MWICPS

Infobox_University
name = M. Wright International College Preparatory School


established = July, 2008
type = Preparatory School
calendar = Semester
director = [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Matthew_wright Matthew N. Wright]
city = Yongin
province = Gyeonggi-do
country = KR
nickname = MWICPS
website= [http://www.mwright.kr/ www.mwright.kr]

M. Wright International College Preparatory School, also known as MWICPS, is an American owned and operated school with U.S. Department of Education approved curriculum built for grades 1-8, and a special regionally and nationally accredited college preparatory curriculum for high school students aspiring to attend universities in the United States. Its main campus is located in Yongin, South Korea. All classes are offered strictly in English.

MWICPS maintains a partnership with an accredited American high school, using an MSS-CSA regionally and nationally accredited high school college preparatory curriculum to grant high school diplomas ^{[#noteFoot02a| [1]} to its' Korean located students upon graduation requirements being met at the Korean campus. The campus located in Korea is registered as a private language academy and college preparatory school ^{[#noteFoot02a| [2]} . Students at MWICPS enjoy more financial and legal freedoms than regular international school students, with impressive college prep transcripts, a real American high school diploma, much shorter enrollment periods, higher college subject comprehensions and the school boasts of its' 99.9% guaranteed college matriculation services. ^{[#noteFoot03a| [3]} .

According to the founder of MWICPS, M. Wright, "The main goal of MWICPS is to provide a successful academic future for its' students regardless of their ages. One method of such for high school students is starting with a full English high school and first year college level curriculum supported with plenty of idealistic teaching methods and activities, and followed by a high school diploma from an American high school, which students may use in lieu of TOEFL, SAT, and other tests upon matriculating to American universities."

The school also boasts of its special services which claim to guarantee entry into 99.9% of the universities in America, noting a 0.01% failure rate is possible even for American citizens. According to the MWICPS website, in case of particular difficulties being present which may hinder a students' ability to attend a particular university, MWICPS will outsource the client to WEG, World Education Group, who has many years of experience in matriculation services. In the event WEG is used instead of the in-house MWICPS matriculation services, an extra service fee will be assessed by the WEG. That fee is not published to date.

History

A pioneering young American male, Matthew N. Wright opened MWICPS in April, 2007, as a private school in Suwon, South Korea.

After many small successes in education and international law, steps were made to make a large academic project in Asia. Plans now exist to bring MWICPS to as many as 30 campuses nationwide by 2011 through franchising. This would streamline the process of international college preparation for all of Asia. The dream of M. Wright is to have at least one MWICPS international campus in each modern Asian country.

MWICPS is managed by M. Wright International, LLC. in Indiana, USA, registered with the state of Indiana as an "Education Services" company.

High School Programs

The most popular of the programs offered by MWICPS is the high school level college preparatory curriculum, which is designed by an MSA-CSS regionally and nationally accredited U.S high school.

View more information [http://www.mwright.kr/en/high.php here] .

Middle School Programs

The middle school curriculum follows the Standards of Learning (SoL) for the State of Virginia Board of Education.

View more information [http://www.mwright.kr/en/middle.php here] .

Elementary School Programs

The elementary school curriculum follows the Standards of Learning (SoL) for the State of Virginia Board of Education.

View more information [http://www.mwright.kr/en/elementary.php here] .

Contrast

There are some major differences between MWICPS and other international schools which may cause MWICPS to be looked at as only a private academy, a term commonly used to refer to small study schools where English instruction is offered.

This confusion is partly due to the registration of the school being listed under 'private institution' and not that of 'international school'. MWICPS is not directly accredited, and cannot yet obtain international school status without special accreditation. Typically accreditation bodies require a school to have been in business for several years before applying for accreditations. To date, it is reported that MWICPS is in the process of achieving said accreditation.

The lack of an accreditation however, does not limit the school from using accredited programs and courses, or utilizing its' affiliations in America to obtain the same services as an accredited school, therefor acting as an international school and advertising as such.

The programs offered although similar in nature to other international schools, do not require a student to have visited, lived or maintain residence in an English speaking foreign country for admission. And since the school's partnering high school is in America, students receive a real American high school diploma directly from America, without any mention of an international school on the diploma or transcripts. This could be deemed especially valuable to a student interested in spotless credentials for university enrollment.

Because of the status of "private institute" and the lacking of "international school" status, studies with MWICPS are never reflected on either passports or immigration records. This allows for MWICPS students to continue attending their national curriculum authorized public or private schools as long as they deem it necessary.

Unlike other schools which merely recommend colleges and universities upon graduation, MWICPS boasts ^{[#noteFoot04a| [4]} its' ability to guarantee students' entry either through its' internal matriculation department, or through outside partners such as the World Education Group ( [http://www.worldeducationgroup.org WEG] )

No TOEFL Policy

Students of MWICPS enjoy one very uncommon benefit among schools in Asia: They never need to take a TOEFL or other English proficiency tests! The strict NO TOEFL policy at MWICPS reflects the idealism of its' owners, and is possible through the strength of the college preparatory curriculum itself.

At time of application to American universities, students must typically supply a TOEFL score in order to proceed with the application. If however, a student has graduated from an American high school (which MWICPS students have), they may bypass the TOEFL requirements as long as the American high school fits certain minimum criterea, specific to that university's policy.

Typically, the national policy on American high school diplomas in lieu of TOEFL or other proficiency test results, requires a high school curriculum to have lasted 4 years. This is often negotiable however, and MWICPS students may in fact spend 4 years studying if in fact that is the term for admission to the university they wish to attend.

Untypical of most high schools, is the college preparatory theme and the impact of the transcript that MWICPS students retain. This powerful transcript allows for even Ivy League acceptance*, making MWICPS a rival to even the highest of Asia's prep schools.

Note that for IVY LEAGUE acceptance, SATs will almost certainly be required even if TOEFL is not.

Military Draft Exclusion

According to draft law for Armed Forces in Korea, the Korean military requires all young men starting at age 19 to fulfill a draft of 2 years into the Korean Military or the Korean National Police Agency. If an individual fails to meet the basic requirements of this automatic draft, which include never graduating from middle school, they will be sent a letter of release from their obligation to the draft for life, leaving them free to visit other countries. At a later date however, without an educational record, entry into college would be nearly impossible.

The owner of MWICPS upon interview was quoted as saying, "a student may resign from studies at Korean national middle schools, achieve their high school diploma through a slower and more focused course with MWICPS, and as upon reaching the age of 19, they will receive recognition from the Korean Military that the student does not meet the criteria necessary for draft, allowing them to leave to a foreign country for academic studies in a university using the diploma acquired from MWICPS. This is only possible with MWICPS and as its' students records are located in America and it is not registered in Korea as an international school, students may regain 2 years of their life back for studies with this approach. I believe that once the Korean government realizes this, they will attempt new laws to block such things from happening. For that reason, we give no guarantees of students not requiring draft once returning to Korea after university. However, it is my personal opinion that as long as MWICPS remains a 'private institute' and not an 'international school', students may use our school free from worry of draft biting them- at least during studies either at MWICPS or in another country."

To date there have been no stories in the news regarding any changes in military draft laws as a direct result of MWICPS.

Requirements

Unlike traditional international schools, no student need hold a foreign passport or even have lived in a different country. MWICPS is an equal opportunity school geared towards the success of ALL students.

Current basic requirements are that students have a strong interest in English, and that they be of the appropriate age for the program they wish to take, citing 14 as the minimum age for the college preparatoy program.

English-Only policy

Similar to other international schools, students in MWICPS are forbidden to speak Korean. If caught by teachers, students are subject to punishments including warnings, after-school detentions, or even suspensions. The association of international schools believe that it is imperative to speak English in an international school, as it is crucial to their mastery of the English language.

Accreditation

As quoted from the [http://www.mwright.kr/campus/accreditations.html school's website] ,

MWICPS programs and curriculum are designed in accordance with the high standards and regulations of the U.S. Department of Education and core curriculum is maintained in the respective American state schools.

MWICPS college preparatory core curriculum is provided in part by a Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools accredited high school in Pennsylvania State. This accreditation means that course credits earned from that core curriculum are generally recognized by other regionally accredited institutions including traditional high schools and colleges in America.

Fully licensed by the State Board of Private Licensed Schools in Pennsylvania, the accredited high school was first established in 1890 and is a fully accredited member of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), Washington, D.C. The DETC is a voluntary association of accredited schools, which was founded in 1926 to promote sound educational standards and ethical business practices within specific study fields, and receiving accreditation reflects having met the integrity and performance set by the Accrediting Commission of the DETC.

Forum

The MWICPS homepage operates an educational interest forum utilized as a resource for articles, news, and submissions to MWICPS's educator and student community.

The Forum exists currently in English only, but non-English speakers are encouraged to join the forum and ask questions in their native language anyway.

External links

* [http://www.mwright.kr Official site]
* [http://www.international-schoolfriends.com/schools-M._Wright_International_College_Preparatory_School_MWICPS-Yongin-South_Korea-10813-show.html International School Listing]

References

1. ^ [http://www.mwright.kr/en/accreditations.php "Accreditations", MWICPS.kr"] 10 June, 2008.
2. ^ Wright, M: Personal Interview, "Interview with the CEO of MWICPS", 20 July, 2008.
3. ^ [http://www.mwright.kr/en/compare.php#comparison "Comparison Chart", MWICPS.kr"] 25 May, 2008.
4. ^ [http://www.mwright.kr/en/accreditations.php "Partners", MWICPS.kr"] 10 June, 2008.