Top Schools

canteen31

I don't really think Top Schools needs 打手in this forum. Most parents that researches in EK should be able to get most info they wanted. If not, paying someone to find the info seems logical.

Saboc

Why not if I were rich and busy.  
Even I were not busy and not good in research, I could still purchase her service . Fair deal

lameloiseFR

I had an account called Lamelosie but I could never used it to post comment. Lots of members in this forum got similar issues before and I therefore had to create a new account to post comment.  As I used a UK phone number to register the old account, I could not reactivate it as I no longer have my UK number. Never mind, if you guys have already drawn the conclusion that I am here to give a fair comment as I am part of Top School team I am speechless. I am sharing as how I see them as a parent who used the service.

On the comment that learning a lot. of course, filling application is one way but not the only way. Going to school tours like I said, discussing our questions (and raising relevant questions) with consultants who are professional and really familiar with the education system is also another way.

Like any company CEO, I am sure they know decent amount of how the company is to make a conclusion but I doubt that they have to do every single details.

I just think that there are some accusations there to say they take money for placement isn't quite right and hence I made a comment. I have always been a silent member with this group with my other account.  The Head Girl (who herself is also a mom) set up the business to bridge a gap needed in HK (may not be for everyone). If it is not for you, it is fine but I just don't find it fair to accuse them for something or make mean comments re their services or to those who have need for that. Every business is set up for a reason.

nintendo

chifam 發表於 16-8-23 13:48
Thanks all for the advice. Agree that's save time for searching thru Internet. I am not sure if they ...

Connections in what sense?
At my daughter's high school, a couple of teachers have really good connection with cambridge and oxford, and also NYU, Harvard, etc. They know a couple of admission people of these universities. In fact, it is quite common for international school university placement team to know university admission officers from well know universities. Because each year, they tour around asia.
Such connections may seem important but to be honest, this probably only means knowing the person, understanding the application procedures. etc. It does not mean Harvard would "give face" to the teachers at my daughter's school, and accept a student that does not meet admission requirement.
Well. "Connection" is an interesting word some people like to use.

pinkmania

我join 過 bronze plan, $8800.

我覺得佢地嘅advice 好superficial, 係一啲好容易喺internet 揾到嘅info.
有個staff (唔係ruth 本人) 同我傾一個鐘, 問下你覺得bilingual 重唔重要, location prefer 邊度. 跟住就出個school search report, list 晒差唔多所有IS, 比埋apply 嘅time frame, 學費/debenture等等.
再之後就安排下 school tour.
感覺上係會偏向sell 某幾間 (尤其新/就開嗰啲), 老牌嘅反而少. 當然只係我嘅感覺.
基本上無深入解釋每間嘅優劣, 有時問得specific 啲都不太答到.
呢個價錢係唔包填表的.

nintendo

I personally do not think it is a great matter whether there are 打手.
To be honest, I am not surprised if there is 打手.  But we are all adults.  We have our own judgements.  If a parent can be that easily influenced by a 打手, what else can we say. Good luck to her.

I think agents of this kind is merely providing services to parents. You give all personal and background details to them, they help you fill out the application forms etc. Just like a typical agent helping parents find a school overseas and getting the student visa done. So fair deal. They do work for you, you pay. Note that I do not think they can make it easier to get into certain international schools. You still need to go through the normal admission exams (especially for secondary schools).

If anyone tell you, you pay them, and they will make it easier to get a place, you might as well call ICAC at the same time.

pinkmania

對於唔熟識香港/唔識中文/太忙嘅家庭,都有佢嘅作用嘅.

nintendo

pinkmania 發表於 16-8-25 12:21
感覺上係會偏向sell 某幾間 (尤其新/就開嗰啲), 老牌嘅反而少

That is actually quite what I expected.
Well established international schools already have like hundreds of applicants on their waiting list. So your chance to get a place is very slim.
They thus mainly suggest less popular or newer schools as these schools probably are not in full capacity and you probably have no problem getting an offer of place.
The of course want 100% success rate so of course they would suggest less popular schools.

Sounds like I can start my own business as an agent too.
I will not charge $8800. I will charge only half.:)


"呢個價錢係唔包填表的"


So you paid $8800 for a list of schools?
Wow.

dbchu

如果我講明唔要新校，咁佢short list左嘅老牌學校係包入到？入唔到佢幫到手？如果幫唔到嘅，佢只係一個簡化版嘅 search 功能？

nintendo

"4) if not with Ruth's advice, my little one won't be at a playgroup and likely to be his kindergarten and pre nursery that fits so well for him."


Hey, wait.
We are talking about paying $8800 for playgroup admission?
I thought I was expecting something like HKIS or CIS, or at least ISF ICS.

964000

原帖由 jolalee 於 16-08-25 發表
回覆 bforbtec 的帖子

咁客觀少少，lameloiseFR 又唔似係打手，都係 end user 嗜。樓主問有關Top School  ...

Hi dear, nice to see you responding here. I think your advice is always better than some of the consultants and is free too

lameloiseFR

回覆 nintendo 的帖子

Haha yeah I probably didn't explain well.
You paid $8,800 for a school report. Their service is on their website, take a look.

I am not sure how other clients communicate with Top School. I had three amazing meetings with Ruth. It cleared a lot of our questions. The shortlisted school is for primary application. There are old schools on it. The list is based on what our criteria are.

The report does help in a way that filters and validates our own shortlist.  Now we are working towards how we could position ourselves to be accepted by those schools. Again, top school is not paid for helping clients to get a placement. Sorry and I am not paying someone to do that neither.

The playgroup is just an additional advice that we got. We were with another playgroup but didn't feel my boy enjoyed it much even lots of parents do praise about that here and there. We therefore discussed with Ruth on whether there were any other options that we could consider. She proposed a few. We took our little one to two of them and we were and still are happy with one of them.  There are so many playgroups and I am not interested to take my boy to try out all the playgroups in town.

P.S. On your comment to start an agency, yeah, why not? This is a free market after all. All the best. Cheers.

nintendo

Great. You have already made your point. Happy for you.

紅紅

各取所需啫。

對有d人來講時間就係金錢，睇少眼都上落億億聲，咁比幾萬蚊揾agent完全合理吖！

我自己都好怕填form，如果我大把錢都可能會比錢人賺呢！可惜我冇，唯有自己搞咋！

Jane1983

其實錢多，跌左都費事執，咁真係無所謂，反正一定無害。但你話值唔值得，我唔會使呢d錢。

始終由零開始去了解，一步步篩選心儀學校，係一個必須的過程，家長需要呢個心路歷程，去為自己寶貝揀一間最適合佢的學校。

happy.rita

原帖由 Jane1983 於 16-08-25 發表
其實錢多，跌左都費事執，咁真係無所謂，反正一定無害。但你話值唔值得，我唔會使呢d錢。

始終由零開始去 ...

都唔係「反正一定無害」。識得有個外藉媽媽，被推介了前港姐冠軍開的幼稚園，我聽到時都覺得好奇怪，我話呢間本來目標是收雙非的，所以本地媽媽沒有好感，咁啱之後cut咗雙非，攪到兩頭唔到岸，收生不足，所以無乜人討論幼稚園的內裏情況。跟住，個媽媽都有點反感，慶幸當時佢仲未報名。

sunflower_mama

Love this forum, i can find anything here. I agree with some of the above. I spent almost 6 months researching for best mandarin schools for my child, along with where he will be happy as a shy kids. I originally applied for about 15 schools super expensive application fee, in the end i am so tired of it, I just asked Ruth for a report, her research result is really good. I would say my research result after 6 months is similar to what she had, the thing is i wasn't too sure about my decision. She then connected me to parents from the few schools I was applying, then I realized that my boy would never be happy, some parents are so aggressive, and my boy will be bullied etc. For anyone who is looking at hiring Ruth, I would recommend Ruth for three reasons:
1. it saved me time as it is expert opinion right away rather than me keep researching - super tired of it, and the more tired, the more overwhelming it gets ugh!
2. it saved me money as i stopped applying for more schools, some of these application fees are too crazy, and they re not regulated by EDB, I felt like it is too many parents applying for them that's why they kept on raising it, so unfair.
3. She personalizes requests, and she knows so many parents and she can connect you to any parents at any school. At the end of the day, whatever the school says doesn't matter, it comes down to the student and parent community culture. You can go to the top academic school, but the culture may not be suitable for your child, and also your child's personality may not be suitable for that school. I know my older boy is only suitable for a few schools, verse my younger boy who is more outgoing maybe more suitable for different schools.
All in all, if you will spend lots of time, and lots of money to apply, think about a trusted agency isn't a bad idea. You can always book a few hours with her, which is what i did, so it is less money and try out her expertise.

pinkmania

yes, that's the school recommended to me also

宮二

我諗法是，揾唔揾consultants, 就如去旅行一樣，總有些人一定要參加package tour, 行程玩食住都要有專人安排妥當；
另也有人鐘意自由行，永遠不會參加package tour，行程撞板當體驗，也可能更花時間金錢，但總算全是自由自主地選擇適合自己的

hkparent

原帖由 宮二 於 16-08-27 發表
我諗法是，揾唔揾consultants, 就如去旅行一樣，總有些人一定要參加package tour, 行程玩食住都要有專人安 ...

The 民房 members here are from Top School. Hard selling? If I am a principal of an international school, I will interview parents and see how they understand the school. If parents rely on such "consultants", the principal will know. If the child is still admitted, you can see the general quality of the families in the school and you can judge whether it's the kind of international school you like.