MWICPS

M. Wright International College Preparatory School, also known as MWICPS, is an American owned and operated school with U.S. Department of Education approved curriculum built for all grades. It is also registered with the South Korea Ministry of Education as a Private English Institute. MWICPS provides a special regionally and nationally accredited college preparatory curriculum for high school students aspiring to attend universities in the United States. All classes are offered strictly in English.
The main Yongin campus is located at 1177-1 Jinseong Plaza in Juk-jeon, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do South Korea.
MWICPS maintains academic partnerships with several accredited American schools, including an NCA accredited middle school and an MSA-CSS regionally and nationally accredited high school. With these partnerships, MWICPS is able to provide middle and high school diploma granting courses to its Korean students upon graduation requirements being met. The campus located in Korea is registered as a private language academy and advertises itself as a college preparatory school.
Students at MWICPS are not subject to the same financial and legal restrictions that typical international school students receive. The school maintains a publicly available list of all American accredited colleges and universities, each with tags marking whether MWICPS students are accepted into the institution without the need for TOEFL, SATs, or other standardized tests.
History
MWICPS was created by Matthew N. Wright, originally opened in April, 2007, as a private school in Yongin, South Korea, moved to a new location in December 2008, and then finally registered and in operation as of January 2009.
High School Programs
MWICPS provides a high school level college preparatory curriculum, which is designed by an MSA-CSS regionally and nationally accredited U.S high school.<ref name="list" />
Although the standard 21 subjects apply (17+5 electives) for the high school program, students needn't have lived in nor hold a passport from a country whose native language is English in order to attend this program.
Middle School Programs
MWICPS provides a middle school curriculum designed by an NCA regionally and nationally accredited U.S. middle school.<ref name="list" />
Students needn't have lived in nor hold a passport from a country whose native language is English in order to attend this program.
Kindergarten and elementary school programs
The kindergarten and elementary school curricula used at MWICPS are selected from the U.S. Indianapolis Public Schools and follow the Standards of Learning (SoL) for the State of Indiana Board of Education.<ref name="list" />
Students needn't have lived in nor hold a passport from a country whose native language is English in order to attend these programs.
Contrast
As a traditional international school registration in South Korea would restrict student body to a variable maximum and require high levels of government administration and even part ownership, MWICPS is registered with the South Korean Ministry of Education.<ref name="list" />
MWICPS is currently seeking accreditation from the MSA-CSS, but per MSA-CSS accreditation guidelines, the school must be running for 2 years before accreditation can be possible.
Any and all diplomas received through diploma studies at MWICPS (middle and high school programs), are granted by regionally and nationally accredited American institutions.
No TOEFL Policy
As the nationally policy for TOEFL score requirements is typically waived for international students who attended anywhere from 2-4 years in an American high school whose classes were conducted completely in English, MWICPS graduates matriculate to universities without taking the TOEFL, and most often without taking SAT's (depends on institution).
An active database of accredited American colleges and universities can be searched<ref name="list" /> on the school website, showing any schools that have opted out of a TOEFL waiver agreement with MWICPS.
Possibility for Military Conscription Exclusion
The Korean military requires all young men starting at age 19 to fulfill a draft of 2 years into the Korean Military or the Korean National Police Agency. If an individual fails to meet the basic requirements of this conscription, which include never graduating from middle school, they will be sent a letter of release from their obligation to the draft for life, leaving them free to visit other countries. At a later date however, without an educational record, entry into college would be nearly impossible.
As a minimum requirement for conscription is having attended Korean (or foreign) middle school, it is possible to be opted out by simply residing in Korea without attending school.
Due to the registration of MWICPS and the way in which a diploma is granted, elementary students who attend MWICPS through high school have the possibility of being opted out of the military conscription service. If a diploma has been earned through the nationally accredited MWICPS program, they will still be eligible for admission to foreign universities regardless of their Korean academic standing.
Requirements
Unlike traditional international schools, no student need hold a foreign passport or even have lived in a country whose native language is English. MWICPS is an equal opportunity school geared towards the success of each student individually.
Current basic requirements are that students have a strong interest in English, and that they be of the appropriate age for the program they wish to take, citing 14 as the minimum age for the college preparatoy program.
English-Only policy
Similar to other international schools, students in MWICPS are forbidden to speak Korean. If caught by teachers, students are subject to punishments including warnings, after-school detentions, or even suspensions. The International Schools Association (ISA) believes that it is imperative to speak English in an international school, as it is crucial to their mastery of the English language.
Accreditation
As quoted from the school's website,

MWICPS programs and curriculum are designed in accordance with the high standards and regulations of the U.S. Department of Education and core curriculum is maintained in the respective American state schools.
MWICPS elementary school curriculum is designed by and borrowed from the Indianapolis Public Schools in Indiana.
MWICPS middle school curriculum is provided through partnership with a North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement accredited middle school in North Dakota. This accreditation means that course credits earned from that core curriculum are generally recognized by other regionally accredited institutions including traditional middle schools in America.
MWICPS college preparatory core curriculum is provided through partnership with a Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools accredited high school in Pennsylvania State. This accreditation means that course credits earned from that core curriculum are generally recognized by other regionally accredited institutions including traditional high schools and colleges in America.
Fully licensed by the State Board of Private Licensed Schools in Pennsylvania, the accredited high school was first established in 1890.

Forum
The MWICPS homepage operates an educational interest forum utilized as a resource for articles, news, and submissions to MWICPS's educator and student community.
The forum publishes regular articles and news feeds currently in English only, but non-English speakers are encouraged to join the forum and post in their native languages.

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