🏫 Boarding & Day Schools

Schools for younger students — ages 5 to 18

Top boarding schools that international students live at, private day schools that require local family residency, and pre-college summer programs at top universities.

💡 Boarding vs. Day — quick guide: Boarding schools are where international students live at the school. Your student visa (F-1 or Canadian Study Permit) allows this directly. Day schools are private schools where students attend classes but go home each night — families must already live locally (parent's work visa, residency, etc.). Pre-college programs are short summer programs at universities for high-schoolers to experience college.
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How younger students apply

1

Take the SSAT

The Secondary School Admission Test is required by most US/Canadian boarding + private schools. Free official prep at ssat.org.

2

Apply via SAO

The Standard Application Online (sao.ssat.org) lets you apply to multiple schools at once.

3

Interviews & essays

Most schools require a personal essay, teacher recommendations, and an in-person or video interview.

4

Visa (boarding only)

F-1 (USA) or Study Permit (Canada). See our Visa page.

Book a younger-student consultation