, its a whole lot of information and frankly it shapes you into a very well rounded person. Science and history classes were very well taught, kids will learn a bit of everything and I mean everything.

One thing I think ISB could do even better is English, they were pretty lax on this subject actually. I wish they were more stringent and tight about it, but perhaps because its an international school they don't want to be too strict as English is 2nd language for most. Teachers and staff were all very professional and approachable. I mean there will always be ones that are just so so, but ISB did a great job at hiring competent teachers.

If I had a kid what would I do? Send them to a bilingual school up until middle school, then transfer to a top tier international school. I come from a multilingual family, I would send them to a bilingual school for them to pick up on the language first. If you want your kids to excel, be prepare to look over their shoulders and see if they are struggling in Math or Science courses. Math and science is a good indication of how well a kid will do in school, hence I recommend to keep an eye out. Parents play a big role of how well their children succeed in the future as well.

So how did I personally turned out having attend a top tier school? I would say I am average, was the education my parents paid for worth it? Yes it was worth it in terms of the knowledge, physical and social development, as well as the network of friends I have.

[givenall]

I agree with Mike, except after looking at many schools I would send my kid time top tier school for safety and then transfer them to bilingual for primary and the take the back to home country (US) soon after that.

[long klong]

Many thanks for your comments. In the case I cited about the Head of the music department, this person was not just culturally insensitive. He was offensive to the point of being racist. He had been hired by the previous administration and did not last long under the current headmaster. We are not aware of the reasons why his contract was not renewed but it is now clear that he was totally inept in comparison with the new staff that has been hired under the current headmaster. So is there a standard policy or procedure in interviewing new staff? Is it done by a panel and if so is a senior and experienced Thai person included to offer his opinion. I know no system is perfect but is nothing being done at present in this regard? Many multinationals now have cultural orientation programs for their staff who are assigned to positions in Asia for the first time;why is this not done for new teachers? BTW we now hear that the old music head was fired from his new job in Australia within a few months!

I welcome your idea of starting a new thread on parental concerns and feedback. Thanks again.

[carter1882]

Had a chuckle at the person who thought the top rate at the top tier schools was 20,000US. and the rest; that, or somewhat more than that , is just the tuition fees. When you add in book charges, exam charges, uniform and PE kits, day trips, school trips and expeditions of a compulsory nature, travel to and from, lunches and a myriad of other extras the bottom line for older children at the top tier schools will give no change out of 30,000US. And this is not including the pressure that parents are under, from their children, to spend on non compulsory expeditions in Asia or even outside, charity projects, sporting events in neighbouring countries, etc etc the yearly rates for many are up to 1.2 million baht or about 40,000 US dollars. You have to be seriously loaded or having an employer paying to put a child through this expense let alone having two or three nippers! Of course many of the schools offer great discounts or even free education of the basic tuition fees to teacher's children but many have had to reign this in in recent years. At one point one of the top tier schools had 101 pupils of teachers learning for free out of a school roll of a little over 1200. This proved unsustainable given the high salaries of teachers and the school in question was obliged to start charging 20% of tuition fees once again. My kids enjoyed, or I did, a 100 per cent discount at a top school as I worked there as a senior manager until my retirement. But i would say that over the years my average add on costs for each of my two kids including transport to and from school was 3000US each, and they by no means could do much more than the compulsory and a few music lessons.

Was it worth it in terms of their education. I would have to say yes though this is very subjective and will vary more according to the nature and background of the child than whether it be ISB, Patana, Harrow, NIST. Or wherever. I think for one of my children it left him rather isolated. Though his grades were good I think he could have got something just as good for a lot less. The other is doing a masters under a scholarship at Oxford so. I guess she'd say that the academics and structure helped her on the course that led to such a prestigious ending.

I would say that the teaching quality at the top tier schools is of a very high standard and the mid tier probably still very good. All this nonsense about drug taking and alcohol is scare-mongering and quite possibly sour grapes from people who cannot afford the fees! Sure there are the odd cases at the top schools as there have been and might even continue to be teachers hired who have arrest warrants out in other countries, often not their country of birth, for matters that should the authorities know about would preclude their hiring. These cases are infrequent and in any case the education ministry and good quality schools have worked well to plug loopholes and introduce more stringent background checks.

Having retired and now with a toddler I am faced with a new dilemma! No free education. What I intend to do is have my little daughter educated with a far greater interest in her being a Thai than being an international kid. I believe she can get the latter from me anyway and one thing I will always be overwhelmingly convinced of is that whatever the school is like it is the education and attitudes of what happens at home that is key. My grown up 22 year old daughter has already been accepted on the equities desk of Barclays at Canary Wharf. But was her maths and strategic thinking down to the huge cost of internationals schools and their great teachers or the endless hours of Monopoly and other games at home.

[ExpatOilWorker]

Would it be possible to outline a cradle to graduation suggestion?

I assume some of the schools with higher credentials are more suited for the high school years, while other cater to the younger kindergarden and pre-school years.

[Tim Dine]

Hey IntEdSource thank you very much for this very informative piece! I myself am an International school alum and have always been interested in an objective comparison of these schools though, like you said, no peer-reviewed source has ever published revolving around this topic, so I never bothered exploring further.

I would really love to have a more isolated discussion with you about this and gain more insight on the issue. If you don't mind, can you please shoot me an email to <<<< Email removed per privacy concerns, use PM function instead >>>> and we can go from there...you can do this anonymously if you want. Be nice if we can talk!

Edited February 22, 2015 by metisdead
17) Do not post phone numbers, email addresses, business names, or web/Facebook/Twitter/Google+ addresses in posts or signatures. Web addresses to non-commercial sites/blogs, or Facebook/Twitter/Google+ addresses, may be posted in a member's profile

[SlyAnimal]

Just a quick note regarding the forum rules:

A post has been removed for "naming and shaming".

Objective criticism, as the OP has done, is ok.

However due to Thailand's defamation/Libel/Slander laws, you are potentially criminally liable for any comments made which may cause harm to the reputation etc of a business.

Thus we play it safe by disallowing comments of this nature

[a1a1]

Thanks IntEdSource for your comprehensive reply.

One issue we are grappling with for our two young sons is what you mentioned here:

Ultimately, if price were no object, I would recommend ISB, Patana or NIST. In addition to being non-profit, these schools possess the leadership, resources and quality that enable them to compete with other top schools globally. Given the differences in their curricula (American vs. British vs. IB), locations and cultures, the best choice for a child would ultimately be based on factors other than quality. There are several lines of evidence that could be offered for making the case for these three, but they are varied and require elaboration, so I leave it open to questions from others.

Aside from curricula and location, which are fairly easy to discern, do you have any insights as an insider as to what differentiates these schools? Parents we have spoken to seem to have fairly generic comments. So more specifically, e.g., is one of the schools more athletically focused than the others? Or artistically/linguistically/etc? Does one have a more transient population than the others? Does one have better university acceptances? How about formality/informality at school? Level of involvement of parents? Stressful, competitive culture or laid back? Reputation globally? That sort of thing. Sorry for the laundry list, but the readers certainly value your insights and the time you take to address our questions!

[dan153]

Thank you IntEdSource for taking your time to research and articulate the best overview of international school education in Thailand that I have ever seen.

We (my Thai wife and I) have a 3 year old son and 7 month old daughter and may be moving to Thailand from the U.S. this July, and therefore, we are especially interested in this topic. If we in fact we do move to Thailand our intention is to start our son at the 4 year old level in August, which I presume is the pre-K equivalent in the U.S., and our daughter when she is 4 yeas old. We cannot afford the top tier tuitions and would prefer to live in Hua Hin, so we are looking at the brand new Hua Hin International School (HHIS), however, we are also looking at the Wells School in Bangkok as a potential alternative. As HHIS is new (opening August 2015) I'm sure you would have no ability to comment on it, however, its founders claim backgrounds that include associations with St. Andrews and Bangkok Patana School as well as other educational experience and have hired a head teacher that appears to be very well qualified. I would appreciate it if you could offer any advice on enrolling a child at a new international school in Thailand versus a second-tier school, such as Wells, or any other insight/suggestion(s) you may have.

Please continue your input and don't get discouraged by some who have an affinity to denigrate most serious threads in this forum for their own base reasons as your information is superb.

[quandow]

I've worked at both Regent's and St. Andrews in the Pattaya area, and with the exception of one specialty teacher who was for all intents and purposes irreplaceable and therefore a little loose about coming in hung over, I never witnessed anything but clean, professional teachers. We had rare weeknight get-togethers and a few beers were had, but nothing past 10 p.m.-ish and I perceived nothing but teachers of the highest caliber.

[mike324]

Thanks IntEdSource for your comprehensive reply.

One issue we are grappling with for our two young sons is what you mentioned here:

Ultimately, if price were no object, I would recommend ISB, Patana or NIST. In addition to being non-profit, these schools possess the leadership, resources and quality that enable them to compete with other top schools globally. Given the differences in their curricula (American vs. British vs. IB), locations and cultures, the best choice for a child would ultimately be based on factors other than quality. There are several lines of evidence that could be offered for making the case for these three, but they are varied and require elaboration, so I leave it open to questions from others.

Aside from curricula and location, which are fairly easy to discern, do you have any insights as an insider as to what differentiates these schools? Parents we have spoken to seem to have fairly generic comments. So more specifically, e.g., is one of the schools more athletically focused than the others? Or artistically/linguistically/etc? Does one have a more transient population than the others? Does one have better university acceptances? How about formality/informality at school? Level of involvement of parents? Stressful, competitive culture or laid back? Reputation globally? That sort of thing. Sorry for the laundry list, but the readers certainly value your insights and the time you take to address our questions!

-

Many of the top tier schools in Bangkok have friendly athletic matches against each other as practice. ISB competes on a Southeast regional level with other international schools, you can find more info http://www.iasas.asia/about/ this encompasses all fields from athletic, to arts, to math, and more.

Facilities wise, I think ISB wins hands down from the number of sports fields, pools, and stage facilities. Kids can join the "Lights and Sound" club where you learn how to operate a stage and actually run one during performances. There is a photography lab where you learn to process your own pictures. These are some of the more unique features you don't find in smaller schools. The big schools are comparable.

University acceptance wise, I believe all the top tier schools are known worldwide among the top universities. I've seen kids from small international schools get in top ivy league schools, vice versa. It really depends on your children's grades, SAT scores and other fix admission factors such as essays, etc, that matters more than the extracurricular activities. Back then it use to be ISB applicants getting into better schools, but that's not the case starting late 90s to present.

Bigger school, bigger involvement of parents. ISB's PTA are very involved with the school regarding to a wide range of activities and issues, they are a permanent fixture and you hear about them pretty much weekly.

Sorry, its not much of a help as a comparison.