A student guide to applying to international schools

Martina Postova, of Carlsbad International School in the Czech Republic, offers some advice for students applying to international schools...

Timing is Everything: The key to your successful application to an international high school is to be organized.

Step 1 (1 day)

Fill in the application which most of international high schools publish online. Send and wait for their confirmation of receipt.

Step 2 (2 days)

Visit your previous school (elementary school, high school) and collect official transcripts from the past two years of your studies. Be prepared and ask for the transcripts before the school holidays start. Contact your English and Math teachers and ask for recommendation letters. At CIS we appreciate and value honest and open communication between the faculty – highlight your strengths and share weak points (that we can work on together). Check and submit all the certificates and awards which demonstrate your academic, sports and other successes.

Step 3 (1 day)

Once you receive an online English test (CIS uses the standardized Oxford University testing), get down to business and complete it. Carlsbad International School requires the minimum English knowledge at B2/C1 levels in order that the student can cope well with the pre-diploma and IB Diploma instructions in English.

Step 4 (1 day)

Your application, including supplementary documents, is in. You have passed the English test. Good job! Now it is time to pay for your application fee. The Admissions team will confirm that your payment has come in and your application will be considered registered.

Step 5 (1 day)

Every student is different and our main goal is help our students develop to full potential. Therefore, CIS usually invites you for an interview. It is a friendly chat with the Admissions officer and the Head of School about your goals, plans and dreams both in the academic sphere and in your personal life. You can attend the interview in person, learn more about CIS campus and our staff. Above all, you will be invited for a delicious lunch or dinner. However, you can also ask for a Skype interview, which is common practice for international boarding schools.

Step 6

You have just received your letter of acceptance. Congratulations!