Why, you may ask, would any student seek to attend high school outside of Ethiopia? And if so, why Canada of all places? These questions are typical of the ones that I receive every day in my role as the Director of Admissions at Brentwood College School, Canada’s largest boarding school. I spend up to three months of the year on the road recruiting students for our school (as I write this, I am currently in Addis Ababa). My answers will vary according to the country I’m in, but usually I begin with what is most important to families: safety and university placement.
It is interesting watching the trends of where students choose to attend boardings schools around the world as they seem to change according to world events. Ultimately parents want to know that the country their kids are going to is one that is peaceful, secure, and safe. Over the last few years, Canada has stood out in this regard, and we are seeing an influx from countries that would have typically chosen the United States or England in the past (for example, even students living in the USA are looking elsewhere. This year our school has 50 American students and safety is one of the main reasons why they are choosing Canada).
In terms of university placement, typically, 100% of our graduates are accepted to universities around the world. Most impressively, 80%+ receive offers from their ‘first-choice’ university. These numbers would be comparable in most quality boarding schools around the world. This is because a good boarding school education is unique in that it can offer a university preparatory experience and independence while students are still in high school. Without a doubt, this makes transitioning to the post-secondary world in many ways, seamless.
The next thing I would explain are the myriad opportunities both within and outside of the actual classrooms themselves. It is well known that there are three main academic systems in the world: the British system (IGCSE, ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels), The International Baccalaureate system (IB), and the American (Advanced Placement, or AP system). Our school (and the same could be said about most quality schools in North America) have chosen the Advanced Placement system to hang their hat on. Why? The strength of the AP system lies in the ability of their students to meaningfully engage in the abundance of extracurricular opportunities offered, even as they challenge themselves academically. And they can do this all the way through their high school experience (contrarily, due to the demands academically and their emphasis on exams, it is beyond difficult to fully commit to passions outside of the classroom once a student gets into the senior years of high school in both the IB and British systems).
I always suggest that families who are wondering about the pros and cons of the various systems should simply look at the university placements resulting from each system. To what post-secondary institutions do their graduates typically get accepted? I would then explain that Brentwood College School and similar AP boarding school students get into the same top universities as students graduating from IB or British schools. However, the experience is so much more because of the opportunities beyond the classroom. In my mind, as an educator and based on the evidence, there is no comparison in terms of a wide-ranging quality education.
Okay, exactly so how is AP experience more, you may ask?
If I use my school as an example, students have access to over 40 art options (visual, technical, performing, and speech), as well as 26 sports options, and our unique timetable allows them to choose more extra-curricular options than any other school in the world (imagine being able to choose up to four separate creative options, each for three hours a week, as well as being able to participate in a fully dedicated athletic program).
Why do schools like ours commit to this? Because we believe in the importance that creativity and fitness play in the overall mental and physical well-being of young adults. Over and above this, providing world-class coaching and instruction on site so that students can excel in areas of passion simply cannot be found in most typical secondary school experiences or, indeed in many countries (as an example, we have had 26 graduates from Brentwood that have gone on to compete in the Olympics. What quality boarding schools can provide is unique and life-changing).
Okay, so there are lots of students in Ethiopia that get accepted to university. So, why should they go abroad?
Outside of the benefits mentioned above, from my perspective, the TOP 10 reasons that students from around the world seek to have a boarding school experience in Canada are to:
1. Attain a global experience and better understand the world (it goes without saying that travel and living abroad broadens one’s perspective).
2. Attain a new understanding and appreciation about one’s own country (crossing borders and spending time elsewhere allows us to see our own country in a new light).
3. Experience a western education with the hopes of attending a university anywhere in the world (or return to Ethiopia with a wealth of global experience).
4. Set yourself up for the best chance for a successful post-secondary experience.
5. Live and learn in a safe, clean, friendly, nurturing environment.
6. Experience nature in a completely new way (imagine scuba diving or kayaking in the afternoons, or skiing or snowboarding every weekend at the local mountain).
7. Discover new passions, and experience the many unique options offered by a boarding school.
8. Network with students from around the world and acquire life-long friendships.
9. Experience the joy of being surrounded by students from different cultures, races, and religions coming from all corners of the earth.
10. Gain independence and self-confidence before ‘leaving the nest.’
Okay, so what about affordability? Such an experience is not cheap, right?
It is true that not everyone can afford a boarding school experience. However, for those that can make it happen, many are choosing to invest in their child’s high school education now, so they have a better opportunity to get into the University of their Choice later. Why? I often say, you can’t build a sturdy house on a weak foundation, and many parents are acknowledging this reality. They are eager to set their children up for success and see all the advantages that a boarding education can bring them.
There is no doubt that a boarding school acts as a bridge toward independence. A quality boarding school education is a wonderful scaffold for young people, allowing students to receive a quality education well before setting out on their own (and having to navigate a world without the kinds of supports available at a boarding school).
The results speak for themselves. It is evident to anyone analyzing of the current data, that students who have attended a renowned boarding school have an unequivocal competitive advantage when it comes to university placement. Universities are savvy shoppers! They understand that there is much to be gained by offering admission to a student that is already an independent, global-citizen, with a proven track record at a recognized university-preparatory school.
It’s a win-win situation, and universities do not like to gamble, hence every chance they are given, they will usually select a student with the kinds of attributes most graduates of quality boarding schools possess. These are students that have already lived away from mum and dad; have inherently been exposed to a diverse selection of courses, quality teaching, and myriad opportunities; regardless of where they have come from, they have experienced a competitive environment which in turn, has enhanced their ability to adapt to independent life; and they have, by default, been exposed to passionate teachers who typically are working at a boarding school because it is a calling rather than an obligation (observe any teacher at a boarding school who is doing Saturday night duty and you will see a different kind of passion. These are the kinds of adults that are influencing students at boarding schools).
It goes without saying that it must come down to what is best for each family, and most schools are wonderful at counselling families in this regard. I would implore anyone interested in the learning about the various educational options around the world to research widely as there are many wonderful resources available.
Clayton Johnston is the Director of Admissions at Brentwood College School (www.brentwood.ca), one of the largest boarding schools in North America, and widely recognized as one of the world’s great boarding schools. Clayton and his family have lived on campus for three decades. He can be reached at: clayton.johnston@brentwood.ca
BY CLAYTON JOHNSTON
The Ethiopian Herald December 7/2023
