International Admission

Flags representing the countries where Country Day families are from.

Cincinnati Country Day School has a diverse and active international family population. Some international students come to Country Day through exchange programs while others come due to the relocation of their family. Many of the outstanding features of our academic and extracurricular programs are detailed on the International Diversity page.

Students who will be relocating to the Cincinnati area with their families from abroad will follow the admission process as outlined in the Application Process pages. Please contact Jennie Bedel (applicants to Early Childhood Program through Pre-KII/Montessori I & II), Donna Legette (applicants to Kindergarten through grade 4) or Elizabeth Habig (applicants to grades 5 through 12) with questions.

International students wishing to study at Country Day for a single year as an exchange student on a F-1 visa must first contact the Admission Office to determine availability of space. International exchange students must:

be applicants to grades 9-11
be approved to study abroad through an accredited exchange agency
hold an active F-1 visa for their year of study in the USA
have secured a homestay for the full duration of their time abroad
be flexible on both the grade level of entry and course selection as determined solely by Country Day

Space availability for one-year exchange students is limited, and first priority for international admission is given to applicants intending to study at Country Day for three years or more in our Upper School.

Students entering grades 8 – 12 who wish to study at Country Day on an F-1 visa must follow the processes outlined below.

International Student application and enrollment process

Application Process
Enrollment Process

Application Process

1. Submit an Application for Admission.
2. Submit the I-20 Preliminary Information Form.
3. Submit all required recommendations and complete transcript
4. Take the Test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL) and submit scores.
NOTE: Our expectations of an international applicant’s TOEFL results are scores of 550/213*/79** or higher. Cincinnati Country Day School TOEFL code: B939
*Paper/Computer based exam
** Internet based score (iBT)
5. Take the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) or the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) and submit scores.
6. Contact the Admission Office to schedule a visit to campus or interview by Skype ®. All visitors must have an application on file, complete with TOEFL and ISEE scores, for the Skype interview or class shadowing to be arranged.

Enrollment Process

1. Accepted students must confirm enrollment by returning the Enrollment Agreement with a non-refundable deposit totaling 25% of the contracted tuition.

2. Present the SEVIS issued I-20 to the embassy at which you are applying for a visa; this visa cannot be granted more than 120 days prior to the student’s course of study registration date. The I-20 will be mailed to you by the Country Day Admission Office.

3. Cincinnati Country Day School is not a residential school and does not provide assistance in finding host families. International students not living with a relative or legal guardian in the immediate area are required to engage the services of a local international agency. Country Day requires all international students to engage the services provided by an local agency, knowing that they may also be represented by another agency in their home country. All international, students, both new and returning, living with a host family must have local agency representation for every year of enrollment, and that agency must approve all homestays as well as provide the school with host family contact information. Agency requirements insure that all of the needs of students, parents, and the School are met. Students must remain with the same agency from initial enrollment to graduation.

4. Upon arrival in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, report to the Country Day Admission Office with your passport, I-20, health records, proof of health insurance, visa and enrollment information.

Cincinnati Country Day School is one of a few local schools granted authority by the US Department of Homeland Security’s Student Exchange and Visitors Program (SEVP) to enroll international students. Once a student arrives and begins school, Country Day will monitor the student’s progress and travel to and from the United States through the Student and Exchange Visitors Information System (SEVIS).

This School Is Authorized Under Federal Law To Enroll Nonimmigrant Alien Students.