1. Institut Le Rosey
(Institut Le Rosey)Switzerland is known for the most expensive private school in the world. Founded in 1880, it is the oldest and largest boarding school in the country. Known as the “School of Kings” for educating princes and princesses, Le Rosy is home to history makers and changers from different parts of the world. So, if you ever go there, it’s likely that your classmates will be children of very powerful individuals. In the winter time, the school moves to its second campus, a ski resort in the alps to “to escape the winter fog which settles over the Lake Léman area.” Aside from academics, students take on sport and art activities everyday to enhance their “multiple intelligence” experience.
2. Eton College
(Eton College)Founded almost 600 years ago, 19 students of Eton College attended at different times but ended up in the same career: U.K. Prime Minister. Most students enter at age 13 and stay until they are 18 with endless opportunities and activities including fencing, judo, boating, music, art, drama, and of course, personal experience and growth with friends.
3. The Lawrenceville School
(The Lawrenceville School)The school has one of the best athletic training rooms, with state-of-the-art equipment, including multi-axle ankle machines, stationary bikes, and a cybex. Aside from having basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts, it also has a golf course, a boathouse, hockey rink, baseball diamonds, and more. Instead of sitting at desks like most classrooms, students sit around an oval table with the teachers making for more interactive and lively discussions. If you want to know your teacher well, then this school is perfect since each class has a maximum of 12 students.
4. Lawrence Academy
(Lawrence Academy)Founded in 1793 by Samuel Lawrence, the school is the 10th oldest boarding school in the United States. Each year enrollment stands at approximately 400 students with a 13 percent international student body. The campus is 100 acres, including 10 dormitories, 30 classrooms and 6 science labs.
5. Charterhouse School
(Charterhouse School)Charterhouse School offers two courses of study: the IB Diploma programme, or Cambridge Pre-U and A-Level subjects. In the Class of 2011, 13 went on the Oxford and 9 to Cambridge. The school produced champions this past year in shooting and rowing.
6. Middlesex School
(Middlesex School)Founded in 1901, the 350-acre campus enrolls 375 students with a 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The school offers 22 AP courses, and 29 sports. There were 1,070 completed applications for admission for 2013-14 school year and 208 students were admitted. The Class of 2012 sent 3 students each respectfully to Columbia University, Harvard, Princeton, New York, and USC. Actor Steve Carrel went to Middlesex School before graduating from Denison University in 1984.
7. Foxcroft School
(Foxcroft School)At Foxcroft, 80 percent of the faculty lives on campus with a 6:1 student to teacher ratio. This all-girls school enrolls 160 students from 19 states, Washington D.C., and 9 different countries. For the day students who don’t live on campus, about 30 percent of the student body, they have beds in the dorms too so they can sleep over whenever they need to. The new dormitory currently under construction features heated sleeping porches.
8. Trinity school
(Trinity School)Founded in 1709 as a charity school at Trinity Church, Trinity School is a co-ed independent day school for Grades K-12. It has an average enrollment of 960 students, and is also New York City’s oldest academic institution. Situated in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the school doesn’t have sprawling grounds, but it has compensated creatively with a garden, rooftop playing field (“The Turf”) and two rooftop tennis courts. Trinity is especially known for its high academic standards, and excellent faculty—over 20 Trinity teachers hold doctorate degrees.
9. The Hotchkiss School
(Hotchkiss School)Founded in 1891, The Hotchkiss School enrolls 597 students with a 4:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Amidst the 827 campus acres, there are 12 dorms, 2 lakes, and 1 forest. Aside from having a 100 percent matriculation rate, there are 248 courses and 7 language instruction levels including Chinese, German, French, Latin, Russian, etc. The school also has 2 hockey rinks, and 12 Steinway pianos. Hotchkiss has a speciality in photography and videography and hosts the annual Hotchkiss Film Festival showcasing not only their own students’ productions but student films from around the world.
10. Yew Chung International School of Shanghai
(Yew Chung International School of Shanghai)Established in 1993, the school enrolls more than 2,400 students, preschool to secondary school, from over 50 countries. Each campus classroom is equipped with interactive whiteboards, and each campus has its own computer labs, music rooms, and gymnasiums. In 2012, the students had a 100 percent pass rate.
11. American School of Sao Paulo
(American School of Sao Paulo)Founded in 1920, the school enrolls over 1,200 students from 35 countries through grades K-12. There are 40 high school teachers, of which 30 hold Master’s degrees, and 4 hold Doctorate degrees. Since 2008, 11 graduates have gone to Duke University, 12 to Northeastern, and 2 to Yale.
12. Canadian Academy
(Canadian Academy)Celebrating its centenary in 2013, the Canadian Academy’s current enrollment is approximately 642 students with 56 percent of the student body being Asian, 18 percent North American, and 8 percent European. The Academy’s 9-acre campus is situated on the residential area of Rokkō Island. The teaching style emphasizes independent study and group work instead of the more traditional lecture format, and you won’t hear a bell signaling the end of class—students are expected to arrive and depart on time.
13. Woodstock School
(Woodstock School)Founded in 1854, Woodstock School is a Christian college-preparatory school and residential school for grades K-12. Because of its remote location there are no day students. Its 250-acre campus is situated in the Indian Himalayan environment at an elevation of 6,000 feet. Woodstock enrolls 508 students, and 60 percent end up in often top U.S. colleges. The class of 2012 had an average SAT score of 546 for Reading, 591 for Math, 570 for Writing. Food is a particular specialty at Woodstock. This year the school it held an inaugural Woodstock Masterchef competition.
