International Student Program

We are pleased to consider applications from international students for Upper School.

International students should apply for Upper School admissions through the SSAT Standard Application Online (SAO). The international application fee is $100.00 USD.

The SSAT Standard Application Online (SAO) will prompt you to supply an email address for your current math and English teachers. Your teachers will be requested by email to complete and submit their recommendations online, at which point it will be added to your application. Recommendation forms must be completed in English.

Please request that your recommendations and records be submitted before December 7, 2020.

All international applicants must demonstrate proficiency in oral and written English.

For applicants whose native language is not English, and whose language of instruction for the most recent four years of schooling has not been English, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required. We will only accept test scores directly from TOEFL; we do not accept copies from the student's school or consultant. To prevent delays, be sure to list GFS as a score recipient when you register for the test. Register online at toefl.org or call 609-771-7100. The TOEFL code for GFS is #3188.
English skills must be very strong. Accepted students generally have TOEFL iBT scores in the 90-100 range.

All applicants (international and domestic) must take the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT). We will only accept test scores directly from SSAT; we will not accept scores from your school or consultant. To prevent delays, please be sure to list GFS as a score recipient when you register for the test. Register online at ssat.org or call 609-683-4440. The SSAT code for GFS is #3397.

Please note the following SSAT testing options for test takers outside the United States and Canada. 

Middle and Upper Level Testing (Grades 5–11)

Students in China, Hong Kong, Korea, Jamaica, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam will have the option to take the paper-based SSAT, which will be offered on the following test dates in 2020–2021:

• Saturday, September 26, 2020
• Saturday, October 31, 2020
• Saturday, November 21, 2020
• Saturday, December 19, 2020

In other international countries, students will have the option to take either the paper-based SSAT or the computer-based SSAT at a Prometric Test Center. Families can find an international paper-based SSAT location with our search tool. Families can see real-time location availability at Prometric Test Centers by using the Prometric Scheduler. Please note, this list may change based on COVID-19 restrictions in each country.

The SSAT Standard Application Online (SAO) will prompt you to supply an email address for your school principal or administrator who will submit your transcript. Your administrator will be requested by email to complete and submit your transcript online, at which point it will be added to your application.

Please ask your child's school to send an official copy of school records, including grades from the current grading period. Transcripts should be translated into English and certified as official by your child's school.

Please supply a graded writing sample in English that has been completed for school and graded by a teacher.

Once the applicant's supplemental information is received, it will be reviewed and the Admissions staff will proceed from there. If it is not possible for the applicant's family to visit the GFS campus, we will schedule online interviews for the student and parents using Skype. Because of the large volume of international applicants, Skype interviews are granted by invitation only.

First-Round International Applications

• Families must submit the Standard Application Online (SAO) by December 7, 2020, and all steps of the application process must be completed by January 4, 2021 to be considered for first-round review.
• Families who have completed the application process by January 4, 2021 will be notified of the admission decision on or about February 1, 2021.
• To enroll your child you must return the Enrollment Agreement, ISP Agreement and non-refundable deposits by March 1, 2021.

If your child is accepted and enrolls with GFS, our International Student Program will provide a homestay for your child with a family that is well-known to our community. Please note that no independent or third-party (agency) homestays are permitted.

The cost of the GFS International Student Program (ISP) is $27,500 USD and will include a ten-month homestay, a week-long new student orientation prior to the start of school, private English tutoring, college counseling, international medical insurance and a student meal plan. Parents will receive bimonthly progress reports from the ISP staff.

During ISP New Student Orientation Week, students will set up a debit account at Wells Fargo Bank with the bank representative on campus. Parents will be given the wiring information to fund this debit account, to which their children will have access 24/7. The initial deposit is recommended at $2,500 USD to be replenished by the parents as needed.

The GFS tuition and fees, and the International Student Program cost ($27,500 USD) will be due on or before May 1 for the following school year. The ISP homestay deposit ($12,500 USD) is due on April 1 and is required to guarantee your child's place in the upcoming school year. Contracts and permission forms will be sent to parents on or before June 1.