Kulosaari/Espoo International

[Lirael]

I'm look at studying in Finland for a year starting August 2008 (I live in Canada). I speak no Finnish though I'm going to take some classes soon, that meaning I'm entering in an English school.

Which school would you say is better? I will be hopefully be staying with a family in Helsinki so I suppose Kulosaari would be closer. Does anyone know anything about credit equivalences? Or a link or something where I can get information on if the credits I gain in Finland would be valid in Ontario?

(I'm in desperate need of course outlines for Kulosaari and Espoo. I contacted the ministry on education here and they said it would help a lot if I gave them course codes/descriptions. I found a curriculum on the Kulosaari website, though it's all in finnish? )

As for fees, I'm unsure what I would have to pay. I am a British Citizen and as far as my research has taken me, I don't need to pay for a visa. What about other fees, or health insurance?

Any idea of a good mark range would be to get into one of these schools? (eg. 80%-90%? Though I believe in Finland it's out of 10 so that would be different.)

[Rosamunda]

You are asking about Espoo International or Kulosaari secondary but I'm guessing that you really mean the lukio (Upper Secondary), NOT the comprehensive schools.

If you are born 1992 or earlier then you will be entering Kulosaari lukio (10th, 11th or 12th grade) in August. If you were born in 1993 or later then you will be going into secondary school (ie grades 7-9). Lukio is what the Brits call Sixth Form college (not sure what it is called in Canada ? High School?)

The programme in both Etelä Tapiola lukio and Kulosaari lukio is the Cambridge AICE programme. This leads to AS and A level qualifications as in the English system. So the idea is that you choose your A level subjects and the programme is built around those. As far as I know Etelä Tapiola only offers the AICE diploma and the AS levels - it does not offer A levels. Kulosaari offers the possibility to take the full A level examinations.

Kulosaari lukio http://www.ksyk.fi/ksyk_www/index.php?l ... en&item=57 (the curriculum pages have been temporarily removed not sure why)

Etelä Tapiola http://www.etela-tapiola.fi/espoo_inter ... lisivu.htm

Another possibility would be the Eira Aikuislukio. It also offers the AICE programme and an accelerated Finnish Foreign language programme.

I have no idea about study credits for Canada. But if you are worried about equivalent credits then you would be better off following an international curriculum like the IB diploma. Google for Ressu lukio, SYK and Helsinki Inernational School (The latter is a private fee-paying school). It is harder to get on to an IB course but they are more widely recognised internationally.

Entrance to these schools is based on an exam and on the latest school report. In Finland Kulosaari and Etelä Tapiola are looking for 8+ in the school reports. But the main requirement is fluency in English. The IB schools are looking for 9+ (and SYK is one of the hardest to get in to) and again, fluent English.

The tuition is free and there is a new law stipulating that health insurance is a requirement. I am not sure how this applies to minors though. You would have to pay your own transport costs. So if you are living in Helsinki city then the Kulosaari bus pass would be significantly cheaper than the regional bus pass into Tapiola (even though you may be living closer to Tapiola than to Kulosaari!!!).

I suggest you contact the schools directly for more detailed answers to your questions (by phone or by email). For example, I am not sure that those schools offer Finnish Foreign language tuition as part of the curriculum. The schools will give you much more info than the Min Edu. IMO the schools will want to know WHY you want to come here to study so prepare some good answers in advance....

BTW I have a son (born 1992) who is applying for lukio right now, so I can give you more info if and when you need it. He is applying to both IB and AICE lukio. The schools have Open House meetings lined up in January and February so we will be going to all of them over the coming few weeks.

[Lirael]

Wow thanks a lot, that was great help.

Yes, I'm looking at going into High School (grade 11), I've looked at the IB programmes in Finland (currently I'm in pre-IB though soon quitting) but they were expensive and really not what I was looking for. Plus, I really don't have the marks or the money to get into those IB schools.

[Rosamunda]

Only the International School of Helsinki (ISH) charges for the IB programme (ISH is a private school) but SYK, Ressu etc are free.

Getting into 11th grade in Kulosaari might be more complicated since you will be mid-programme (lukio starts in 10th grade).

You really need to call the schools directly and ask them if they are willing to take you and what their in-take criteria are. The international schools are over-subscribed at the moment due to the imminent arrival of the EU Bio-chemical (or whatever) agency which is bringing 200 or so Europeans and their families into the Helsinki region. I'm not sure you would get priority over those families.

Are you coming as an independent student? Or have you considered going through a student exchange organisation such as EF?

[Lirael]

I haven't looked into exchange programs as I really need to go the cheaper route, and I also want to pick my family as I already have one.

[tigert]

Hello,

My younger brother also would like to apply for these schools (Etelä Tapiola and Kulosaari) from abroad. Could someone please tell me that which school is easier for him to get accepted? (Which school should he put as the first choice)?

[Rosamunda]

Both schools run the same AICE diploma programme and offer the Finnish matriculation exam. The programmes are fairly similar but there are differences in the choice of subjects.

Etelä Tapiola offers AS levels in the following

group A
Maths
Physics
Thinking skills
Environmental mgmt

group B
English Language and Lit

group C
History
Sociology
Business studies
Art and Design

(at least one subject from each group, five in total, plus obligatory Finnish (either mother tongue or foreign lang)

Kulosaari offers both AS and A levels, a combination of both can be used to obtain the AICE diploma

Group A
AS and A Biology
AS Maths
AS Physics
AS and A Psychology

Group B
AS English Language
AS English language and Lit
AS and A French

Group C
AS Geography
AS and A History
AS Art and Design
AS and A Psychology
AS and A Eng lit

All the info is on the school webpages

Also Kulosaari is in Helsinki and Etelä-Tapiola is in Espoo so transportation may be an issue (costs and time, depending where you live). Starting this year the municipalities will start charging each other for student transfers (ie cross-boundary schooling) but I am not sure what impact this will have on families. Hopefully none at all.

The chances of getting into those programmes are the same for both schools, in theory. Both have an entrance exam for all applicants but if you are applying from abroad then I think there is an interview over the phone and or a school report. Are you using the on-line Central Application system?

When I visited Etela Tapiola this year they said they would probably only accept students who put them as first or second choice, whereas Kulosaari did not specify.

By the way, this is almost certainly the last in-take for the Etelä Tapiola AICE diploma (the rehtori said this at the meeting I went to). They are supposed to be switching to IB in the near future. Unfortunately Espoo municipality is not very forthcoming with the info so we have no idea what is happening.

The European School will also open this Autumn. I have no idea which programme they are offering and there are rumours that this school will be reserved for EU employees. Not sure if this is true, sounds pretty outrageous to me if it is.

[tigert]

Thank you so much for your reply, penelope!

As I know, Etelä Tapiola will not have interview on phone, but Kulosaari will.

Are you using the on-line Central Application system?

Is that Joint application system? Etelä Tapiola is not included in that system, but my brother has just chosen it as his first choice and Kulosaari as his second one. So, should he apply through that joint application system?

[Rosamunda]

ALL the high schools in Finland (no exceptions) are included in the Joint Application system including Etelä-Tapiola. However, Etelä Tapiola also has a separate paper form. If you haven't already done so I suggest you contact David Crawford the rehtori of Etelä-Tapiola Upper School david.crawford(at)espoo.opit.fi he will advise whether or not you should use the Joint Application system if applying from abroad. He is very helpful.

Maybe your little brother and my son will be in the same class....

[tigert]

I have tried many times to reach David Crawford on phone since this morning, but there were no answers . My brother did send email to him.

The online joint application form is in Finnish and Swedish, I have no idea how to apply there . Can you please help me?

And will my brother have to take 2 exams as he applies for both schools?

Yeah, I really hope that my brother will be your son's classmate

[Rosamunda]

The deadline for applications is 20th March so.... don't panic

I suggest you try and call David Crawford at 8am FINNISH time. You will catch him just before school starts (08:10) and he is more likely to be available.

When my son gets home from school this evening I will ask him about the Joint Application System. The students make their own applications in school under the supervision of the OPO (student counsellor) so I am not too sure how it works. I have seen a demonstration but I don't remember the details.

In your situation I think the best solution would be to apply by post direct to the schools, but you should contact them first. I think the deadline for applications from abroad is later, but I am not sure so you should check this. You will need to send them a copy of your brother's last school report etc. Are you from the EU? Otherwise you will need to check your visa/residency situation and the insurance issues etc. If you will be your brother's legal guardian in Finland (I'm guessing) then I guess that should be discussed with the school too. Both schools have excellent teachers who speak fluent English so you shouldn't have a problem getting information.

You should also know that while these schools are offering the AICE diploma, the programme also encompasses the Finnish matriculation so students take courses for that too. I would say 90% of students taking the AICE diploma course also sit the Finnish matric. These courses are taught in English but mostly with Finnish books (the exam is available in Finnish or Swedish, but not currently in English, this may change). It is a very heavy programme and students take 3-4 years to complete it. I am not sure if it is possible to take ONLY the AICE courses. The AICE diploma is NOT widely accepted for University entrance (go figure....) which is why the schools recommend the students take the FInnish matric also. On the other hand, if you go to Kulosaari you can take A levels (in Etela Tapiola there are only AS levels) and with 3 of those you can get into Uni fairly easily. Etela Tapiola told me they had an American student arrive in 10th grade with absolute beginner level Finnish and after three years she took the Finnish Matriculation and passed (not with brilliant mentions but she passed)... I think that is a terrific achievement for the student and for the school.

I can also give you a contact for Kulosaari if you need one...

[tigert]

David did reply the email. He said that he strongly recommended to apply through joint application system. And they accept a scanned version of signatures, there fore my brother will send him the application form by email .

We are not from EU. I have been in Finland. But I can't be his guardian since I am 21. David said that the guardian should be over 26.

And I understood that without taking Finnish matriculation exam, there are not much choices to study in universities. So, my brother has to learn Finnish like that girl .

I called also Kulosaari, but couldn't reach the principal to ask about the exam for applicant from abroad.

[Hank W.]

Just remeber this if you're non-EU: Persons under 18 years of age are usually granted residence permits only if they come to Finland as exchange students through approved organisations or as part of an official exchange programme between schools and municipalities. If you are EU then of course this isn't an issue.

[Rosamunda]

Yes, I think Hank is right. We have had other posters on this forum who have wanted to come here to study in High School. If you are from outside the EU it is not possible due to the visa issue. Even if he is offered a place in one of these schools he will not be given a study visa. That only works for Higher and Further education.

These schools are not boarding schools, they do not provide any accomodation. How would he support himself? If your parents are coming over and have residency status then there is no problem. Or go down the exchange route http://www.ef.fi

Anyway, without knowing your full situation it is difficult to give any concrete advice.

And BTW, my 16 yr old has been living here since 2001 and his Finnish is not even close to fluent. He would struggle to get through the Finnish matriculation exam. Which is why he is putting IB as his first choice.

[tigert]

Thank you so much for your info, Hank and penelope. I thought that if he is accepted, it is easy to get the visa.

Our situation is like this: As you knew, we are non-EU. I did come here to study and graduated, now I am working full time. So, I can support him finance. And my friend's father has agreed to be my brother's guardian.

It seems like it's hard to get visa or maybe impossible. Do you have any idea?