5-Star Education

The Boarding School Application Process

The following information was adapted from The Association of Boarding Schools website.

The decision to apply to boarding school will require a good deal of time and energy.The ultimate goal of this process is to find schools that offer the courses, programs, and extra-curricular activities that are good matches for a student's skills, talents and abilities.Given the variety of options, researching schools is important to ensure that the student finds the schools that are appropriate.

After you have completed your school search and have short listed the schools you will be applying to, complete an online information request form or call the school's admission office.Schools will send view books, videos, and curriculum information free of charge. Upon request, schools will often provide names of parents, alumni and others whom you can contact for a personal point of view.

The initial contact should be made directly to the Admission Office.You can do this either on your own or through an approved study abroad agency in Taiwan.

The Admission Checklist

Use School Search to find any programs in which you're interested.

English as a Second Language
Post Graduate
Learning Differences
Special Needs
Pre-Professional Arts

Browse the Boarding Schools Directory after you consider what type of school will suit you.

Small
Large
Military
5-day boarding
Single-sex
Coed
Junior schools
Rural or urban schools
Religiously affiliated schools

Contact the schools that interest you by e-mail, phone, or mail. Ask each school for its:

Catalog
Video
Application requirements and deadlines
Financial aid information and deadlines

Make appointments to visit your top selections.
Ask the schools about required testing.

SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test)
ISEE(Independent School Entrance Examination)
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

Complete and forward applications to your chosen schools.

Continue to check with your current teachers, school registrar, and coaches about the recommendation forms or transcripts they must submit on your behalf.
Call the admission offices at your selected schools periodically to check on your file or if you have questions about any of the forms.

A Special Note for Taiwanese Students & Their Parents.
Boarding schools have strong traditions of providing educational opportunities for international students.Over 6,200 international students attended boarding schools during the 1999-2000 school year (NAIS Statistics 2000, Volume 1). Teachers and students bring with them diverse ethnic, racial, socioeconomic, and cultural perspectives and share them in academic and social settings.

Boarding schools not only value such vibrant communities but also actively seek to create them. In boarding schools, a person's individual traits, interests, and heritage are considered valuable assets that enhance and strengthen the overall community.

Taiwanese and other international students with varying degrees of language proficiency will find that many schools have many programs specifically designed for them.Two things at which our boarding schools excel are:

Improving students' proficiency in the English language
Helping graduates gain acceptance to appropriate colleges and universities.

The College and University Application Process

The US college and university admissions process can be easy to handle when following a specific schedule.Here's a recommended step-by-step process to follow when applying to any US college or university.

18-24 months before departure	Consult the nearest study abroad agency, and check for the information and resources available.Evaluate your reasons for wanting to study in the US, taking into consideration: • English proficiency and academic ability • Motivation, objectives - why study in the US? • Your future plans - academic or employment possibilities • Time required for an American degree (normally 2 years for a community college degree, or 4 years for a bachelor's degree) • Estimated cost of study and funding possibilities
December-April	Prepare for enrollment by selecting 5 to 10 appropriate institutions.Once you have located a suitable group of institutions that offer your field of study, compare them systematically.Look at them with respect to: your chosen field of study, degrees offered, accreditation, quality, ease of admission, location, size, cost, availability of financial aid, housing, approach to technology, international student service office, etc.Either on your own or using a qualified, licensed study abroad agency, write to these universities to request further information including application forms for admission and financial aid. Check for the information about scholarship and fellowship programs available at different US colleges and universities. Please note that financial aid for international students is limited, and is normally based on academic performance rather than need.
April-July	Either on your own or through a qualified study abroad agency, write to these American colleges and universities to request application forms for admission and financial aid.
July-September	Find out which standardized tests are required (TOEFL, SAT, or ACT) and register to take them in October or November.For community college applicants, standardized tests are usually waived.The TOEFL, however, may be required if the applicant's English ability is below minimum standards.
August-October	Decide to which colleges or universities you would like to apply.Complete the college or university application forms.Read all instructions carefully and fill the forms out neatly. Send applications WELL in advance of deadline.The sooner you send them, the earlier you get into the admissions process and the more attention your application will get!
March-April	Wait for acceptance and rejection letters.
April	Contact colleges or universities who have not yet informed you of their decision.
April-June	If you are accepted at more than one college or university, accept the offer at your preferred institution and decline the others. Contact the college or university housing office to reserve housing for the coming year.Contact the college's or university's Foreign Student Adviser for any specific information concerning arrival and orientation.At this time you must also apply for a student visa.Attend a pre-departure orientation session at your preferred study abroad agency.

The Graduate School Application Process

The US graduate school admissions process can be easy to handle when following a specific schedule.Here's a recommended step-by-step process to follow when applying to any US graduate school.

18-24 months before departure	Consult the nearest study abroad agency, and check for the information and resources available.Evaluate your reasons for wanting to study in the US, taking into consideration: • English proficiency and academic ability • Motivation, objectives - why study in the US? • Your future plans - academic or employment possibilities • Time required for an American degree (normally 1 or 2 years for a Master's degree or MBA [Master of Business Administration]) • Estimated cost of study and funding possibilities
December-April	Prepare for enrollment by selecting 5 to 10 appropriate institutions.Once you have located a suitable group of institutions that offer your field of study, compare them systematically.Look at them with respect to: your chosen field of study, accreditation, quality, ease of admission, location, size, cost, availability of financial aid, housing, approach to technology, international student service office, etc.Either on your own or using a qualified, licensed study abroad agency, write to these graduate schools to request further information including application forms for admission and financial aid. Check for the information about scholarship and fellowship programs available at different US graduate schools.Please note that financial aid for international students is limited, and is normally based on academic performance rather than need.
April-July	Either on your own or through a qualified study abroad agency, write to these American graduate schools to request application forms for admission and financial aid.
July-September	Find out which standardized tests are required (TOEFL, GRE, GMAT, LSAT) and register to take them in October or November.
August-October	Decide to which graduate schools you would like to apply, and complete the application forms.Read all instructions carefully and fill the forms out neatly.Send applications WELL in advance of deadline.The sooner you send them, the earlier you get into the admissions process and the more attention your application will get!
March-April	Wait for acceptance and rejection letters.
April	Contact graduate schools who have not yet informed you of their decision.
April-June	If you are accepted at more than one graduate school, accept the offer at your preferred institution and decline the others.Contact the graduate school housing office to reserve housing for the coming year.Contact the graduate school's Foreign Student Adviser for any specific information concerning arrival and orientation.At this time you must also apply for a student visa.Attend a pre-departure orientation session at your preferred study abroad agency.