Applying to AISC

The most important decision you can make for your child’s future is where they go to school. Let us be an anchor for you and your child here in Chennai.

At AISC, we take pride in being able to continuously inspire a love of life-long learning in our students and fostering a sense of connectedness for our entire community. Here’s where you can be assured that your children are nurtured, where their safety is paramount, and they are encouraged to grow holistically. 

Our commitment to our Mission, Core Values, and Vision for future-ready AISC Learners is what makes us who we are—together we practice being courageous, compassionate, collaborative, and creative while appreciating our diversity and staying resilient.

Our world-class faculty is the engine of success at AISC and we are prepared to provide flexible, sustainable programs to support the continuous learning of our students. Since 2020, AISC has proven to be nimble and responsive by providing virtual, hybrid, and in-person support for students. We are also ready to welcome new families to our community.

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Before you begin the application process, please be sure to first read the information below. It is important that you review ALL information before you progress to the inquiry and application stage. You can also download all information and admissions-related policies below:

Admissions Policy Document   English   French   Korean   Japanese

Admissions Standards

Admission in all cases is contingent upon a determination by the Admissions Director and/or Head of School that:

  • The student will be able to meet the School’s academic standards;
  • The student has exhibited acceptable behavior in his/her previous school;
  • The School will be able to meet any special needs of the student; and
  • The student will embrace the School’s Mission.

Celebrating Diversity

The American International School Chennai celebrates diversity in our community. The School ensures that each student is treated with dignity and respect and protected from intimidation, discrimination, physical harm and/or harassment from other students and/or school staff. The School treats all students equally regardless of gender, race, national or ethnic identity, sexual orientation or religion in allowing them access to courses of study, career guidance, preparation and qualifying examinations for further study, athletics and extracurricular activities. School regulations, communications and staff development opportunities shall reinforce these expectations.

We understand that enrolling families are coming from and going onto a variety of educational systems that may or may not be similar to the grade name, curriculum and instruction they will encounter at AISC. Some parents initially wonder if age-appropriate grade placement beyond a student’s chronological age might be necessary to insure sufficient academic rigor for their student. In fact, in choosing AISC, you have chosen to enroll your student in a program explicitly committed to providing children with both a challenging academic curriculum and many comprehensive opportunities for social, emotional, musical and athletic development. Regardless of the month of enrollment, the student must have reached the required age for his or her intended entry grade on or before August 31st of the school calendar year.

The minimum age requirements for School enrollment are as follows:

For Child Enrolling InAge GuidelinesOn or Before *
Preschool 3*3 yearsAugust 31st
Preschool 44 yearsAugust 31st
Kindergarten5 yearsAugust 31st
Grade 16 yearsAugust 31st

*To enter the Preschool program, a child must not only meet the minimum age requirement above but also be toilet trained and not reliant upon a feeding bottle throughout the day.

The criteria for enrollment into all other grades shall be based not only on age, but also on school records, academic achievement, grade level completion and sequential studies in an American-based curriculum school. High School placement shall be determined by both the student’s age at the time of enrollment, and the number of high school credits that may have been previously earned. Students, whose age at high school graduation would exceed by two years the normal age for graduation, would not normally be enrolled in the School.

The American International School Chennai (AISC) is authorized by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) as an American Embassy School in India. With reference to Indian nationals, the School’s admissions policy is required to enforce regulations issued by the MEA of the Government of India. An Indian national applicant/passport holder seeking admission to AISC must meet all three of the following criteria, as set forth by the MEA, to be eligible to apply for admission.

  • The student should have come from an American/international system of education and has to return to the American/international system of education.
  • The parents of the student are likely to stay in India for a period of only two or three years.
  • The student is in a critical stage of education and studying at AISC is important for the student’s education.

AISC’s intent is not to restrict admission but to assure that we are working appropriately within regulatory expectations. We expect that parents of all Indian applicants provide a signed corporate letter indicating duration of their stay in Chennai for a period of 2–3 years, and a signed AISC Indian National Declaration validating all three MEA criteria. We will periodically review the transient status of Indian parents whenever it is deemed necessary.

AISC supports English language acquisition consistent with our demographic situation through, but not limited to, human resources and the highest ratio of credentialed EAL teachers to students in the Near East South Asia (NESA) region. EAL specialists and classroom teachers work together to support additional language acquisition and academic achievement as part of the mainstream environment.

AISC is a multi-cultural institution with an education program based on an American curriculum. English is the primary language of instruction and communication. AISC serves the educational needs of the expatriate population in Chennai.

  • English language proficiency is measured as part of the admission process for students entering Grades 9 – 12 and the second semester of Grade 8.
  • For students entering Grades 1 through Grade 8, their English language proficiency is measured once they have been admitted to the School. This data is used in a variety of ways, depending upon the division the student is entering.


Frequently Asked Questions

AISC admits students on a rolling basis throughout the school year. Space availability is always changing as most of our families are globally mobile. We strongly advise families to complete their application formalities as early as possible. After we reach capacity in a grade level, favorably reviewed applicants will be placed in a waitpool. In a waitpool situation, priority is given to current families that are re-enrolling and the children of U.S. government employees.

You can find the current calendar here (2023–2024).

 

AISC has a rolling admissions policy. Students apply and are accepted continuously throughout the year and their start dates are scheduled accordingly. While our largest cohorts of new students begin in August and January, many new students begin at different times throughout the school year.

AISC accepts applications for admission throughout the year on a rolling basis. While there are no set application deadlines, it is always best to get in touch with the Office of Admission as early as possible, especially for those planning a relocation to Chennai. The AISC school year runs from early August through early June.

Once the re-enrollment process for our current students is complete, we start admitting new students. This generally begins in March/April for an August start. Ideally, families wanting to be considered for an August start will have their applications complete no later than the first week of May. But the earlier the better!

This can vary across classrooms and grade levels but generally there are no more than 20 students in a classroom, with the typical number of students ranging from 12 to 20.

AISC is a school for day students only. There are no boarding facilities or provisions for students whose parents/guardians live and work outside of Chennai.

There are no school uniforms. Students are expected to present themselves neatly and appropriately while at school and at school sponsored events.

The regular school day starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. On Wednesdays, students are dismissed at 2:30 to allow for faculty and staff professional development. Most students participate in extra-currricular activities including sports and clubs that meet after school and sometimes before school.

The school cafeterias are open throughout the school day. The cafeterias offer full meals and a la carte lunch options along with drinks and snacks. There are both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, and Indian and Continental options.

AISC is centrally located in Chennai, offering families many convenient options. Most of our families live in the towns on the East Coast and Old Mahabalipuram Roads in South Chennai up to the Nungambakkam area in central Chennai—and many of the areas in between like Velachery.