International Students
Vacaville Christian Schools has a vibrant student body with international students from around the world.
Each year, Vacaville Christian Schools welcomes international students from around the world. Our school has had applicants from China, Vietnam, Thailand, Mexico, Germany, Ukraine, and South Korea. Students are attracted to VCS’s academically excellent college prep program, the extensive AP course offerings, the highly qualified teaching staff, its fine arts program, the beautiful location, and all the extras the school has to offer.
For the 2022-2023 school year, our application period opened January 1, 2022 and will close May 28, 2022. All applications will be reviewed and we will select candidates for consideration from the pool of applicants. We will schedule an interview with students under consideration via WeChat, phone, or zoom. Upon admittance to VCS, students will be issued a letter of acceptance, an I-20 and students will be required to pay a non-refundable $275 registration fee and $5000 tuition deposit, due by June 1, 2022. The balance of their tuition is due, in total, by July 1, 2022. Students must confirm with the International Program Director, Mayelene.Ripley@go-vcs.com, that they have received an F-1 student visa before we can finalize admission.
Vacaville Christian Schools encourages students from a variety of countries in grades seven through ten, with the intention of graduating from VCS, to apply for admissions. Students from other grades may apply, however we give priority to applicants in grades seven through ten. We do not accept applications for twelfth graders.
International Student Five Pillar Program
Vacaville Christian’s international program is solidly based on five pillars.
We require all incoming international students to take a mandatory two to three week summer language immersion program on our campus prior to the start of school in August. This two to three week course is designed to enhance the student’s language skills in the classroom, expand his or her knowledge of world and American history, and world geography, and to help the student transition to American culture. Our yearly tuition includes the cost of attending this immersion program. Items that are not included in the tuition are home stay and travel costs. At the end of the two to three week, each student will take a TOEFL Junior test to evaluate language growth and determine what additional help we may need to implement to promote the student’s academic success. In addition, we will enroll every international student, if needed, in one period of comprehensive ESL during each normal school day. ESL is also included in the base tuition cost.
Preparing for and applying to college in the U.S. can be complicated. At Vacaville Christian, high school and college counseling begins as early as eighth grade. We assist students with designing high school schedules that qualify them for application to all of the top schools in the U.S. They are administered practice college-board tests in grades 8, 9, 10, and 11. Students also receive training in college essay writing, researching potential colleges, and assistance with the application process. Our international students have a distinct advantage in the college admissions process because colleges and universities find it much easier to determine college readiness and interpret transcripts from U.S. high schools.
Students who study at VCS not only have a better understanding and command of the English language, they are also exposed to American style teaching, which tends to be more participatory than schools in many other countries. Students who do well on placement or standardized achievement tests may still struggle because of the fast pace of the classroom. Our focus is on preparing international students for the level of classroom interaction that will be required on the college level.
While academic performance is extremely important, many things learned by international students happen outside of the classroom. Relationships built with other students, host families, sports team members, and people in the community are important contributors to each student’s future success in college. We want students to succeed in and out of the classroom.
Colleges and universities are interested in every aspect of a student when making an admissions determination. They explore grades, the student’s course of study throughout high school, his or her extracurricular activities, and who he or she is as a person. Universities look for men and women of strong character who develop themselves as leaders and concerned citizens on their way to college. Vacaville Christian offers many opportunities for students to develop in these areas through clubs, student government, ambassador programs, sports, community activities, the arts, etc. Once again, we are here to encourage the student to develop and grow in every area of his or her life.
International Admissions Criteria
Applicants should have the following:
- A high degree of proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking English
- A preference is given to students with a TOEFL Junior minimum score of 750 or higher, a minimum TOEFL score of 70, or ITEP Slate score of 4.0 or higher
- Representatives of a variety of countries
- Open to studying and participating in a Christian environment
- A willingness to immerse themselves in the community and culture at VCS
- A desire to live and positively interact with an American host family. Students are also welcome to live locally with a biological parent(s).
Required Documents
To initiate the admissions process, applicants must submit the following documents to the Vacaville Christian Schools Director of Admissions:
- International students enrollment application
- Educators recommendation form completed by a current teacher
- Official academic transcripts
- Official language score report (we will not process applications until we receive this report)
- A copy of the student’s current passport
- A non-refundable application fee of $275
