# American School of Dubai v/s American Community School in Abu Dhabi



## JhonnyLever (Apr 24, 2015)

Folks
Let me start by saying location is not the issue, the quality of school is important to me. I am trying to decide between the American School of Dubai and the American Community School of Abu Dhabi for my High School bound son

Does any one on this forum have kids going to any of these schools? What is your feedback on the school and how do they compare to Private School in the US?


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

JhonnyLever said:


> Folks
> Let me start by saying location is not the issue, the quality of school is important to me. I am trying to decide between the American School of Dubai and the American Community School of Abu Dhabi for my High School bound son
> 
> Does any one on this forum have kids going to any of these schools? What is your feedback on the school and how do they compare to Private School in the US?


Do you have an offer of admission from both? Your ability to choose is generally not the constraint but the availability of a seat is.
FWIW, I have heard second hand that ASD is "better" than ACS as some colleagues did a lot of research and decided not to move to abu dhabi as they didnt want their kids to leave ASD.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi,
Where will you be living? 
This normally determines the best school - as you would not want to reside in Dubai and subject kids to 3 hours of UAE motorway driving each day for a school run to Abu Dhabi - or visa-versa if living in AD.
Cheers
Steve


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## JhonnyLever (Apr 24, 2015)

Thanks. No admissions yet, but my organization does have a relationship with both the schools for employees moving to Dubai. We are trying to decide between AD and Dubai based on the school. We will pick a home near the school.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

Beyond the school itself you should ask whether you want to be in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. The two are fairly different cities. AD is much quieter, much more staid and with far fewer amenities. Dubai is busier, more "global" and has a much wider range of amenities and activities on offer. Some people prefer AD because it's quiet, others prefer the hustle and bustle of Dubai. But even if you think you'd rather live in a quieter city, Dubai can also be just as quiet as you want it to be yet you have much easier access to the amenities of Dubai. 

That aside, ASD is the older of the two schools and has an excellent academic reputation as well as a fancy new campus with all the bells and whistles. Most of my American coworkers over the years have preferred ASD of the American schools in Dubai (Dubai American Academy would come in second). From what I've picked up the school is accredited by a reputable US educational authorities. I have also met several teachers at ASD over the years and always thought highly of them.


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