We value you as a person—not just your academic standing. Your personality, creativity and willingness to work to make your dreams come true are important to us.

Bilingualism:

You will study both in English and in Finnish (see the Program of Studies).  Our unique English program with an abundance of courses taught in English helps you to graduate truly bilingual.  The courses taught in Finnish provide you the necessary terminology in Finnish and thus help you to complete the matriculation examinations successfully.  The Finnish courses in different subjects together with Finnish and Finnish Literature (or Finnish as a second language) will give you a solid foundation for your further studies in Finland.

Excellent Finnish as a Second Language Program for Foreign Students

If your official mother tongue is something else than Finnish or Swedish, you have two options. If you have a very good command of the Finnish language, you can participate in the regular Finnish studies.  However, most foreign students choose the separate Finnish as a second language program

International SAT-and AP-examinations

In addition to the national matriculation examination, you can participate in the internationally respected SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Tests) and AP (Advanced Placement) programs, required for admittance to most major universities around the world. With the help of the AP and SAT, our graduates have gone on to universities such as Cambridge, Edinburgh, MIT and the Helsinki School of Economics.  You can also take the PSAT (Pre-SAT), and the feedback you will receive helps you to prepare for the SAT.

Flexibility in Course Requirements

It is possible for you to concentrate on the subjects that are important for your further studies: you may drop compulsory courses in other subjects except in English and in Finnish.

Small Study Groups

In our small classes you receive close instruction and all the guidance you need. No need to fight for your place in the sun with 40 other students vying for attention.  For instance, the instruction in a Physics or Spanish class with 6 – 8 students is certainly intensive.

Pedagogic Continuity

You will have the same teacher in the courses of a given subject. This pedagogic continuity in most subjects helps the teacher to perceive and observe your development, your strengths and challenges. Close relationships between the teachers and the students make it easy to contact the teachers and have useful discussions with them.  Good interaction is of most importance in the studies.

Solid Academic Level

Our teachers are dedicated, and they ensure solid academic level.  As mentioned before, the graduates have progressed well to further studies, and they have successfully met the challenges of their further studies.   In addition to the instruction given by the teachers, our excellent library is an important resource, too.

Good Guidance

The Guidance Counsellor has time to meet each student individually.  Because the number of the high school students is not high, it is easy to form continuum covering the entire period of high school studies in order to carefully follow the studies and development of each student. The guidance counsellor and the group advisors are also easily available in case you need their support or advice.

Arts and Physical Education also valued

The number of our music courses is considerably higher than required in the nationwide curriculum. We offer an additional applied course also in the Visual Arts and Physical Education.  It is possible for you to take the Music Diploma or/and the Visual Arts Diploma, too.

You can influence

You can influence; we are listening. We hope that the student body actively participates in developing the school.