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Studying in the USA. How to Choose a School and What is Required for Admission
As a rule, immigration is a complicated process. A new country, new laws, different mentality and rhythm of life often throw off balance and raises many questions. Moving to another country with children can cause even more questions.
One of the most common is how to choose a school and what is required for admission.
The first thing you need to know about the education in the USA is a "school zoning" system. The territory of the states is divided into zones, so that schools can evenly involve children who live near them. It means that you cannot choose any public school you like, but only one of those located within the area of your place of residence. In order to understand which educational institutions you belong to according to your place of residence, you can use special sites to search for schools in a certain state. You can find links to these sites for each state using Google search.
1. The search query must be formulated as "(state) school zoning map", where instead of (state) enter the name of your state. The required service will be the first in the list of results.
2. Then, you need to go to the service and enter your address in the search.
3. The service will show your area and educational institutions available to you.
You need to choose a school taking into account not only zoning but also the type of school. Educational institutions are divided into several types with gradation according to the age of a child:
1. Elementary school – for children from 3 to 10 years old. It includes the so-called "kindergarten" for children 3-5 years old, which is not acompulsory part of the US educational system, and primary grades from 1 to 5.
2. Middle school – for children 11-13 years old.
3. High school – for children 14-18 years old.
Compulsory education lasts 12 years in total. It is free in public schools. There are also private schools and kindergartens, but they are paid and are not connected to a child's place of residence. Another important thing is the existence of programs for teaching children who have poor knowledge of English or do not speak it at all. At the parents’ request, the school administration form classes, where children are taught in native language with gradual learning and transition to English.
After chosing a school, you need to collect and submit the following documents to the administration of the educational institution:
1. A copy of the child's birth certificate with a notarized translation. The translation can be done both in the homeland and in the USA.
2. Medical forms filled in by a local doctor. You can get them at school or from the doctor you will make an appointment with. If you already have insurance for the child, the insurance company will pay for medical examination. Also, you can pay the doctor yourself if you do not have insurance yet.
3. Confirmation of the place of residence. This can be any utility bill with your name. Very often people live with relatives or friends and cannot officially confirm their place of residence. In this case, it is enough for a relative or acquaintance to come to school and confirm that you and your children live there. Then, you can provide a utility bill with his or her name on it and this will be enough to confirm your place of residence.
Finally, you need to wait for the confirmation from the school administration. As a rule, the process of confirmation takes a few days. All you need for studying is a backpack and stationery — books and notebooks are provided by the school.
