Application Process

1. Submit the application online

• If you have previously applied, inquired or toured SAS, sign in to your existing OpenApply account here
• If you have not previously applied, inquired or toured SAS, create your OpenApply account and start your application here 
• Complete all student and parent details
• The “Grade Applying for” field will be filled automatically based on your child’s date of birth. If you wish to apply for a different grade, you should indicate this in “Requested Grade Level” field and add a note to your application to advise why you are requesting an alternate grade. Further information on grade level placement can be found here
• Provide previous school details
• Complete Learner Profile
• Sign the Parental Agreement
• Submit
• Once your application is submitted, you will receive an automated email confirming it has been received
• A member of the Admissions Team will contact you within 5 business days

Applying campus

• Families have the option to select Pudong, Puxi, or Two Campus consideration
• Families who are located closer to one campus should apply to the nearest campus
• Families who are located in downtown Shanghai or are willing to relocate based on school location can choose to apply for Two Campus consideration
• Families who have a strong preference for a campus should select that campus
• The selected campus can be changed during the admissions process up until the application is submitted to the Admissions Committee for final review
• If the applicant is deemed qualified and offered a seat at SAS, they will be offered a seat at a particular campus. If the family chooses to switch applications to the other campus, the applicant will be placed back in the wait pool and they are not guaranteed placement at SAS
• Once an applicant is enrolled in SAS, they must attend their original campus for two years before families can request a transfer. Campus transfer is not guaranteed

2. Document submission and application fee

• Once the application has been submitted, you will be able to access the checklist of required documents for upload. Further information regarding the documents required can be found here
• Confidential school recommendations
  • For pre-Kindergarten to Grade 5, enter details of your child’s current teacher
  • For Grade 6 to Grade 12 there are three Confidential Recommendation Forms:
    • Enter details of your child’s school counselor, principal, or other designee
    • Enter details of your child’s current English teacher
    • Enter details of your child’s current Math teacher
  • An email will be sent directly to the current school requesting a recommendation
• School reports for the current school year and the previous two full years
• Government required documents. See admissions criteria for further details
• Your application fee invoice will be raised in three to five business days from the date you applied. Information on how to find your invoice can be found here 
• A member of the Admissions Team will guide you through the document collection stage and let you know if documents are missing or do not match our requirements

3. Application complete

Once we have received all the required documents and the application fee is paid, your application is marked as complete. A member of the Admissions Team will contact you to advise you of the completed application status and next steps.

4. Interview and assessment

• If selected, students and parents are required to attend the assessments and/or interview
• The interview and assessments required vary depending on the grade level and background of the applicants. See grade level requirements for further details
• For families living in Shanghai and the surrounding areas, assessments and/or interviews will take place on campus
• We can only offer assessments and interviews during school hours
• Depending on grade level, sessions can take up to 4 hours
• For families living overseas, we offer online assessments and interviews
• English Proficiency Assessment
  • Non-native English-speaking applicants, Grade 1 and up, may be given a WIDA Screener assessment to determine their English Language proficiency and if support is required. Limited spaces are available for such support
  • Given the large number of applications submitted, not all candidates will be invited for interviews and assessments. The timeline and advancement to the next stage will depend on the strength and volume of applications received and may vary based on the grade level

5. Application review

• Applications are reviewed considering:
  • Academic potential
  • English language proficiency
  • Social, emotional and behavioral development
  • Family alignment with SAS mission and values
• Application Outcomes
  • Qualified applications are placed into the wait pool
  • Qualified applications are considered alongside other wait pool applications in rounds
  • If it is determined that SAS cannot adequately support an applicant’s individual needs or if there is already a strong applicant pool with limited seats, we may close the application