FAQs

We enroll day and boarding students, the latter comprising 18% of our student body. Entrance is based on the Turkish national high school entrance exam. Students who enter Robert College score among the top 0.02% on the exam. ​​100% of our students go on to college.

All students must take a full preparatory year of intensive ESL instruction before entering the regular high school program, regardless of prior knowledge of English.  

Robert College strives to provide scholarships to qualified students who find the tuition an insurmountable obstacle. ​Approximately 26% of our students receive financial aid thanks to the support of alumni and friends.

English is the language of instruction in science, mathematics, English literature, physical education, art and music. Turkish is the language of instruction in social sciences and Turkish language and literature courses. All students are required to take a minimum of two years of a second foreign language, either French or German. By graduation, students will have completed a demanding program averaging nine courses per semester, designed to prepare them for success at universities either in Turkey or abroad.

Our faculty, 65% of whom have a master’s degree or higher, have an average of over 20 years of teaching experience. About half are native English speakers.

English: Our students take four years of English (after their preparatory year) with course content similar to that of any academically challenging secondary school in the United States.

Mathematics: At least two years of math are required. Students pursuing the Turkish/Math Diploma must take math in grades 9 and 10 and then one full year math elective or its equivalent. Advanced Math students may go beyond.

Science: Our students are required to take at least one year each of introductory biology, physics and chemistry.

Turkish: Four years of Turkish language and literature are required.

Second Foreign Language: At least two years of French or German are required. Students may choose to continue their foreign language as an elective.

Social Studies: Our students must take one year of each of the following subjects: Introduction to History, Geography, Turkish Republican History, Philosophy and each year a two-hour religion course.

Arts: Each student is required to take at least one arts elective (e.g., photography, studio art, oil painting, drama).

Many courses prepare students in various ways for Advanced Placement (AP) examinations and we encourage those students who plan to study abroad to take the AP tests. Some take the AP designated courses: AP Art, AP Contemporary Art, AP Photography, AP English Literature, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC and AP Computer (Java). AP courses are offered to 11th and 12th grades only. However, many other students study individually for their exams.

Robert College does not report student rank. Each student’s GPA is calculated on the basis of the number of periods each class meets per week. AP courses are not given special weight. To earn honors a student must obtain a weighted average of 70; for high honors a student must obtain 85. The passing grade is 60 for all courses.

In September 2006, a student-centered community service requirement was instituted. Every student is required to develop a project and complete community service projects outside school hours. When the program began, the requirement for graduation was a minimum of 50 hours of service. In 2015 the requirement was changed to 75 hours. However, students enjoy the program so much that many do well over the minimum.

Around 100 clubs are offered to students each year, covering a wide range of categories including arts and performance, personal skills, creativity, culture, academic learning, physical fitness, and service learning. Students in grades 9, 10 and 11 are required to enroll in a minimum of one club every year. To see a sample list of clubs click here.

Out of the 199 graduates of the Class of 2023, 38% have chosen to continue their education in Turkey and 62% have decided to continue their education abroad. Of the students who took the 2023 YKS exam (university entrance exam), 92 were successfully placed into Turkish universities.