Admissions

International Students

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PROGRAM 

Vistamar School's International Student Program has been running since 2016. Currently, we have around 10 International Students enrolled and they make up about 2% of our student population. Our goal is to enroll a diverse group of international students interested in studying in the United States of America for four years of high school.

True to our mission, we know that having a diverse global perspective will help all of our students prepare for a global society.  We realise that English is not a first language for all of our International students, therefore we have developed a English Language Learners (ELL) program for 9th and 10th grade students. Read more ELL here.

INTERNATIONAL ADMISSIONS PROCESS

Vistamar School partners with numerous International placement agencies, consultants and individual families with students considering applying to Vistamar School. 

International Students are welcome to apply to as new 9th graders or transfer students for the 2019 -  2020 school year. Please note, we have limited spaces for transfer students in grades 9, 10 & 11. 


For more information about applying to Vistamar School, please review the Admissions Processs below: 



Step - by - Step Instructions

List of 5 frequently asked questions.

  • STEP ONE: SUBMIT THE INQUIRY FORM

    Please click here to fill out the online inquiry form. By doing this, you and your family will be added to our admissions database. This lets us know your interests and to receive important email and mail communications from the Admissions Office. 

    If you are working with or are an angency, please submit the inquiry form to help us match the application materials.

  • STEP TWO: SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

    APPLICANTS APPLYING THROUGH AN AGENCY: 
    Vistamar School will accept the application from our partnership agencies, however, applicants MUST fill out the Inquiry Form. Afterwards, agency coordinators will need to email the application as a pdf to admissions@vistamarschool.org. 

    APPLICANTS APPLYING INDEPENDENTLY or WITH A CONSULTANT:
    Vistamar School uses the Standard Application Online (SAO)— to begin your application, click here. Make sure to select "Vistamar School" from the school list.
     
    * There is a one-time application fee of $125. If this is a hardship for you and your family, please email admissions@vistamarschool.org.*

    SAO Issues: apply@ssat.org or by Phone (Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm EST) : 609.683.4440

  • STEP THREE: SUPPLEMENTAL FORMS

    In addition to the application, each applicant is required to submit their transcripts and  letters of recommendation from an administrator, English teacher, and math teacher.  There is a standard form that all members of the LAIS (Los Angeles Independent Schools) Consortium use and they are available to on the right-hand column as editable PDFs. 

    We will accept an agency's official forms or on the sending school's letterhead as well.
     
    Recommendations can be returned to Vistamar School one of three ways: 
    • EMAIL: (preferred): As a PDF file ONLY to admissions@vistamarschool.org
    • MAIL: Vistamar School, "Attention Admissions, " 737 Hawaii Street, El Segundo, CA 90245
    • FAX: "Attention Admissions" to 310-643-7371

  • STEP FOUR: SCHEDULE YOUR INTERVIEW

    After your online application has been submitted, we will contact you to set up an interview with a member of the Vistamar Admissions Committee. We realize not every family can travel to the U.S., so we offer the option to Skype or WeChat each applicant. In our outreach, we will confirm that method. 

  • STEP FIVE: SUBMIT YOUR ADMISSION TESTING

    International students who apply to Vistamar School are required to take the TOEFL. Vistamar School's TOEFL code is "C219."  The TOEFL is one factor we consider in gaining a clear academic picture of each applicant, the minimum score we typically accept is 50. 

    If students have also taken the ISEE, SSAT, PSAT, or AP Testing we will accept and review those official scores as well. Here are our school codes:  ISEE: 054327 &  SSAT: 7976


    All test results must come to Vistamar School directly from the testing company. We will not accept scores from an applicant’s family or consultant. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

List of 3 frequently asked questions.

  • HOUSING INFORMATION

    In order to provide an I-20 Visa we must have proof and confirmation of a students' local living arrangements because students must have a local guardian even if they turn 18. Vistamar School does not offer on-campus housing but partners with host family placement organizations to find family hosts in the area. Students MUST confirm housing prior to the start of each year in order to keep their Visa in good standing. 
     
    Should a student live with extended family or parents, please be aware that Vistamar has the obligation to check on the student’s living arrangements throughout their time  at Vistamar as part of the Visa requirement. 

    For additional information please email the Admissions Team, admissions@vistamarschool.org. 

  • TUITION INFORMATION

    Tuition for International Students and those enroleld in the ELL program for the 2018/2019 year is $40,900. 
     
    A deposit of 10% of tuition is due with the contract. Tuition must be paid in full in US dollars for the I-20 to be processed. Tuition insurance is available for international students for an additional charge. Please refer to your contract for more information.

  • ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING (ELL) PROGRAM

    The English Language Learning (ELL) program is designed to integrate concepts from the content area courses (humanities, math, science, etc.) into its units of study. Cultivating critical thinkers who are empathetic and comfortable in culturally diverse settings is at the heart of learning in the ELL program and across the school. Units of study in the ELL program are based on the California Department of Education Standards for English Language Development. At the end of the program, ELL students will be given a comprehensive assessment that measures their language abilities in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Once students have exited the ELL program, they will continue to have dedicated office hours with an ELL specialist for any academic guidance they may need.

    International students who enter Vistamar will spend their freshman and sophomore years integrated into mainstream courses. However, instead of taking a foreign language course, they will take a course that offers them further foundational support with the building of English skills.

    Click here to read more... 

International Partner Organizations

Meet the International Admissions Team

List of 3 members.

  • Patricia Goodenberger 

    Director of Admissions

  • Andrew Taylor 

    Humanities Teacher, International Admissions Coordinator

  • Pablo Delgado 

    Humanities Teacher, International Academic Coordinator

TOEFL Requirement

International students who apply to Vistamar School are requried to take the TOEFL. Vistamar School's TOEFL code is "C219."  The TOEFL is one factor we consider in gaining a clear academic picture of each applicant, the minimum score we typically accept is 50. 

If students have also taken the ISEE, SSAT, PSAT, or AP Testing we will accept and review those official scores as well. Here are our school codes:  ISEE: 054327 &  SSAT: 7976


All test results must come to Vistamar School directly from the testing company. We will not accept scores from an applicant’s family or consultant.

SUPPLEMENTAL FORMS

In addition to the application, each applicant is required to submit their transcripts and  letters of recommendation. Recommendations can be returned via: 
Vistamar School is a private independent high school in the South Bay region of Los Angeles
Vistamar School  |  737 Hawaii Street, El Segundo, CA 90245  |  T: 310.643.7377  |  F: 310.643.7371