LATIN AMERICA

Brazil

• Course Requirements: Students from Brazil need five (5) courses:
• • English
  • Mathematics
  • Social Studies
  • Science
  • Any fifth course (PAL by correspondence or an in-school monitored course is recommended)

• For students staying a full year, four courses in the first semester and four in the second semester is fine
• For students who apply for one semester, they should take 5 courses, if they extend they can take 4 in the following semester
• Half credit courses can be re-validated in Brazil
• Most come for grades 10 or 11
• Very few have graduated in their home country
• If Brazilians fail a course here they will likely have to repeat the course or the full semester in Brazil

Chile/Ecuador

• Very similar to Colombia and Mexico. English and Math will be expected.
• Special requests for courses should be limited but will be noted on the front page of the applications.

Colombia

• Course requirements: If they are here for a full year they require:

• • English
  • Mathematics
  • Full course load
• Come at any grade level from 7 to 12
• High numbers come from junior high, particularly grade 8
• Students under the age of fourteen cannot be registered in grade 10. This is a frequent request from Colombia
• If here for a full year they require the same courses as Mexican students
• Require an emphasis on grammar studies if in junior high

Students graduate after grade eleven in Colombia so they are usually a year younger than our students
at the equivalent grade

• Usually stay for only one semester, particularly at junior high
• Many will come for only three months and, if so, require report cards, not credits

Study Union Medellin – La Ensenanza School

• Course requirements: English, Math, and a full course load
• Students are coming from an all-girls school in Medellin, Colombia
• The head of Language and International Studies comes to visit every year

Mexico

• Course requirements: If they are here for a full year they require:
  •  English
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Social studies
  • Any four other courses
• Come at any grade level from 7 to 12

Mexican students can only take courses at the grade level in which they are registered. For example, if a student is in grade 11, all the courses on the transcript must read grade 11, not grade 10 or 12, or the student will have a problem getting their transcript validated and entering the next grade in Mexico

• Their passing mark is 60%; however, to date, the Embassy is validating courses over 50%. A letter may be requested from the school to verify the passing mark in Nova Scotia
• Approximately 10% of Mexicans have already graduated in Mexico and are coming strictly for the language and cultural experience
• Usually, stay one semester or one full year only Other Considerations

Junior High School students

• All NSISP junior high students should be registered the same as Nova Scotia students
• Will often make requests to take higher-level math and to drop French for additional English support

Transcripts/report cards

• Upon issue, it is imperative that all report cards and transcripts are forwarded to Centre for Education NSISP office
• All transcripts must be signed and sealed by the school. This is with the school chop/seal, not sealed in an envelope
• The signature on the report must be legible. If it is not then it must be printed underneath
• Many transcripts (Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, and Korea) need to be validated at the Consulate. Delay in issuing the transcript can cause a delay in the student’s return to study in their home country
• Students’ full and proper name should appear on the transcript as it is in their passport. If their name is incorrect it can cause delays in re-registering in their home country

April registrations

• A small number of Asian students begin in late March or April (beginning of school year in Asia)
• Register these students in the same grade level they just finished in their home country
• They will begin the next grade in September
• They cannot receive credit from March–June. They are here for language and cultural preparation