The deadline for international applications is May 1.

The Principia Upper School enthusiastically welcomes international student applicants who are regularly attending a Christian Science Sunday School for their 11th (junior) and/or 12th (senior) year of high school. Principia recognizes the wealth of cultural enrichment international students bring to the educational experience of everyone attending the Upper School.

About 300 students from 30-40 states and 10-20 foreign countries attend the Upper School's 9th through 12th grades. Though culturally diverse, every student and faculty member has one thing in common: they are active Christian Scientists. It is expected that all Principia students be sincerely interested in progressing in the understanding and demonstration of Christian Science.

International students who are interested in attending Principia must be prepared spiritually, academically, and socially to enrich their lives through an American high school experience.

Applicants to the Upper School are expected to be seeking a high school degree. We do not offer an enrichment year experience. Students graduating from the Upper School may be eligible to apply to an American university or college. Students expecting to apply to university in their home countries after graduating from the Upper School should verify if the homeland school of their choice accepts an American secondary school degree.

Please contact us by email at enroll@principia.edu or by telephone at 314-434-2100, ext 3612. There is a preliminary application that must be completed before you submit our full application. The entire process must be completed by May 1, 2008 to be considered for the 2008 school year which begins in August 2008.

In order for the student's eligibility for acceptance to be established, the following qualifications or criteria must be met:

• The applicant must have mastery of the English language, which will be verified by the TOEFL (Test Of English as a Second Language). If you think you qualify for an exception from this test, please contact us at enroll@principia.edu. Scores must be forwarded to Principia before the May 1st deadline. For testing, applicants must register at least two months in advance of the desired testing date. Registration for the TOEFL generally closes five weeks before the testing date. A phone conversation with the applicant is also expected.
• The applicant must be an honor student with above average grades in all major academic disciplines.
• International students may apply to Principia for only their junior and/or senior years (11th and 12th grades of high school).
• They must be no older than 17 and no younger than 15 years of age when entering Principia. Exceptions will be considered but are highly unusual.
• One parent must be committed to relying on Christian Science to meet the physical needs of their child and must be a member of The Mother Church and a branch church of Christ, Scientist. Both parents must be willing for the child to depend on Christian Science in case of physical need. The applicant must be living and using Christian Science on a daily basis, including regular attendance at a Christian Science Sunday School. The family must be reachable at all times in case their child has an emergency or special need.
• The school must have both a home and a work telephone number where parents may be reached. A fax number and an e-mail address are also appreciated.

The student's completed application (including all supporting documentation and references) must reach the Admissions Office by May 1st in order to be considered for the following academic year. See the application packet for the checklist of things to do to complete the basic application. The Summary of Educational Experience by Years is an additional requirement for all non-Canadian international student applicants.

If a student intends to apply for financial aid, the financial aid application should be sent to the director of financial aid at Principia at the same time as the application for admissions.

In addition to the costs of tuition, room, and board, an international student's family must be ready to assume financial responsibility for the costs of school books and supplies, student allowances, special services, clothes, and transportation to and from their homeland. The return plane ticket should be an open ticket, which the dorm secretary will hold until the student returns home. Also, the family must make arrangements for the time when school is not in session: three weeks during Christmas, two weeks during spring break, and summer breaks. It is our expectation that all international students return to their home for the summer vacation.

Once the Admissions Committee is in agreement on an acceptance, a letter of Eligibility for Acceptance and a financial aid award letter (if applicable and determined) as well as a new Certification of Finances form are sent. However, full acceptance is not granted until the following is completed:

• You will need to obtain written evidence from a medical authority that the student applicant is free from tuberculosis, as determined by a negative skin test or chest x-ray. The written results of this test must be on a medical doctor's letterhead and signed by the testing official. We would recommend that the chest x-ray be taken if there has been a previous TB immunization. Testing must be performed no earlier than three months prior to arrival in the United States. The testing documentation needs to be received by the Admissions Office as soon as possible (fax: 314-275-3519).
• You must show the ability to cover all expenses while your student is at Principia. This includes tuition, room, board, fees, books, personal expenses, and expenses incurred during vacation breaks. You must certify the total cost for the academic year including travel expenses, minus any financial aid award you have been granted. You must verify this with the new completed Certification of Finances form, which is included with the Eligibility for Acceptance letter sent by Principia.
• The balance due must be wired to Principia in order for the student applicant's visa documents (I-20) and enrollment forms to be mailed to you. Instructions for wiring money will be sent in the Eligibility for Acceptance letter. The money you wire to Principia's bank will be credited to your account. If for some reason your student is unable to enroll the following fall, the entire amount you wire will be returned to you.
• You must show how the student plans to spend the three-week Christmas break, the two-week spring break and the summer vacation. It is Principia's expectation that our international students go to their homeland for summer vacation. Please submit a written plan for where the international student will be over the breaks. If he or she will be in the United States please supply a name and telephone number of where they will be.

Once we receive the above items, the documents needed to obtain the student's visa will be sent. The I-20 form Principia sends will need to be carried back and forth by the student as he/she comes into and goes out of the United States.

Ongoing	Applications mailed to applicants as requested
As soon as possible	Register for and take TOEFL exams
May 1 or sooner	Application submitted
June	Admissions decisions mailed to applicants with enrollment forms
Mid-August	Sports Camp begins
Late August or Early September	School begins

Due to government documents involved, it takes from two to twelve months to process an international application. If the May 1 completion deadline is not met, you may ask to reapply for the following year. It is in the student’s best interest to send required application materials as soon as possible. They do not have to arrive all at once but can be sent as completed.