MEDELLIN SCHOOLS

jaramillo says on Oct 7, 2006, 08:30:

Public schools in Colombia, as a general rule, are not good. I would strongly recommend a private school (and the cost will not be even close to what you would pay in the States).

1-Columbus School (probably the most expensive here) is an excellent bilingual co-ed school:http://www.columbus.edu.co/default.aspx
2-Marymount: All girls, bilingual. Top school. Marymount has an international network of schools:http://www.marymount.edu.co/
3-La Enseñaza: All girls Catholic (run by nuns) school: http://www.laensenanza.com/ An excellent school. Remember that a Catholic education in other countries does not have the awful associations that it has in the U.S. My Children just spent a year at Maristas school in Salamanca, Spain, and had a wonderful time. The la enseñanza order has been in "business" for 400 years. I think they know what they're doing.
4-Gimnasio los pinares:a very good school although conservative (Run by Opus day). No albino assassins, I promise:http://www.pinares.edu.co/

Best of luck!

lpdiver says on Oct 7, 2006, 10:02:

what are approximate costs? just curious

t

"cook some rice!"

Sacramento says on Oct 7, 2006, 11:55:

Private Schools any one has names for private Billingual school in Medellin?
I am thinking in sending my daughter to continue high school, I am Colombian with and US citizen my daughter Borned in USA, will she need visa to study in Colombia?

jaramillo says on Oct 7, 2006, 12:24:

Costs... The schools above are considered elite. Columbus School is probably the most expensive in Medellin. The "mensualidad" (monthly payment) runs at around u.s.$ 400. For comparison, La Colina, a nice private school in Poblado, charges around 270 a month (includes food and transportation).

jaramillo says on Oct 7, 2006, 12:26:

Sacramento, if you are Colombian your daughter has citizenship. Get her a Colombian passport. Also a cedula, at the nearest consulate.

lpdiver says on Oct 7, 2006, 12:58:

well at those rates $270 -400 dollars per month that is near us rates.

t

"cook some rice!"

jaramillo says on Oct 7, 2006, 13:36:

At 270 a month... the academic year rounds at about $2430. The two private schools I am familiar with in Minnesota, Shattuck St. Mary and the Breck School, are $20,000, and 35,000 a year, respectively (the cost of Shattuck is for boarders. Day students pay 20,000).

nazca says on Oct 7, 2006, 15:22:

Medellin Schools Hi Jamarillo;
Thanks for your wonderful list of schools and information. Just what I was looking for! I will look into all of them and if we do happen to move, feel better knowing what lies ahead. M.

lpdiver says on Oct 7, 2006, 16:05:

well in Louisiana it is different. Of course we are last in academic standings. You can pay more of course. It is a good value I suppose. I don't know how to compare quality of education.

How many full ride scholarships ar awarded in the US to these Colombians high schools?

tony

"cook some rice!"

jaramillo says on Oct 7, 2006, 17:23:

I do not understand the question diver. Could you re-phrase?
I think 35 grand a year for highschool is quite rich. Public schools here are quite good, so that's where my kids are going to, I'll tell you that! I also think that the key factor for a good education is the motivation of the student. George Bush went to Yale and learned nothing.

Sacramento says on Oct 7, 2006, 20:09:

Hi Jaramillo thank you for the great information

jaramillo says on Oct 7, 2006, 22:31:

Best of luck.. to you all.

lpdiver says on Oct 8, 2006, 04:01:

Okay If my daughter (paisa/gringo) were to attend the Colombus School for example...What are her chances of obtaining a full scholarship to a private university in the USA.

Here that is a statistic that is easily found. I suspect that it is not something that is important in Colombia and therefore statistics aren't available.

t

"cook some rice!"

jaramillo says on Oct 8, 2006, 07:18:

I really don't know lpdiver. But if I find out anything, would you like me to private-mail you?

lpdiver says on Oct 8, 2006, 08:20:

No...post it here It is not personal information and someone else may benifit from it.

You see I am seriously considering raising my paisa daughter in Colombia; but I want her to have her gringa opportunities also. Specifically an opportunity for US university education.

The costs you mention are more than likely excellent values. I am just someone that likes to look at all avenues.

My oldest daughter was and is being educated in private schools here. Tuitions can readily be found at the prices you mention. However, the top school in Baton Rouge do run 10-15 thousand.

tony

"cook some rice!"

DanielPaisa says on Oct 10, 2006, 15:49:

Private schools no one mentioned San Ignacio School, near Estadio

Last time i heard they had the best results on the city... just a reminder there is more than colombus school.

Colombus school is a american orientated, colombian run, very expensive and far away schiool filled with little rich paisa kids in an endless competition of who has more money. I would never send a kid there. Academic level is below average.

i don't have any relation with this schools, but i rather have a decent private school, traditional like pinares, enseñanza or san ignacio tha colombus school.

Daniel, el Paisa

Daniel, el Paisa

jaramillo says on Oct 11, 2006, 06:09:

Since when did San Ignacio start admitting girls?

DanielPaisa says on Oct 11, 2006, 07:52:

Since 1994, the first girl graduates come out this year

they turned it into a boys and girls school and they have made lots of improvements, and it's not as high class as Colombus...

Daniel, el Paisa

Daniel, el Paisa

jaramillo says on Oct 11, 2006, 11:58:

Wow! Girls in S. Ignacio! No question about it. San Ignacio is a far better school than Columbus (I studied with the Jesuits).

Cheers fellow paisa.

nazca says on Oct 11, 2006, 16:24:

Columbus School costs and thanks ya'll! Hi; I posted the initial question and I truly appreciate all the insightfull information especially from DanielPaisa. To keep you all updated on private school costs and from the most "prestigious" school (Colombus) here is the run-down provided by Claudia Forero the person in charge of admissions:

Enrollment fee: Approx. US$6,000-8,000 per child (paid once before entering school)
Tuition fee: Approx. US$500-700 per child (paid once every year in June)+ PTA Approx. US$40 per family (paid once every year in June)
Monthly fee: Approx. US$400 per child (paid monthly from AUG-MAY)
Optional: Transportation and Cafeteria

Gracias por todo, nazca

ColombiaBoard says on Oct 11, 2006, 16:35:

Another private bilingual school for girls in Medellin Everybody forgot to mention Marymount High School. A private girls-only bilingual school. Good level and not as expensive as Colombus School.

Both these schools are US approved, that means, diplomas are accepted in the US without questions.

lpdiver says on Oct 11, 2006, 18:35:

so that comes to... somewhere's between $11,340 on the low side and 13,900 on the high side not including meals and transportation. Substantially higher than the $3,600 ($400/month).

Thanks for the info.

tony

"cook some rice!"

jaramillo says on Oct 12, 2006, 08:43:

Man... Talk about the small print! The joining fee, even if it's only once, is a killer. Columbus is definetely for the rich, and at that cost, lpdiver is right: If you do one year only the cost approaches U.S prices. But it is a better school that people have given it credit for, especially when it comes to teaching English. At any rate, my original post listed 3 other schools, including Marymount. For what its worth, there are many other very good private schools which do not rise to the stratosphere in price. These include the Teresianas, La presentación, Instituto Jorge Robledo (alma mater of Uribe), la Colina, Calazans, etc. I believe these are all either girls or co-ed schools.

DanielPaisa says on Oct 12, 2006, 14:58:

A great school for learning english as well as german and french is the Colegio Aleman (German School)... price is close to colombus, and it's also for rich guys, but with higher academic level and they promote many areas, like music and sports. I've known guys who studied there, almost all of them had exchange programs on germany/france or the US, and they have no trouble studiing in universities in europe... if i had the money, i'd rather send my son there... price is the same as colombus school.

Daniel, el Paisa

Daniel, el Paisa

nazca says on Oct 14, 2006, 10:45:

German School, humm.... A strong contender in my view, but, if only it admitted girls also as the Colegio Aleman does in La Paz, Bolivia.

Thanks. M.

goin_south says on Oct 14, 2006, 14:18:

you got to be joking, jaramillo 'a Catholic education in other countries does not have the awful associations that it has in the U.S.'

my 16-yr-old son goes to a private catholic highschool, and maybe it's only because of the oil, legal, and medical money in this town, but I am forever kidding him, about how he has it made, going to that COUNTRY CLUB HIGH SCHOOL.

and, thank you.