Transfer/International Students

Transfer Students
Students applying for admission to Saint Mary’s College High School as a transfer student in grade 9 or 10 must be in good academic and disciplinary standing at their current school pursuing a college preparatory curriculum, with no D’s or F’s (verification will be required).
Saint Mary’s does not accept 12th grade or mid-year transfers.
The Transfer Application Process:
Once your transfer application has been successfully completed, please submit the following information to your parent portal in the online application checklist:
- A copy of the applicant’s current unofficial high school transcript showing all courses taken and grades/credits received.
- A copy of the applicant’s most recent standardized test scores (if applicable).
- A parent cover letter explaining your child’s interest in Saint Mary’s.
- Multiple letters of recommendation (Recommendations are to be requested and sent through your online application parent portal. Please note: you CANNOT submit requests until your application is completed.)
- Complete the student and parent questionnaires.
Once the Director of Admissions has had an opportunity to review and evaluate the transfer application and academic information, the family will be contacted via email with an assessment. The assessment will address whether or not the applicant has completed and earned sufficient academic achievement to qualify them to fulfill our graduation requirements. No evaluation for admission will be considered unless and until both the transfer application and academic information has been received. If the evaluation is positive, the applicant will be asked make an appointment for a student interview.
International Students
Here are the criteria for international student applicants:
- English Proficiency: Saint Mary's College High School does not offer an ESL (English as a Second Language) program or classes for international students. As a college preparatory high school, proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and understanding English is required. Applicants must provide a SLEP score above 50 or a TOEFL score above 70 as evidence of satisfactory English language skills.
- Housing: We do not have a home boarding program or provide housing for international students. Upon acceptance, students are responsible for planning to reside in a Bay Area home with an adult who will supervise and provide emotional support during their time at Saint Mary's.
- Interview: An interview is an essential part of the admissions process for incoming international students. It helps Saint Mary's College High School administrators learn more about applicants and gives students a chance to ask questions. Interviews, conducted via video conference, usually last 10 to 15 minutes. Additionally, the interview allows us to evaluate a student’s English proficiency. The Admissions Office will contact families to schedule the interview.
- Tuition: Tuition Assistance is not available to international students. More information here.