Top 5 A-level schools in Switzerland

Swiss A-levels schools are divided into many types: international, religious, Montessori schools, single-sex or coeducational, day and boarding schools, public and private. The most popular choice among foreign students is private boarding schools, which meet most of the requirements for educational level and comfort of guests' stay.

• Brillantmont International School is a family school offering a warm, caring environment where all students are seen as individuals with unique talents and interests. An individual approach and an enriching extracurricular program contribute to student success.
• Copperfield Verbier School is the only international ski school in the world located in the incredibly picturesque Swiss village of Verbier. Here are teachers from leading universities and international schools who provide students with a world-class academic standard. The staff and administration of the school are confident that happy students are more attentive and actively involved in the educational process and bring more benefits to themselves and society as a whole. The school focuses its resources on well-being and creating a culture where students know their teachers care about them, do their best and accept them for who they are.
• Academia International School Zurich, in turn, is also largely focused on the well-being of students, resulting in their pupils studying in a safe and positive atmosphere. Another important advantage is that dedicated team of highly qualified international teachers teach academic and additional subjects here, most of whom have worked for a long time. Such staff stability and constant commitment to the cause allow employees to truly know each student and help them achieve the best results in all areas. There is access to German-language learning programs that can lead to professional and technical schools in Switzerland in the future. The combination of a rigorous academic program and strict school discipline helps prepare students for life, teachers strive to regularly encourage schoolchildren on their way to creativity, optimism and self-confidence.

Examples of the best Swiss A-level schools:

1. Brillantmont International School,
2. Surval Montreux,
3. Copperfield Verbier,
4. Malvern College Switzerland,
5. Academia International School Zurich,
6. Academia International School.

Tuition and accommodation in private A-level schools in Switzerland varies from 20,000CHF to 90,000CHF per year.

Swiss boarding schools give international students the chance to study A-levels in a multicultural environment, with pretty good access to modern facilities and experienced teachers. Generally the whole program takes about two years and it touches a lot of different areas, like mathematics, sciences, humanities, and languages, depending on what you choose. Overall, these Swiss boarding schools create an intense but also reassuring academic atmosphere that helps you build critical thinking along with creativity.

A lot of classes stay rather small, so each student can get, individual guidance from the teacher without feeling like it’s just one more name on the list. Alongside strong academic results and a mix of extracurricular activities, Swiss boarding schools also try to create a safe and caring setting. In that way, students can gradually work on independence and social skills in a more natural fashion. Also because the student body is basically multinational, you have people coming from all over the world, so you get to meet different cultures, different ways of seeing things, and it usually expands your worldview in a quiet but real sort of manner.

The school year in Switzerland runs for ten months, usually from September until June. The academic term is divided into three trimesters. There are breaks around mid-December to mid-January, and then another holiday stretch in April, often about two weeks.

• One of the main advantages of A-levels is that they allow students to choose a subject qualification. Unlike IB, which contains basic subjects, A-levels do not have compulsory subjects: students can focus on topics they are passionate about and strong in.
• If schoolchildren are already confident in the subject of their diploma work, then A-level helps them adapt their curriculum to the degree they want to obtain, to their future career. For example, if a student wants to become a doctor, they can specialize in natural sciences even before entering university or college.
• Employers recognize and love A-levels due to the fact that the results of these exams are easy to understand and interpret.
• Foreign schoolchildren during their studies on A-level programs can improve their level of English, as all subjects are taught in English.

Most Swiss boarding schools offering A-levels take a holistic approach to application review. In addition to academic achievement, the administration often pays attention to students with open minds who are interested in personal development within an international community.