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Boarding Schools in the US

Where the world comes to learn

On this page we cover boarding schools and outline the means for applying to study in the US. For a complete guide to boarding, including information about admissions, please see our introductory guide.

2. Choosing a school

Our boarding school guide has advice specific to finding boarding schools. For insights that are more general (on how to evaluate school options) we recommend you review our hub on choosing a school. You can also read our guides to questions to ask private schools and questions students get asked at school interviews.

Private school expos

Private school expos are ideal launching pads for your school-finding journey. All expos are held in the fall at a number of centres across Canada. There are three expos hosted in Ontario, one in Toronto, one in Halton-Peel, and one in Ottawa. Expos are also held each fall in Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary. All are opportunities to speak with administrators from leading boarding schools within the regions in which the expos are held.

Parent discussion forum

Word-of-mouth is another powerful tool in your school-finding arsenal. The Our Kids private school discussion forum allows you to discuss your options and debate topics around gifted education. You can use our community of parents, educational experts, alumni, and schools to help answer your questions and stimulate your thinking.

Upcoming open house events

Attending open houses is obviously a great way to learn more about a school and get a feel for the environment. For some advice on open house visits, go here. For questions to ask that are specific to boarding programs, refer to our main boarding school hub.

3. Tuition

Broadly speaking, the cost of boarding reflects the cost private school tuition in general, though with premiums added to cover housing and meals.

Many schools offer financial aid, including scholarships and bursaries. Financial aid is needs-based, and financial aid programs are created as a means of broadening the student base and attracting students, independent of means, who will contribute most to the culture of the school. Generally speaking, the larger and more expensive schools provide the most aid.

You can read more about financial aid and scholarships in our dedicated guide.

Below you'll find the range of costs at United States boarding schools:

Institutional metrics

Academics

Special needs support

Course pedagogies

Extracurricular clubs

Extracurricular sports (competitive)

The United States is home to some of the oldest and most respected boarding schools on the continent, as well as some of the most progressive schools in the world. All participate in a robust, world-class academic tradition that, in many ways, is second to none.

The US is also home to a greater variety of quality boarding options than you'll find in any other part of the world. Included are preeminent schools in the arts, athletics, and military training, as well as schools renowned as pioneers in academic development and special needs. When it comes to boarding options, if you can't find it here, it's very likely that you can't find it anywhere.

Graduation Requirements

Graduation requirements, as well as the degrees offered, can vary between schools based on focus, curriculum, and affiliation. Often, international students who board in the US will work toward the fulfillment of an International Baccalaureate Diploma.

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program

The International Baccalaureate is a two-year advanced secondary school curriculum that was founded in 1968 and is now taught in schools in more than 140 countries, including many alternative institutions in Canada.

The IB curriculum was created for students aged 16 to 19. It is intended to provide a well-rounded, high quality, advanced course of study that delivers the basics of high school education while challenging students to apply their knowledge and skills through collaboration, discussion, and communication.

In order to earn an IB diploma students complete a course of study in six core subject areas (language and literature, language acquisition, individuals and societies, sciences, mathematics, and the arts) an essay of up to 4000 words, and sit standard, externally assessed exams. In addition to course work, students are also required to complete two formal projects and a minimum of 50 hours of community service.

University recognition of the IBDP

Each of Canada's universities is free to sets its own admissions standards and to assess each candidate based on their own internal criteria. There is no national university entrance exam or governing body overseeing university admissions. As a result, admission criteria can vary widely, even between universities within Canada. Students are required to contact colleges or universities directly to find a list of admission requirements and deadlines, and to submit transcripts in support of their application.

While the specific details of recognition can vary between universities—or, in some cases, even between faculty within a university—the IB diploma is widely accepted as an admission credential if scores earned meet certain targets. In some instances, IB courses and exams are recognized for transfer credit within an institution, used in fulfillment of university degree requirements and/or fulfilling course prerequisite requirements.

Visa requirements

NOTE: This is not a legal document, and is intended only to provide a very general overview of the process required of Canadians when applying to study in the United States. For up-to-date information, please refer to the US Department of Homeland Security “Study in the States” guidelines.

Canadians attending high school in the US, including boarding schools, need to enter the country with an F-1 student visa. The visa can be obtained by following these steps:

1. apply to and be accepted by a school that has been approved by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). (If you would like to check if the school you are applying to is SEVP approved, click here.)
2. complete the Form I-20, "Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Status." The school will give you this form along with your acceptance notification. If you are applying to more than one school, each school will send a separate I-20 form. Use only the form for the school you will be attending. The I-20 is proof that you have been registered with the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
3. Check your I-20 form against your passport to confirm that your name is spelled correctly, and that it shows your correct date of birth. If not, contact the school and ask that they send you a corrected I-20.
4. Pay the I-901 SEVIS fee and keep a copy of the receipt. You can pay it online. Print out a copy of the receipt as you’ll need to be able to show that the fee has been paid when you appear for your visa interview.
5. Complete form DS 160, the online nonimmigrant visa application.  
6. Make an appointment for a visa interview at a US embassy or consulate. To find the nearest office to you, click here. At the interview you’ll be asked to demonstrate that you:
   1. 1. have been accepted by a school in the US
      2. are able to pay the tuition and travel costs,
      3. are prepared for the program you’ve been accepted to
      4. don’t intend to remain permanently in the US
7. Be sure to take the following with you when you attend your visa pplication interview:  
   1. 1. Form I–20
      2. I–901 SEVIS fee payment receipt
      3. printout of your DS-160 confirmation page
      4. visa application fee payment receipt
      5. passport valid for at least 6 months after you plan to enter the US
      6. a Two-inch by two-inch photo of yourself
8. Receive your F-1 visa and get ready to go! You can enter the US up to 30 days before the first day of school. When you enter you’ll be asked to show all your documentation, at which point you’ll be given a Form I-94, your arrival/departure record.