Roman Coliseum Photo by Moyan Brenn on Flickr 

Italy was the very first country outside of the US that I ever visited.  I paid my own way (using baby sitting money and my earnings from Arby’s) and went with a student group from my high school.  I later returned for a three month internship where I lived in a small coastal town called Gaeta.

Even though it didn’t get top points, the lifestyle in Italy was exactly what I am looking for.  Italy will always have a soft spot in my heart.

I give this school a  8/10! 

1. What type of school is it?

Non-profit, US accredited, offering an IB diploma

2. Student population:

On the school website it says there are 620 students from Pre-K to Grade 12 with students from being about 30% Americans, 30% Italians and the remainder from close to 55 different countries.

3. Class size:

I could find no mention of class size on the school website.

4. Technology:

The school website does mention that there are, “Approximately 100 instructional computers & 50 iPads, approximately 400 laptops for student and staff instructional use (I wonder if this includes their 4 computer labs), campus is completely Wi-Fi”.  They also have the goal of becoming a 1 to 1 school!

5. Retirement:

Not mentioned on the school website. No point here.

6. Overall package:

Their employment page is pretty sparse. There is nothing mentioned about pay nor benefits. Most forums I’ve read said that teachers barely break even here.I guess I would have to go to this school after I pay off my student loans and have saved significantly for retirement. No point.

7. City Profile:

Like I said at the top of this post, I love Rome! According to Wikipedia it is the fourth largest city in Europe. It’s center is also a UNESCO site and it has the Vatican within it’s city limits.  The history, the art, the architecture, the Mediterranean climate, the flavor of this place is outstanding!

8. Salsa Dancing:

This site lists 6 nights of salsa dancing per week! It sounds perfect!

9. Teachers:

The school website lists teachers as being 70% from the US. This is a plus because it is hard to get a work visa in Europe.

10. Food:

Who doesn’t love Italian food? While I love my mom’s lasagna, I still remember the food I ate the summer I lived in Italy. Seafood salad, personal pizzas, wonderful mozzarella di buffala, incredible wine. I could go on!

Please comment! Have you been to Rome? Would you want to work there? Have you or someone you know worked at the American Overseas School of Rome? Can you add any info to what I’ve listed above?