Our process
One advisor works with your family from the first call to your child's first day on campus.
Talk with a GESP advisorMost boarding schools admit new students in September. Families who start with us the summer or autumn before have every school still open to them.
Shortlist
November
Applications
January
Decisions
March
Arrival
August
Reaching us after the autumn? Some schools accept applications into the spring, with fewer places left.
Especially useful for students aged 12 to 14. The extra year goes to building the school record, visiting a campus or a showcase, and preparing the English.
Preparation
this year
Shortlist
next summer
Applications
the January after
Arrival
the August after
When you send a message or fill in the form, an advisor looks at where your child stands today: grades, English, age and the year they would enter, and what your family can spend. Some families are ready to start now. Others are better placed to start in a later year, and leave knowing what to work on in the meantime.
What you get
What we ask of you
Who decides
YouGESP
We start with what your child wants and won't accept: size, location, campus culture, level of sport. Schools your child wouldn't attend come off the list before admission chances are weighed. We then assess the schools that remain against your child's record, English, athletic level and your budget.
What you get
What we ask of you
Who decides
YouGESP
Once you approve the list, we contact each school and present your child with a file we have prepared. Each year, admissions directors from dozens of GESP network schools set up at our conference to meet our international partners and families. Each school schedules its own interview with your child, and we prepare your child for it.
What we handle
What we ask of you
Who decides
GESPThe schoolThe SAO is the common application most boarding schools use. The Duolingo English Test is accepted across the network. Clarity is the aid form some schools require. Admission and aid are separate decisions, and a school can say yes to one before the other.
Most schools decide in early March, and families reply by early April. If your child has more than one offer, we lay out what each one costs your family, year by year, at the rates GESP has negotiated with partner schools, often below published tuition. Once you accept a place and pay the deposit, enrollment paperwork begins, including your child's student visa documents. Then flights, packing, holidays, and who to call once your child lands.
What you get
What we ask of you
Who decides
YouThe schoolVisa timing varies by country, so paperwork starts as soon as the school’s documents allow. Students live on campus during the school year; holidays and guardian arrangements are settled before travel.
Tuition and fees go to the school, or through GESP at many partner schools, in full or in instalments. GESP’s fee is separate from tuition; your advisor sets it out on the first call.
Each school awards aid from its own budget, and international students generally receive less than U.S. students. GESP’s negotiated rates often bring the price below published tuition, but they do not replace aid.
Next step
Tell us about your child and what your family hopes to find, and an advisor will call you back.
Talk with a GESP advisorNo Dream Is Too Big.