Our Admissions Committee will review and discuss each candidate’s application in full.

For families applying for the Fall Semester, we begin reviewing applications in the preceding March, with admissions decisions typically beginning in late-March, following the re-enrollment process for all current families, and continuing through the summer.

For families applying for the Spring Semester, we begin reviewing applications in the preceding October, with admissions decisions typically beginning thereafter and continuing through December.

For families applying mid-semester, on a rolling basis, an admissions decision will be made approximately one-week from the date an application has submitted in full.

For all families, it’s important to note that the timeline to receive an admissions decision may be extended if the Admissions Committee determines that additional steps or requirements are necessary. Admissions decisions include: acceptance, denial, and wait pool. Offers of enrollment are subject to space availability and candidate qualifications.

SCIS operates at or near full capacity in most divisions. In the event a grade level is at capacity, qualified applicants will enter into a Wait Pool. Applicants within the wait pool are considered for admission once an opening becomes available. In this case, applicants are not considered chronologically, but rather according to our normal admissions decision making criteria.

Our Hongqiao ECE campus students attend school from 8:30 m – 12 pm for the half-day program and 8:30 am – 3 pm for the full-day. The half-day program is only available for Nursery and Pre-School students. 

Our Hongqiao Main campus students attend school from 8 am – 3 pm. 

Our Pudong campus students attend school from 8 am – 3 pm. Nursery and Pre-School students have the option of doing the half-day program from 8 am – 12 pm. 

The transition process may begin long before your child arrives in Shanghai. New students are often paired with existing SCIS students through email after confirmation of enrollment and at the parents’ request. At the beginning of each semester, we offer a ‘New Family Orientation’ to introduce you and your children to the school, as well as provide a comprehensive packet of information.

Once lower school students are in the class, we use proven methods to help children adjust, including assigning a ‘buddy’ and support from our student ambassador program. When upper and middle school students arrive on campus, they are paired with student leaders coaches in helping them adjust to their new setting. Once in the class, new students learn the ins and outs of the school with the guidance of peer leaders who have previously experienced the same transition.

Our teachers have a wealth of experience in helping new students transition into the class and school. We also have counselors on staff who can help if there are any transitional issues.

Yes, as part of the school tuition, we offer one set of uniform, bussing, and hot lunch to all our students. 

*Only full-day Nursery and Pre-School students have lunch during school hours, half-day students do not have lunch in school. 

Read more information about our all-inclusive tuition.

Yes, very much so! Parents can volunteer in the classrooms and we have a wonderful Parents and Friends Association (PAFA), which is a fundamental part of the school community. PAFA helps with school events, organize fundraisers, and promote social activities.

Being an international school, SCIS offers English as an Additional Language from Grades 1 – 10 to support student's English proficiency. 

Visit our English as an Additional Language page

SCIS promotes a strong Mandarin language program. The overwhelming majority of our student body chooses to study Mandarin as part of the foreign language requirement. Upper school students are assessed to determine which level of Mandarin would best suit them best and can be placed in any of the more than 10 different Mandarin levels we offer.

Early reading and writing skills begin in Nursery and are systematically taught according to developmental readiness and age-group norms. In general, by the end of Pre-kindergarten (4-year-olds), students should be able to recognize and write the letters of the alphabet, display strong letter-sound correspondence, read and write their names, and other familiar words, and a willingness to explore language in their environment. By the end of kindergarten (5 years old) students should be able to recognize and read common words, express simple concepts through writing using inventive spelling, and read simple stories. By the end of first grade (6 years old), students should have a solid understanding of the English language, be able to read and write simple to complex sentences and be able to communicate through writing in various forms. Literacy and writing across the curriculum remain a primary focus throughout one’s school career at SCIS.

Yes. SCIS is dedicated to providing a diverse and inclusive, learning environment for all. We welcome students who learn differently, as we believe that diversity enriches the whole community. Mild to moderate learning support can be provided, given that we feel confident in our abilities to meet the needs of students who learn in their own unique way

Read more about our Learning Support program here.