Choice of School.

Choice of School

In this part I'll only be talking about Bangalore schools because I've lived here for 7 years and know a fair amount regarding the schools in my area. I'll only be discussing schools that I think are suitable for NRI students. These are only some of the most popular schools among NRI's and other students in general. I'm aware that there are many more schools in Bangalore, but these are the schools I know about the most. These are the schools I'll be talking about:

NPS	DPS	Greenwood High
TISB	Inventure	Oakridge

Most of these schools are around the place that I live (Sarjapur - Whitefield area).

There is a factor that I'll be mentioning, which is reputation. Not the reputation that the school gives itself, but the reputation I have heard from other students who have studied there. This will be what the students think about the school and not what the management tries to sell. Therefore these are all just my opinions on the schools.

The fees aren't exact and vary each year, but they can be categorized as cheap, moderate, expensive, exorbitant, etc. So I'll be rating them out of 10.

National Public School (NPS):

Location: There are many NPS schools in Bangalore such as HSR Layout, Rajajinagar, Indranagar, Koramangala, Yelahanka, Agara and more. 

Board: CBSE.

Fees: 2/10 (1 - 1.5 lakhs a year.)

Infrastructure: Not the best, manageable.

Reputation: Academically, probably the best. The students that these schools churn out are usually smart and this is usually because, to get in, you need to be smart. Especially in Bangalore, there are many people from NPS who do very well in entrance exams like JEE. So if you're willing to devote most of your effort into studies then NPS is a good place. It isn't extremely popular like other schools for NRI's, but it does have moderate fees. However, since most of the time is dedicated to studies, all-round development and extracurricular activities are given less importance. Nonetheless, if you're aiming for a top college in engineering or medical, NPS can be a big help. Since it a CBSE school and it isn't too popular among NRI kids, I wouldn't recommend it to be your first choice, but definitely consider it.

Rating: 6/10.

Dehli Public School (DPS):

Location: East(Sulikunte), South(Konanakunte), North(Santhur).

Board: CBSE.

Fees: 3/10 (1 - 2 lakhs a year.)

Infrastructure: Good, but looks worse because of overcrowding.

Reputation: Not really a school that I would recommend for an NRI. It is true that the number of students is large and I've heard that the management and teachers aren't the best. Academically also it isn't the best and I've seen the difference between students from NPS and DPS in terms of studies. Extracurricular activities are promoted more than NPS, but getting selected for school teams is a hassle because of the number of people. Some DPS schools may be better than others but I still wouldn't recommend it for NRI students. 

Rating: 3/10.

Greenwood High: 

Location: Varthur, Bannerghatta.

Board: ICSE, ISC, International.

Fees: 8/10 (3.5 - 4.5 lakhs (and increasing), around 7-8 lakhs for International curriculum)

Infrastructure: Pretty good, well maintained. Better at International campus.

Reputation: I've been at this school for 7 years and it's had ups and downs. Academically very strong, and produces a good result in ICSE every year. ISC started 2 years ago and has produced decent results and shows potential of becoming one of the best. International as well, has had students go to some of the best Universities abroad like MIT, Imperial,  Brown, UC Berkeley and more. Extracurricular activities are also given importance here, but the management could be a little better. Teachers are pretty good, and the Principal is one of the best. This school is a second home to many many NRI's and so it's a popular choice. The school has been growing really fast and there is a little overcrowding, especially in lower grades. The major downside is the fees. There have been drastic hikes in the fees that show no sign of slowing down. It was affordable earlier, became worse up till now, and may be exorbitant in the future. If you can afford it, then it is a very good choice, but in the future, it may not be. But definitely a great option for NRI's that you should consider.

Rating: 8/10.

The International School Bangalore (TISB):

Location: Varthur. (affiliate of NPS).

Board: International.

Fees: 10/10. (probably highest fees in Bangalore).

Infrastructure: The most common thing heard about TISB is that their campus is huge and the best. 

Reputation: Some say that it's the best school in Bangalore, and ignoring the fees, it probably is. The standard set by them academically is very high, with many students reaching top colleges every year. The teachers and management are better than most schools. Extracurricular activities and sports are really good and the school is reputed for it. It is a great school if you can afford it. This is because most people think they have ridiculously high fees.  But if you prepare properly and work hard, you can make most of the money that you spend. However, this school is a prep school for colleges abroad, and isn't the most suitable option for students aiming for Indian colleges like IIT's, BITS or NIT's. If you are focused on an American or British college, and you can afford the fees, then TISB is the best option. If the fees seem to high for you, then try Greenwood, Inventure or Indus, but those are also quite expensive. 

Rating: 7.5/10. [9/10 for those who can afford it easily]

Inventure:

Location: Varthur. 

Board: ICSE, ISC, IGCSE, A/AS Level

Fees: 9/10. [IGCSE and A/AS level are more expensive than ISC and ICSE]

Infrastructure: In a range between that of Greenwood and TISB.

Reputation: The most common positive things I've heard is that the campus is great, the faculty is decent, extracurricular activities are supported. The negative things I've heard are that the students lack discipline, and the management is more interested in marketing than actual education. Although their results are decent, they aren't as good as those of Greenwood in ICSE and ISC, and TISB in IGCSE. It seems like a good place for NRI students, but academically isn't very strong.

Rating: 7/10. 

Oakridge:

Location: Varthur.

Board: IB

Infrastructure: Supposedly very good, with AC's in classes, etc.

Reputation: This is a fairly new school in Bangalore, but it much more reputed for its branches in Hyderabad. I've heard there are a fair amount of NRI's here, but the overall number of students is low in Bangalore, and it isn't very popular. I couldn't find out how much the fees currently are in Bangalore, but it's probably on the higher side. Its results academically haven't been the best, but since it's new, it may pick up. If you are considering Oakridge,  I think that going for Greenwood or Inventure would be a better option.

Rating: 5.5/10.

These 6 schools have met with 2 criteria, that is, 

• They are popular among NRI's.
• They are close to the Sarjapur-Whitefield.

There are obviously more options than I mentioned such as Primus, Cambridge, Ebenezer, and Indus. 
There are other options like Narayana and Chaitanya schools. But according to me, these are the worst possible choices for NRI's. In America, there was leisure studying, while in these schools, if you aren't a bright student, ready to take on at least 10 hours of studying a day, with school on Saturday and half of Sunday, then the pressure will crush. I've seen some of my friends go to these schools, survive for only 2 weeks and scurry back to Greenwood. 
There is one more option that is worth discussing. In 11th and 12th, coaching centers like Allen and Aakash Institutes have Integrated programs where the students spend a lot more time studying for entrance exams like JEE and NEET. These courses have good results and I would recommend it for people who are serious about JEE and NEET and who actually have a chance. Since a lot of time is spent in the coaching center rather than school, importance is given to entrance exams rather than Board Exams, which is a good thing, because Entrance exams are more important than Boards. I would have definitely considered this option, but I only got most of the details about it after 11th Grade, and so it was to late. So definitely gather info about these courses if you are seriously preparing for JEE or NEET.

To be honest, for schooling from primary years to around 7th or 8th Grade, the results you get academically don't really make a difference. So I think for these years, a student who has just shifted from the US, should be put in a school that he or she is most comfortable with, rather than a school that will put pressure academically. Once you get to 9th or 10th Grade, then the studying becomes more serious. Then in 11th and 12th Grade, where your marks decide your future college, the studying needs to be intense. For these years, the student should be put in a school that will cater to his/her academic needs. For example, if you want heavy focus on entrance exams like JEE, then a school like NPS may benefit you. If you want heavy focus on colleges abroad, Greenwood (IB) or TISB may benefit you. If you want to stay in an Indian college, as well as write SAT's, which is what I did, then Greenwood (ISC) may help you the most. So, in all, after considering all the factors, the choice is yours.