RDF International School Profile
RDF International School (RDFIS) is located in Dapeng New District in the city of Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, in Southern China. A private boarding school, RDFIS offers both 5-day and 7-day boarding programs. The campus is newly renovated, with smart-boards in all classrooms, and state-of-the-art computer and science labs. Instruction is English-only and follows an American (United States of America) curriculum.
School Overview
RDFIS is a comprehensive six-year private middle and high school enrolling approximately 430 students in grades 7–12. The school opened in the Fall of 2015 and will graduate its fifth senior class in June of 2023.
Partnerships
RDFIS cooperates with Washington Academy in East Machias, Maine , United States of America. After passing an entrance exam, which includes an interview, students who choose to enroll at RDFIS are simultaneously enrolled at Washington Academy. Upon successfully completing RDFIS’ graduation requirements, students also complete the requirements for high school graduation in Maine, and receive a U.S.A. diploma.
Accreditation
RDFIS is accredited by Cognia under the name Shenzhen RDF Foreign Language School (see link: http://www.advanc-ed.org/oasis2/u/par/accreditation/summary?institutionId=62921). Cognia is a worldwide association of major accreditation bodies, including from the United States, such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC), and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA).
One of the most significant benefits of accreditation is schoolwide engagement in a recurring “continuous improvement journey,” by which the school reflects on its best practices and areas needing improvement, and then harnesses broad participation of the school community in the examination of strengths and weaknesses. The continuous improvement journey is an important vehicle for ongoing self-improvement and is one assurance that RDF International School is advancing through a reflective, mission-driven process and is continually assessing itself on robust standards for success. The continuous improvement journey results in many practical improvements and demonstrates the school’s commitment to advance constantly.
Academic Program
The academic program is organized on a seven-period schedule. Students typically take 7.0 credits of classes per year, with some courses encompassing a full year (1.0 credit) and others encompassing a semester (0.5 credit). The weekly schedule includes seven 50-minute classes daily, Monday through Thursday, and seven 45-minute classes on Friday. All classes meet five times per week. From August 2017–June 2020, grades were recorded on transcripts four times per academic year (once per quarter). Beginning in August 2020, grades are recorded on transcripts two times per academic year (once per semester).
Advanced Placement (AP®) Courses
These 22 AP® courses are or have been offered: AP 2-D Art and Design, AP 3-D Art and Design, AP Art History, AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Chemistry, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Computer Science A, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics, AP Music Theory, AP Physics 1: Algebra-based, AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based, AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, AP Physics C: Mechanics, AP Psychology, AP Statistics, AP United States History, and AP Human Geography.
Historically, about 80% of RDF students score “3” or higher on their AP exams, thus earning college credit at many colleges and universities while still in high school.
Grading System
Grade Point Average (GPA) Calculation
GPA is computed using the above scale. Beginning with grade nine, all subjects, whether passed or failed, are included in the computation. AP classes are weighted by one additional point. We don’t report class rank.
Academic Graduation Requirements
A minimum of 25 credits is required for graduation, including 4 credits of English, 3 credits of Mathematics, 3 credits of Natural Sciences, 4 credits of Social Studies, 2 credits of Physical Education and Health, 1 credit of Arts, 1 credit of World Languages, 1 credit of Life Skills, 1 credit of Computer Science & Technology, and 5 credits of Elective Courses.
Community Service Graduation Requirement
In addition to academic graduation requirements, each RDFIS student must complete 20 hours of community service each year of enrollment in order to qualify for graduation.
Extracurricular Offerings
Comprehensive and extensive extracurricular programs are offered in athletics, performing arts, visual arts, student-led organizations, and various competitions (regional, national and international). Among the competitions in which RDFIS students have participated include FIRST Robotics Competition, United States Academic Decathlon (USAD), United States Academic Pentathlon (USAP), Model United Nations, American Mathematics Competition, National Economics Challenge, High School Mathematical Contest in Modeling, Mathematics and Computing Contests of The Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (University of Waterloo), and the Educational Theatre National Young Thespian Festival.
Graduates of RDFIS
There were 42 graduates in the class of 2019.
There were 45 graduates in the class of 2020.
There were 56 graduates in the class of 2021.
There were 75 graduates in the class of 2022.
There are currently 86 senior students in the class of 2023.
Standardized Test Results
RDFIS became an authorized ACT test center in July 2021. ACT exams are being taken by junior and senior students. Aggregate score data will be available in coming months.
Colleges Admission offers for RDFIS Graduates
RDFIS students have received admission offers from the following colleges and universities:
United States of America
Academy of Art University
Adelphi University
American University
Arizona State University
Art Center College of Design
Auburn University
Berklee College of Music
Boston College
Boston University
Brigham Young University
California College of the Arts
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State University, Long Beach
Case Western Reserve University
Clark University
College for Creative Studies
College of the Canyons
Columbia College Chicago
Columbus College of Art & Design
DePauw University
Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM)
Ferris State University
Fordham University
Franklin & Marshall College
George Washington University
Hofstra University
Iowa State University
Kent State University
Lehigh University
LIM College
Maryland Institute of the Arts
Miami University, Oxford
Michigan State University
New York University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Oberlin College
Ohio University
Oregon State University
Otis College of Art and Design
Parsons School of Design at The New School
Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University, Altoona
Pennsylvania State University, University Park
Pepperdine University
Pratt Institute
Purdue University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Richard Bland College of William & Mary
Ringling School of Art and Design
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Saint Louis University
Savannah College of Art and Design
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
School of Visual Arts
Southern California Institute of Architecture
Suffolk University
Syracuse University
The Ohio State University
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
The University of Arizona
The University of Iowa
Truman State University
Tulane University
University at Albany, State University of New York
University at Binghamton, State University of New York
University at Buffalo, State University of New York
University of Oswego, State University of New York
University of Stony Brook, State University of New York
University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Merced
University of California, Riverside
University of California, San Diego
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Connecticut
University of Florida
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
University of Massachusetts, Boston
University of Massachusetts, Lowell
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of North Dakota
University of Oregon
University of Pittsburgh
University of Richmond
University of South Florida
University of Virginia
University of Washington, Seattle
University of Wisconsin, Madison
University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh
Utah State University
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest University
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Woodbury University
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Canada
Brock University
Carleton University
Mount Royal University
McMaster University
Simon Fraser University
St. Thomas University
The University of British Columbia
University of Alberta
University of Manitoba
University of Saskatchewan
University of Toronto
University of Victoria
University of Windsor
Western University
Wilfrid Laurier University
York University
United Kingdom
Coventry University London Campus
Durham University
King's College London
Lancaster University
Newcastle University
The University of Edinburgh
The University of Leeds
The University of London Royal Holloway
The University of Manchester
The University of Sheffield
University of Aberdeen
University of Birmingham
University of East Anglia
University of Glasgow
University of Liverpool
University of Southampton
University of Sussex
University of the Arts London - Central Saint Martins
Australia
Monash University
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
The Australian National University
The University of Melbourne
The University of New South Wales
The University of Queensland
The University of Sydney
The University of Western Australia
Hong Kong S.A.R. China
Chinese University of Hong Kong
City University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong Baptist University
Lingnan University
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
The Open University of Hong Kong
Macau S.A.R. China
Macau University of Science and Technology
Other Countries
Tokyo World Japanese Language School (Japan)
Yiea Tokyo Academy (Japan)
University of Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Utrecht University (Netherlands)
