Is attending an International Baccalaureate (IB) high school the best path to an international university?

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By Joyce Szuflita and Jo Clark

I talk to a lot of 8th grade families who have an interest in international universities. They are very curious about International Baccalaureate high schools as well as regular high schools with an AP culture. I asked Jo Clark, a college counselor who specializes in supporting students who are looking at UK and European Universities, what she thought.

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I have a 4th grader - what I know and don't know about middle school frightens me

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By Joyce Szuflita

Middle school is to high school as prek is to kindergarten.
Essentially, the kind of executive functioning growth that happened in Prek that enabled your child to be successful in the first academic year at kindergarten is akin to the physical and social emotional growth that happens at middle school which prepares them for the rigors of high school.

Your children will ride the subway two stops where they lose their fare cards and break their phone screens, to go to a school where they have to find their way from class to class on their own!

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I have a baby! WHEN do I have to think about preschool?

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By Joyce Szuflita

Count backwards from Kindergarten. Make a chart if you are a visual learner.
Your child will be eligible for public Kindergarten in the fall of the year when your child turns 5 years old. If they were born from Jan 1 to Dec 31 in 2024, they will be attending Kindergarten in public school in the fall of 2029. The application deadline will usually be in late Jan. of 2029. It is easy as pie if your child is born between Jan and August, but if you have a fall birthday child and you do the math - they will be 4yr and a bit when they begin attending. The DoE doesn’t give you any wiggle room here. There is no red shirting at kindergarten in NYC.

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i have a baby! WHAT is the deal with preschool/daycare?!

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By Joyce Szuflita

First, you should do what feels right for your family and your child. Everyone has their own needs - yours as a parent, and what you want and need for your child. A lot of people do the same things, and it works out great, but if you hear a different drummer - you don’t need to completely ignore it just because your friends don’t hear it. The hard truth is that the system is built for the largest group of people who are all doing the same thing. Following the status quo will often be the least trouble. Doing things differently can sometimes be problematic, but sometimes that can be worth it to you. It may mean that you send your child to school later. Maybe you will need to pay for a private experience. Maybe you will take a break from your career.

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