Introduction
Applying to high school varies significantly around the world. In some countries, you have the ability to influence which high school you attend, while in others, you don’t have that luxury. The high school you attend and the opportunities available to you can differ greatly between countries. These factors can impact your college application and the final college you end up attending. In this blog, I will focus on the high school application processes in Poland versus the USA.
Public Schools
Americans reading this blog may wonder why I am discussing the application process for public schools in Poland. In the USA, if you want to attend a public school, it is assigned to you based on where you live. Public schools are organized into school districts, each with geographical boundaries. The specific public school a student attends is typically based on their home address within these boundaries. This system exists because local property taxes primarily fund public schools. Therefore, the area where you live and pay taxes determines your assigned public school. This can lead to significant differences in the quality of schools, with poorer areas often having worse schools than wealthier areas.
In Poland, things are done very differently. Any 8th-grade student can potentially attend any high school in Poland if they meet the entrance requirements. The application system works as follows: a student can achieve a maximum of 200 points for their academic performance from grades 4 through 8. Only academic achievements matter—there are no essays or complicated admission processes. Each high school has a limited number of spaces per class (usually 30), and students with higher points have a better chance of getting in. Students typically apply to a specific major within the high school, such as Math/IT/Physics, Bio/Chem, or Humanities.
How Points Are Awarded
Here’s how the points are distributed:
- Grades: Up to 18 points each for Polish, math, and two other subjects related to the chosen major.
- Competitions: Up to 18 points for accomplishments in competitions, such as olympiads or sports.
- Honors: 7 points for graduating with honors (a GPA of 4.75/6.0 or higher and a behavior grade of at least 5 (Grades in Poland are given on a scale from 1 to 6)).
- Charity: 3 points for charity activities.
- 8th Grade Exams:
- 35 points for the Polish exam.
- 35 points for the math exam.
- 30 points for the second language exam.
Example: My Application
Here’s how my points were calculated:
- 18 points for each subject.
- 11 points for competitions.
- 7 points for graduating with honors.
- 3 points for charity activities.
- 28 points for the math test.
- 33 points for the Polish exam.
- 30 points for the English exam.
Total: 184 points.
Here is a calculator that you can use to calculate how many points you would get: https://waszaedukacja.pl/artykuly/jak-obliczyc-punkty-do-szkoly-sredniej
I applied to a high school in Cracow for a Math/IT/Physics major. The minimum points required to get in was 183.5, so I was accepted and could attend the school. (This is the best high school in Poland; usually, the thresholds required are much lower.)
Private Schools
The application process for private schools is similar in both countries. If a school doesn’t have an entrance exam, you can simply pay the tuition and get in. If there is an entrance exam, you have to pass it to attend the private school.
Summary
The high school application processes in Poland and the USA highlight the differences in educational systems and opportunities. In the USA, public school placement is based on residential location and local property taxes, while in Poland, students have the opportunity to apply to any high school in the country based on academic performance and a point system. Both countries offer private school options with similar application processes. Understanding these systems can provide valuable insights for students and parents navigating high school applications in different countries.