If a kid has a genius-level intelligence (not just IQ, but in a whole battery of tests), and he or…read moreshe might get bored in the typical school setup, Philippine Science High School may be their best bet at developing and making the most of their gifts. PROS: They provide allowances and student housing for their scholars (and by scholars, we mean all their students); Philippine Science High School - a government school - is under the Department of Science and Technology, instead of the others that's under the Department of Education. So expect that they have a more STEMS-concentrated curriculum, and that they don't have to conform to DepEd mandates. I hope this means immunity from bureaucratic policies most public schools are subjected to. CONS: Competition here is fierce, like legendarily. Heard of that news where a student poured mercury nitrate in another one's water jug, and the kid who drank from it had kidney failure? It was this school. Rumor has it that it was because of a scholarship that both the victim and the alleged suspect were vying for; Science high schools are generally difficult to enter as a student, but this is the motherlode. These are Mensa kids were talking about; Many are wary that the school is located along the Agham community, which is pretty notorious for high crime rates and riots. TL;DR: This is the country's literal school for the gifted (X-Men?). Philippine Science High School houses the best and brightest.

Growing up, Philippine Science High School was always synonymous to intelligent, genius, smart,…read morematalino and all the other adjectives we use to describe people who have very high grades. Back then, any new transfer from this school would always get snickers from my classmates, all thinking that the student must be a nerd and is worth copying from. While all this may sound like adolescent stupidity, it is true that students from this school are more advanced than others. Competition here is highly fierce and neither money nor stature will keep you there along with the best and the brightest students in the country. It's like a school dedicated for MENSA candidates and if your gene pool did not go in favor of high IQ points then it's best to go somewhere else. There's an IQ prerequisite involved here and it's not that easy.

More than half of my life was spent in this school--kindergarten, grade school, and high school…read more While I pretty much dropped the whole Catholic institution as soon as I graduated, I look back on the rest of my education with gratefulness, sentimentality, and affection. What distinguishes St. Paul from other schools is its determination to bring up well-rounded girls. Yes, the importance of academics is highlighted, but in all my years there, our teachers and headmistresses never failed to remind us that art and culture are important too. Off-campus broadway shows and other cultural immersions were the norm, and in retrospect we were so fortunate to have been exposed to those things growing up. Music appreciation is also incredibly prevalent in the school. While other schools have one alma mater song, we had AT LEAST five. That's not including Marian songs we'd sing all throughout the month of October. Often, the morning rites included a religious song taught to us by experienced music teachers who had so much passion for teaching their chosen subject. Having been part of the choir for three years in high school, I had the pleasure of being under the tutelage of conductress Mrs, Sheila Fetalvero. Fondly called Mommy B, she was the mother hen to the MAC (Music Appreciaton Club) Choir. The club is called differently now, but in many choral and glee club circles, it's so prominent that it's still referred to as MAC to this day. St. Paul may not agree with all my religious beliefs, but it was an excellent place to grow up. I would be happy to send my own children there.

I am a pre-school, grade school, and high school graduate of this school and I've seen it grow and…read morechange over the years the same time as I have. This school boasts for a lot of things, it has great facilities, great programs both academic and extra-curricular, and has an advanced curriculum compared to other schools. It's also internationally accredited by WASC or the Western Accreditation for Schools and Colleges and has continuously received only the top honors from PAASCU. Everything about this place claims excellence but from experience I've seen it's mostly just talk. The facilities here are great and the extra curricular program is top notch but it's the academic offerings that have caused trouble now that I'm in college. Frankly the whole "advanced" curriculum did nothing to help my friends and I in college, it did nothing to boost the number of passers into different colleges and did nothing to help us get higher grades either. The advancement certainly did not deliver the results we were all expecting. But aside from that the teachers and staff at this school are great and really good at what they do.

We all dream of studying at Hogwarts, but do you know there are some of us who get lucky? Every…read moreyear, the Philippine High School for the Arts, the so-called "Hogwarts of the Philippines", opens its doors to around 40 students who are gifted in the arts (that's like saying "imbued with magical powers", right?) Those who are chosen via the school's Annual Nationwide Search for Young Arts Scholars will get to study in a boarding school up Mount Makiling (home of the goddess Maria, yes) on a full government scholarship! Students there take up a double curricula that combines regular high school subjects like English, Math, Filipino, and Science; with advanced training in their art field of choice: dance (folk dance and ballet), theater arts, music (voice and instrument), visual arts, and creative writing. But much like the students of Hogwarts, it's not all work for the school's scholars. They get to have fun, too! (I should know. My sister and I both graduated from there.) The nationwide search usually begins in September and end in December. Head to the school's website for more information.

Since my day job revolves around different kids and how to teach them, my training involved a lot…read moreof field work and observations in different schools. So when I say a school is good, I know what I'm talking about. Miriam College Child Study Center (CSC) is one of the better kindergartens I've had the good opportunity to work with for a short while. PROS: CSC offers good foundational skills for children ages 3-6 years old. No matter the capabilities of the child, they inclusively work around his or her strengths to maximize his or her potential; They have facilities so awesome they can make grownups feel like they missed out on their childhood for not spending their kinder years here. A Samsung tab for each student of the class? At least three major playgrounds? A room solely for pretend play? Water play? Sand play? Healthy cafeteria food? Materials-rich classrooms? Big open green spaces to run? And more! They have everything I could think of! CONS: If you plan to enroll a kid here, get ready to shell out at least P100,000.00 a year. That's more than five times my college tuition; For such an expensive education, you'd expect it to be more intimate or focused, but the big 30 or so class size is a bit of a let-down for me. TL;DR: Miriam College Child Study Center provides one of the best kindergarten education money could buy.

We had a terrible experience. In my personal opinion this school is not a good choice for…read moreinternational students. I believe they prefer to only have students who speak Tagalog based off our experience because they were rushing our daughter to speak Tagalog fluently in only 1 year. Some students here take years and years to speak English fluently. It is unfair. I think it is better to send your child to an international school than here if they are not from the Philippines because you might be treated like a burden here. Also there are teachers we encountered here who seem to have favorite students based upon certain scenarios we encountered while going here. It is also really hectic and difficult getting in and out of this school in the morning due to piling up of trikes whom many have bad manners and would try to go in front and ditch you in line so you end up waiting for what feels like forever... nice way to start your morning. We really did not like our experience here.

Ah, Southville. Thine Alma Mater. How can I forget the pains of wearing a skirt made of Skittles…read morewhen going to Town? Or your funny little boys dressed to look like eggplants everyday of the week? I remember your little implementation of English Only Policy. We were never inclined to always speak in English. We know how of course, quite well too. We just didn't think it necessary to have to speak it ALL the time. It seemed weird. These days, I find myself wanting to smack kids upside the head for trying to speak too much English. Their tinny, high, nasal exclamations full of Gods and Yaaaas don't help either. I control my demeanor and appease my inner grammar Nazi with calm words to keep from commiting genocide. *Impure! Impure!*