Parent's Review of Taipei American School in Taipei, Taiwan

What is the name of your child's school? (Please report on one school per survey.)

Taipei American School

In what town or city is this school located?

Taipei

How would you describe this school? (i.e. American, British, International, Local, etc.)

It says American, but it is very Taiwanese or ABC (American Born Chinese)

What grade levels are represented at this school?

K-12

How do most children get to school everyday? (bus, train, walk, etc.)

Bus, walk

How would you describe the facilities at this school? What extra-curricular activities are available?

The facilities are superb. Well kept and modern. A new Upper School just opened in August and it is beautiful. Fields, open space for the kids and the library are all very impressive. Extra curricular are very expansive with lots of sports, drama music and dance. If your child is into sports the teams are average and you won't get alot of teaching of skill. If your child wants to play a sport in college - it is nearly impossible from this school. They don't play a lot of teams and seasons are short.

What has this school done to help your child transition from the curriculum in your home country into the curriculum in your new country? Are there programs to prepare your child for repatriation?

It is very difficult to transition to this school in the 9-12 years. The Asian Tiger attitude is huge here and thus the competition is fierce. Classes are beyond challenging and the school just wants to get the top scores in AP exams so they will not risk their scores to do the right thing for your child. It is all about placement for them amongst the other international schools. The majority of students are local Taiwanese that happen to have a foreign passport. All these kids want to get into a US college. Forget this school if you have an average B student from another international or private school. Really forget this school if you have a B student from a US public school. I have heard there used to be a lot more ex-pats, thus the level was more like the international schools in Japan, Bangkok, HK. But this has changed with the economy.

Plus is the college counseling. They do work hard to get your children placed in colleges. But remember, they go the extra mile for the brilliant ones so they can publish the Ivy placements.

How would you describe the social activities available for parents through this school? Are there parent-teacher organizations?

PTA is active. But if you are not the PTA type it is difficult for English speaking parents to connect to the school because there is little english spoken with the parents. The school expects that the parents will "hang out" and figure things out. Activities are not well publized. No neighbor to neighbor program.

What advice would you give to someone considering enrolling their child in this school?

If your option is Taipei or another city and you have a 9-12 grader. think twice. This school is very Asian.

Very competitive and they just want to promote the kids who will give them good test scores so they can shine on their international rating. If you are from an EU country look into the European School. More of an international culture. Less Tiger Moms.

William Russell
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William Russell

William Russell's private medical insurance will cover you and your family wherever you may be. Whether you need primary care or complex surgery, you'll have access to the best hospitals & doctors available. Unlike some insurers, we also include medical evacuation and mental health cover in our plans (except SilverLite). Get a quote from our partner, William Russell.
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