Frequently Asked Questions

Please follow the following steps to apply to a school in America:

1. Submit an Application
2. Complete Video Chat Interview
3. Receive Admission Result
4. Sign Enrollment Contract and Make Payment
5. Obtain Your F-1 Student Visa
6. Make Final Tuition Payment
7. Submit Travel Details
8. Arrive in America for SEI
9. Begin at Your School

For the application process, you will need electronic copies of the following documents:

• Passport copy
• 3-5 pictures of the student (including one headshot picture)
• Academic Transcripts from the current and past year
• English Test Results (TOEFL or iTEP SLATE Plus)
• Credit card for $375 application fee

For complete details on the application process, please visit here.

Parents, teachers, and/or friends can ask their students questions about school, friendships and future goals to allow students to practice listening to the question and then answering with some good examples.  

WA Global Network looks for students who are:

• Academically motivated and successful
• Emotionally and socially mature
• Willing to get involved in clubs and activities
• Able to give an example of overcoming a challenge
• Willing to take a risk and learn from mistakes
• Able to make good friendship choices
• Respectful of world cultures and values

While every student applying to a WA Global Network school will be required to submit a standardized English test score (TOEFL or iTEP SLATE Plus), we recognize that test scores are simply one metric for assessing a student’s overall English abilities. Besides test scores, the rest of the student’s application – including video interview and past transcripts – will also be taken into consideration before acceptance to a school is granted. Additionally, each of our school’s are equipped with ESL support programs that are designed to help international students develop the English abilities required for American classrooms. Students applying to higher grades will also be assessed according to higher standards of English ability.

To read more on ESL support for international students, please refer to the following WeChat article (Chinese): https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/edXMu0O6dKtn_j-dBCpZyw

Yes, WA Global Network schools require all students entering their school to participate in their preparation and orientation program, which is SEI. SEI is a required preparation experience for students. It is not an optional add-on, but part of the being a student at a WA Global Network school. In extremely rare cases, exceptions can be made, but that is not typical.

In most cases, it is best for students to begin at a WA Global Network Featured Partner School at the age of 14 or 15.  This would place a student in grade 9 or 10. Students who begin in grade 9 have a longer time to build a strong GPA, more years in an American school to improve their English and more years to join clubs and activities.  All three of these areas are really important to college admissions.

WA Global Network schools have varied levels of support for international students.   Students will have access to tutoring and ELL support. The host family will also help them set goals and complete homework.  In America, teachers think highly of students who come to them for extra help. Often, American teacher think these are the most intelligent and most motivated students.

WA Global Network Featured Partner Schools provide tutoring or an ELL class for first year students.  Many teachers will prefer students to also come to them directly for additional help in class.

WA Global Network Featured Partner Schools also provide a dedicated ACT or SAT test prep course for students, usually during their junior year.  

WA Global Network also offers highly selective university preparation guidance services for an additional fee.  This service provides weekly meetings with students and parent updates to support 11th and 12th grade students in their college application process.

WA Global Network Featured Partner Schools provide a rigorous curriculum that challenges American and international students and equips students with a strong foundation for college success.  WA Global Network Featured Partner Schools offer numerous AP courses for students to take to prepare for college level courses and to earn college credit during high school.

WA Global Network Featured Partner Schools also teach students important lessons outside of their academic classes.  In order to prepare our students for college success, we must strategically pay attention not only to the development of our students’ academic and cognitive skills or their various gifts and talents, but also to the development of elements of their character and disposition that have a significant impact on their ability to navigate the world around them.  These college readiness qualities are social intelligence, perseverance, hope, gratitude, passion and self-control.

WA Global Network Featured Partner Schools provide the experiences needed for student to be accepted and be successful in top US universities.  US universities consider student GPA, ACT or SAT scores, involvement in clubs and activities and their passions as they explain them in their college application and essay.  Each year, WA Global Network Featured Partner School students are accepted and enroll in highly ranked universities such as UCL, US Berkeley, UC San Diego, UNC Chapel Hill, NYU, Purdue, Northwestern, University of Chicago, Notre Dame and University of Illinois.

WA Global Network Featured Partner Schools all prioritize school safety.  WA Global Network Featured Partner Schools have selective admissions processes in which they interview and carefully consider each student and family’s character and reputation before allowing that student to attend their school.  WA Global Network Featured Partner Schools also have protocol for visitors on campus and regularly practice drills in the event of an emergency. WA Global Network Featured Partner Schools are located in suburbs in safe neighborhoods.

WA Global Network Featured Partner Schools are responsible for the selection, training and supervision of host families. Host families are part of the school community and all host families undergo backgrounds checks and a home visit before being selected.  Host families sometimes have children of their own in the home and the school decides which host family to place an international student in and also assists students and host families in understanding and working through common cultural misunderstandings.

To read more about the selection process and standards for host families, please refer to the following Wechat article (Chinese): https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ZucrLxTWtqHKxzRjvECpgA

Making an American friend is the often one of the biggest goals for an international student.  While American students are initially very warm and welcoming, it takes a while to become close friends with an American student.  Often, international students become friends with each other because of their common experience and then they form deeper friendships with American peers over time.  Often the best way to begin an American friendship is by getting to know a study partner in an academic class or by getting involved in clubs and activities where students spend some of their non-academic time together.  

WA Global Network Featured Partner Schools all have host family boarding programs.  These schools find that the personalized attention of a host family in academic and social development allows students to grow faster with more specialized advice.

WA Global Network Featured Partner Schools have a team of staff in addition to the host family who help students adjust to their new country and family.  Some students are easy-going and open-minded about cultural and personality differences and have a very easy time adjusting to a host family. Other students have stronger personalities and preferences and need to talk often with a trusted adult to help them adjust to a new family.  Students are very successful in this adjustment and find the lessons learned in a host home help them adjust to college roommates and co-workers in their future.

Most students have school each day from 8AM to 3:30PM.  WA Global Network Featured Partner Schools offer after school study hours at  school or in the host home. Students are expected to complete all homework before going on social media or playing video games.   Often students are expected to read for 30-60 minutes as well after their homework is completed to continue to work on their vocabulary and reading skills.  Host families check student grades weekly and WA Global Network Featured Partner Schools have staff members who also check student grades weekly. The initial unstructured time after school feels different to international students and they learn how to manage their time independently while they study at an American school.  This is an important skill for them to be success in college studies.

WA Global Network Featured Partner Schools invite parents to visit their student.  Some parents are not able to visit and other parents visit for a short while each semester.  It is really the decision of the parent as to how often they visit. Parents should let the WA Global Network Featured Partner School program leader and host family know if they are planning a visit, preferably before the family purchases airfare.  Visiting parents often stay for 3-7 days at a local hotel. Students usually stay with their parents at the hotel and enjoy sharing stories of school and also eating good food with their parents. Some WA Global Network Featured Partner Schools will also host a lunch with the visiting parents, host family and student so the parent can meet the other adults in the student’s life.   The host family usually has the visiting parents in their home one night for a dinner together. It is best for visiting parents to come a couple weeks after the student arrives to allow the student to adjust to the host family before the family visits.

Host families will require international students to keep their computers and phones on the main floor of the home so they can ensure the student is working on homework before social media and videogames and so they can help students with homework questions.  The host family’s own children follow these same guidelines. As a student gets older and has shown positive patterns of using technology and self control in completing homework on time, they may be allowed to use their computer and phone in their bedrooms occasionally.  Host families also have a filter system on their home computer network so they can monitor a student’s computer usage. International students are always allowed to take their computer or phone to their bedroom to have a private conversation with their parents.

We recommend that parents and student text or message each other several times a week and talk at least one time each weekend by skype or wechat.   We recommend international students also share their concerns, worries and frustrations with their host family. The host family can often be the best adults to help the student work through a difficulty.