Applying Outside the USA
ISI is a private, independent school for the whole age range (3 to 19 years)
We welcome guest students from various countries each year. We are now pleased to offer students from overseas the opportunity to spend three years at ISI, live with American families, learn to speak perfect English, and graduate with the prestigious International Baccalaureate Diploma, which provides access to colleges and universities in the US and around the world.
ISI offers a small and supportive community
- Each grade level has between 24 and 40 students in it, and our students undertake many activities together.
- Our students come from many different backgrounds. Most are from local families, while around 20% are from families that are only temporarily in Indianapolis because of their employment. These can be families from elsewhere in the US, or from outside of the US.
- Each year we also have a small number of temporary exchange students who come from overseas to live with an ISI family and come to our school.
Our administration and teachers
- The current Head of School is David Garner, a highly experienced British educator who has worked in education in ten different countries around the world.
- High School Principal Michael Urquhart is an Australian educator with outstanding experience of international education in Australia and Asia, and most recently in Guangzhou, China.
- Our IB Diploma Coordinator and Assistant Principal Mitch Chabraja is an American educator with a deep dedication to our international approach.
- ISI’s High School faculty includes qualified teachers from the US, Great Britain, and several other countries. All care greatly for their students and are thrilled to support our international mission.
International = pride in one’s own heritage + intercultural understanding + global awareness + critical thinking
- As a school with a commitment to international-mindedness, ISI helps foreign students stay in touch with their own language and culture, while immersing them in an English speaking American high school environment with a distinct international flair.
- ISI High School currently offers Korean and French literature courses for native speakers, and can offer other languages as required.
- ISI is introducing Mandarin Chinese throughout the school, and especially welcomes applications from Chinese students.
IB Diploma
- The International Baccalaureate Diploma is the best preparation for university and for your career beyond.
- At ISI all students in Grades 11 and 12 take the full Diploma.
- In the majority of US schools that offer the IB, the full Diploma program is restricted to a very small number of top-scoring students, although larger numbers of students sit for one or more IB subject certificate exams and may be listed as successful IB candidates in the school’s statistics.
- The Diploma is a two-year course that includes mathematics, at least one advanced science course, a humanities subject and two languages, one of which is a literature course.
- The Diploma demands reasonable proficiency in English, and we recommend that students from overseas spend Grade 10 with us as a pre-IB Diploma year during which they follow a full course of study at the school, and use this time to improve their English and become accustomed to our style of working.
- All 34 members of the ISI Class of 2011 scored at least the minimum number of points required, and 31 students gained the full IB Diploma, a success rate of 91%.
- Worldwide average pass rates for the IB Diploma are approximately 78-80%.
- The minimum passing score is 24 points, and the maximum possible score is 45 points, achieved by fewer than 0.2% of IB candidates worldwide each year. ISI’s top scoring student, who joined ISI in pre-school, achieved the outstanding score of 44 points.
- All Diploma students must study a second language, but 17 of ISI’s graduates were awarded the Bilingual IB Diploma in recognition of their very high level of proficiency.
College Counseling
- Our College Counselor Ms. Laurie Bosin is dedicated to helping all ISI students through the process of applying to college and universities both within the US and overseas.
- The ISI Class of 2011 was accepted to outstanding colleges and received offers of merit scholarship totaling $4.3 million.
- Indiana has outstanding colleges for science, engineering, technology and medical sciences in particular, as well as the full range of career disciplines.
Academic excellence
- ISI sets high expectations for individual achievement.
- In our Elementary School all students receive a major part of their education in French or Spanish or Mandarin Chinese, as well as in English.
- In the Middle and High School we work in English, and have a major emphasis on science, which is taught in a practical manner by trained science specialists.
- ISI students receive more science teaching than at any other high school in the region. We also continue to build on our High School mathematics program.
ABOUT Indianapolis
- Indianapolis is the 12th largest city in the US and is regarded as safe and friendly.
- The city center has been modernized and revitalized, and is now a smart and bustling downtown where people like to spend time shopping, eating out, going to the cinema, visiting any of the several museums, galleries and theaters.
- Above all Indianapolis is one of the sports capitals of the US and has a long tradition with basketball and car racing. The annual Indy 500 is one of the most famous races in the world. The Indianapolis Colts is one of the top American Football teams in the country, and in 2012 Indianapolis will host the Super Bowl, the American Football national championship final.
- Indianapolis is home to leading companies from the life sciences industries, including the pharmaceutical giant Lilly, and the cutting edge agricultural science company Dow. Medical training and research are also outstanding.
- Indiana has several highly respected universities, and Purdue University located an hour’s drive to the north of our school is highly ranked in the world for its excellence in engineering and technology.
- The companies and research institutions in Indianapolis attract a wide range of highly educated foreign workers, including many science and technology workers from China and India, who make an enormous contribution to the economic success of the region and the diversity of the community.
- Indianapolis has an excellent new airport, with flights all round the US. Chicago, one of the truly great American cities, is three hours by car.
What you can expect from us
- ISI is authorized under Federal law to enroll nonimmigrant students.
- We will advise you on entry requirements for the US, and on matters such as medical insurance and bank accounts.
- We will find and verify suitable accommodation, if at all possible in a family with other school-age students, and ensure that daily arrangements for getting to and from school are adequate.
- We will meet you at the airport and take you to your accommodation.
- We will arrange introductory activities to help you settle and become familiar with your new surroundings.
- We will designate a staff member from the school to be your personal supervisor, ensuring that all is well.
What we expect from you
- After you have had a chance to settle in we expect you to take full advantage of being at our school.
- The success of our school depends very much on every student contributing in and outside of the classroom.
- Lessons in our school might be rather different. We ask our students to write projects, give presentations, ask questions and join in discussions.
- We have many clubs and other activities, including sports, that enrich our school and enrich the individuals who participate.
What you will get out of ISI
- Outstanding proficiency in English.
- The IB Diploma (assuming you meet all of the conditions)
- Insights into the American education system
- Rich insight into American life and culture
- Skills that will give you a competitive advantage over others in the 21st Century, including critical thinking, intercultural understanding, independent study skills and teamwork.