Applying to GISNY

• Applicants to our Pre-Kindergarten program must be three years old before entering the program and must be completely toilet trained.
• Non-German speaking applicants may be admitted only in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten (Eingangsstufe).
• First grade students must demonstrate a basic understanding of German.  
• Second through twelfth grade applicants must have the ability to perform at grade level in German.
• English fluency is not a prerequisite at any grade level.  Our outstanding English Department provides differentiated instruction for both the novice and native speaker alike, from Pre-K to 12th Grade.

We have a rolling admissions process, which means we do not have a firm application deadline.  We receive the majority of applications September - February.   In our aim to keep the student-teacher ratios low and teaching quality high, once a grade reaches maximum enrollment we will begin a wait-list and you will be informed if a spot opens up for your child.  Our Pre-K and Kindergarten programs tend to fill up quickly.  To improve the likelihood that your child will be admitted, we encourage you to submit your application as early as possible. 

The GISNY lower school application process is conducted through our online application portal.  The application is accessible to families who have been provided a login and password by our admissions team.  In order to receive access to the application portal, families must complete an Inquiry Form for each child. 
 
For an overview of the entire application process, please read Online Admissions Process for Lower School Applicants.
 
Please note that all lower school applicants must provide a confidential reference form to complete their application.  The form can be sent directly to the referring teacher through our online portal or you may download the form here in English or German.

The GISNY upper school application process is conducted through our online application portal.  The application is accessible to families who have been provided a login and password by our admissions team.  In order to receive access to the application portal, families must complete an Inquiry Form for each child.
 
For an overview of the entire application process, please read Online Admissions Process for Upper School Applicants.

You will receive a decision letter in approximately 3-4 weeks after your application is complete, barring no special circumstances. Once you are notified of your child's acceptance, there are additional steps to take in the application portal to process the acceptance.  
 
Acceptance is contingent upon submitting required enrollment information and fees. For an overview of the acceptance process, please read Online Admissions Process for Acceptance Applicants.
 
There are important health forms and immunization information related to enrollment.  Please see the next section for more details.

Immunization records are required for the application process. Please read Important Immunization Information for Parents to understand New York requirements regarding immunizations. See New York State Department of Health_Immunization_Requirement.pdf for further information.  

Rosamaria Figliomeni-Albanese, MPA, Director of the  NYSDOH School Assessment and Compliance Unit:
At this time, the NYSDOH is not issuing exceptions for immunizations because of COVID-19. The Department's stance continues to be that students missing vaccine doses for any reason must comply with Public Health Law Section 2164 requirements. Children entering or attending school in New York State, including summer school and distance learning, must comply with said requirements.

Families must submit a Health Appraisal Form prior to 1st day of school for Pre-K students and due within 30 days of 1st day of school for all other new students.  As required by NY State Law, this must be from a licensed NY State health care provider, either an MD, DO, PA or NP. 

Link to more information:

https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/immunization/schools/school_vaccines/

Required, non-refundable one-time fees for new students are:

• US$350 application fee:  Due upon completion of the online application form.  It is payable only through our online application portal.
• US$1,000 acceptance fee:  Due upon acceptance to hold your child's place in class.  This is not a deposit towards tuition but is a one-time fee only.  It is payable only through our online application portal.

Please note that the above fees are per student.
 
See our Tuition page for the most current tuition information.
 
Additionally, parents who wish to join the GISNY corporation are required to pay a $50 fee per parent, payable through the tuition payment portal.

See our Transportation Page for more information.

German International School New York seeks to assemble a diverse student body.  We will not discriminate in either our admissions process or our education program on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation or national or ethnic origin.

Included here are answers to other frequently asked questions about the admissions process.

What, if any, are the long-term benefits of a bilingual education for my child?
In short, there are many!  We've highlighted some of the latest research findings on bilingualism with this Infographic.  Our Administration would be happy to talk to you in more detail about how your child will reap lasting rewards from a German International School New York education.
 
You will also find more detailed information on the German International Abitur (known in German as the Deutsches Internationales Abitur, or DIA for short) at WWW.DIAP.ORG.
   
Does my child need to be fluent in both German and English to be admitted?  Do we need to speak German at home?
Children do not need to speak or understand German for admission to our Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten programs.  However, applicants to our Lower School (Grades 1 - 4) must demonstrate a basic understanding of German such that they are comfortable participating in classroom activities and homework assignments in German.
 
While you do not need to speak German at home, those children who have opportunities to converse and read in German outside of school have an overall easier time achieving fluency and literacy.  Applicants to our Middle and Upper Schools must be fluent and literate in German.   However, English fluency is not required at any grade level.  Our outstanding English Department provides differentiated instruction for both the novice and native English speaker alike, from Pre-K through 12th grade.