The International School of Nanshan Shenzhen accepts applications from new students throughout the year. ISNS admits students on the basis of “rolling admissions”, taking completed applications in the order in which they arrive until no space remains in a given class. Please note that applications after April 1 will ordinarily be considered as applicants for the next school year in August, not for the current school year.
As an international school, ISNS accepts applications from all nationalities outside of mainland China, in accordance with Chinese law, for K3R to Grade 12.
The Admissions process is composed of the following six steps. Prior to being considered for admission to ISNS, students must file a complete application package and submit all documentation as required.
Step 1: Gather the Necessary Documents & Information
Completing the online application form is only possible when you have prepared electronic copies of the following documents. The specific format for each is specified below, and must be uploaded as attachments when applying.
If you are unsure of which the year level you should select for your child when you apply, consult our age/year level equivalents, which show how the ISNS grade levels correspond to differing ages and national curricula.
Copy of Student's Birth Certificate
Copy of Student's Foreign Passport with Chinese Visa and the immigration record or Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan ID
Copy of Parents/Guardians' Passports
1 recent, passport-sized, color photo
Up-to-date Health and Vaccination Records
School Transcripts/ Report Cards for the last 3 years (in English) for Students applying to G1 to G12
Copy of Student's Medical and Accident Insurance Policy (After acceptance)
Step 2: Complete the Online Application Form
All applications to ISNS must be submitted through our online application form. We do not accept paper applications. Please check that you have prepared all of the necessary documents from Step 1 before beginning the process.
Admissions files cannot be processed, nor students placed on waiting lists, until all of the required materials have been provided to the Admissions Office.
Step 3: Application Review by Admissions Team
Our admissions committee will review the application in accordance with the school’s admissions criteria. The length of this process varies depending on the time of year at which you apply, and factors taken into account about each applicant include:
Age
Class size/space availability
English language proficiency
Previous school records and recommendation(s)
Siblings currently at ISNS and alumni siblings
Alumni Parents and Students
IB programme experience
Nationality/ethnicity
Admissions test/academic ability
Extra-curricular/community involvement
After making a candidate’s records and application, the admissions committee may then grant approval for an admissions screening and/or assessment. The school reserves the right to not accept an application if the student is unlikely to be accepted to ISNS. In other cases children may be invited for an interview and assessment in order to help to determine their educational abilities and possible needs such as English as an Additional Language (EAL) assistance or other specialized support.
Step 4: Pay the Application Fee
There is a non-refundable application fee of RMB 2,500. Payment can be made by bank transfer, debit card, or cash at the time of assessment and/or screening. For families outside of Shenzhen, payment can be made through Bank Transfer.
Step 5: Admissions Assessment or Interviewing
After completing the above steps, candidates may be invited to sit for an admissions interview and/or assessment. Assessments and interviews may be done in person or online. The final decision will be made post the interview if the child may be enrolled at ISNS. Please note that the admissions assessment material is private and is considered to be the property of the school; parents will not be entitled to the original or a copy.
Step 6: Enrolment
Families will be notified as soon as possible of the admissions decisions. After this notification and the submission of all documents requested by the school, the actual enrolment will take place. Once a place has been offered, the family has a limited period, specified by the school, in which to accept it. At the time of acceptance to the school, certain fees are payable. This will be explained in further detail by the admissions staff.
Admission to the school does not guarantee student enrollment beyond the initial year, which will be dependent on the maintenance of satisfactory levels of progress and behaviour, as well as space availability. Class placement is determined by ISNS in order to guarantee a balance of several factors, and individual requests unfortunately cannot be accommodated.
Click here to download the full version of the Admissions Policy:
Admissions Policy.pdf