US colleges expect each student to pursue a curriculum that is appropriately rigorous—in other words, one in which the student can be challenged and can also be academically successful. This means that, when choosing high school courses, it is important to take a strong academic program—but it is even more important for students to take classes that they enjoy and in which they can earn strong grades.

The minimum SAS graduation requirements are just that: minimums. All students should look at the recommended column rather than the minimum credits column when deciding how many years of study to pursue in a given subject area. Students should speak to teachers and counselors for advice on exactly which courses to take.

When choosing classes, it is important to know that the level of academic challenge will vary from one student to another and from one subject to another. Our Advanced Studies courses—AP and AT courses—are more challenging, asking students to undertake rigorous and sophisticated assignments and to work independently. When choosing courses, students who enroll in Advanced Studies classes must plan on dedicating significantly more time each day. Students should take this into consideration and be realistic about what they can and will do. Most students do not begin taking APs and ATs until eleventh or twelfth grade.

While both AP and AT courses receive a GPA bump at SAS, no US colleges require that students take Advanced Studies courses. US colleges simply want each student to take a course load that is appropriately rigorous. Most schools in the UK require that students sit for three (and, in a few rare instances, five) AP exams in their area of interest, so students who are UK-bound should plan to take at least three AP classes. Schools in Singapore, South Korea, and a few programs at a handful of universities in Australia will also expect to see some AP scores.

It is important to note that, while US colleges are looking for academically able students who have challenged themselves academically, they also want students who have contributed to their school or community. Colleges are looking for interesting people who will become active members of their campuses. They will seek out students who are significantly involved with and can demonstrate that they care about a few meaningful extracurricular activities. Students should, therefore, plan to balance their academic load with their other interests and activities.

Interim

Students must participate in an Interim Semester course each year they are at SAS—one of which must be a service course. One Interim service course (0.25 credit) is required.

*Math: All students must earn two Math credits, one of which must be at the level of Geometry or higher.

**Social Studies: US citizens (not dual citizens) are required to earn one credit in US History.

***Language: Two years of study of the same foreign language (e.g., Chinese, French, or Spanish at the Novice, Intermediate level) or an equivalent proficiency in another language is required.

Students applying to colleges and universities may be asked to submit a wide range of test scores. In the US, the most important standardized tests are the ACT and the SAT. In the UK, students must demonstrate their preparation for a particular subject area by submitting AP exam scores. A few colleges and universities may also ask students to submit Subject Test scores and/or English language proficiency scores from tests such as the TOEFL or IELTS. Students will work with their college counselors in junior year to develop testing plans appropriate to their college aspirations.

We do not recommend that students begin standardized testing until the middle of junior year (unless a particular test is aligned with a student’s course choice, such as a specific AP exam or Subject Test). When it does come time to start the standardized testing process, students may wonder whether they should take the SAT or the ACT. There is no right answer to this question; most students fare equally well on both exams, and colleges and universities accept the two tests interchangeably. We suggest that students sit for a brief diagnostic of each test and see which of the two tests feels more comfortable and better suits their abilities.

We recommend that each SAS student take either the SAT or the ACT at least once between December and April of their junior year. There is rarely any benefit to taking the test earlier than the winter of eleventh grade.

The best way to prepare for the SAT and the ACT is to read a lot and to engage fully in classes and homework. Students can self-study for these tests using a range of preparation books—we have many in the high school library—or by taking advantage of free online programs such as those offered by Khan Academy. We also offer practice testing here at SAS every October in the form of the PSAT9 for ninth graders, the Pre-ACT for tenth graders, and the PSATs for eleventh graders. Some students may choose to enroll in a formal test preparation course; however, please be aware that such test preparation is best done six to eight weeks before the test itself. There is no evidence that engaging in test preparation any earlier than this will help increase test scores.

It is worth noting that there are hundreds of US colleges that no longer require any standardized testing as part of their admissions processes. A list of these colleges may be found at www.fairtest.org.

Additional information about standardized testing may be found in the testing section of the SAS High School College Counseling website.

Each junior will be provided with a comprehensive list of SAS’s college application policies at the junior family meeting, but we would like to highlight two of our policies here:

Maximum Applications

The maximum number of applications SAS will process is 10 per student. This is a lifetime, worldwide limit. Each application that SAS processes counts as a single application, whether the student is applying to a college for the first time or is reapplying as a first year student. The only exception is this: within the limit of 10 applications per student, the University of California and UCAS system applications each count as one. This policy is in the best interest of our students, encouraging them to research colleges carefully, choose colleges of true interest to them, and focus meaningfully on each application—thus enhancing their chances of admission. Universities are well aware of this policy and wholeheartedly support it. Historically, the average number of applications submitted is between five and six.

Disciplinary Reporting Policy

SAS will disclose any disciplinary infraction resulting in an out–of–school suspension when asked about disciplinary infractions by colleges.