AEON School vs German International School of Silicon Valley - Mountain View Campus

	A AEON School San Francisco, United States	G German International School of Silicon Valley - Mountain View Campus San Francisco, United States
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year $11,800 - 39,500	Fees / year $15,500 - 42,225
Age range	Age range 10 - 18 years	Age range 2 - 18 years
Type	Type Online/Hybrid	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum Bespoke Curriculum	Curriculum American Curriculum, Bespoke Curriculum, German Curriculum
Pupils	Pupils 175	Pupils 519
Typical class size	Typical class size —	Typical class size 15
Instruction language	Instruction language English	Instruction language German, English
Opened	Opened 2019	Opened 1999
Bus service	Bus service No	Bus service Yes
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location Global online platform serving grades 5 through 12.	Location GISSV has two campuses in the San Francisco Bay Area: Mountain View and San Francisco. The Mountain View Campus is at 310 Easy Street, Mountain View, CA 94043. The San Francisco Campus is at 117 Diamond Street, San Francisco, CA 94114.
Stages	Stages Grades 5–12 (online).	Stages Mountain View: Preschool–12; San Francisco: Preschool–8.
School type	School type Online private school	School type Independent, nonprofit preschool–12 school with two campuses.
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support —	Additional learning support Inclusion Specialists work with students who benefit from extra support due to learning differences or physical challenges; they collaborate with teachers to adapt curriculum and provide small-group or individualized instruction. Counselors focus on social-emotional learning and overall well-being.
Country affiliation	Country affiliation Global; serves students worldwide.	Country affiliation Germany; dual-language education based on the German curriculum of Thuringia; accredited by the German Government (ZfA) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation Non-religious.	Religious affiliation —
School day structure	School day structure —	School day structure Preschool options include 7:30 am–5:00 pm (Mountain View) or 8:00 am–5:00 pm (San Francisco). For Elementary, classes start at 8:00 am and generally end at 1:50 pm.
Bus service details	Bus service details —	Bus service details —
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Application fee - Application fee: USD 50. This application fee is applied to the student's tuition if the student is offered admission and enrolls. Tuition fees (overview and how they are set) - Aeon School uses a family-based sliding‑scale (Reduced Tuition) model rather than a fixed published tuition by grade. Annual tuition for enrolled students falls within a published range of USD 11,800 to USD 39,500. The final annual tuition for a student is determined by a family's total household income, assets, and the number of children enrolled. This single-family assessment model applies across the school's grades (grades 5–12). - Because tuition is individualized under the sliding scale, the school does not publish fixed per‑grade or per‑term price lists; families receive the specific annual and installment amounts for their household during the admissions/enrollment process. Tuition — typical billing schedule and payment terms - Standard billing: families are invoiced and may pay by bank transfer (standard option). Credit card payments are accepted for an additional small convenience fee. - Standard payment plan: billed in two installments per year, with each installment due prior to the start of each semester. - Pre‑pay annual plan: families may elect to pay the full annual tuition prior to the start of the school year to receive a discount on their annual tuition. - Monthly payment plan: a monthly payment option is available for an additional small administrative fee; families enroll in the monthly plan at contract/enrollment. Boarding fees - Not applicable. Aeon School operates as an online private school (grades 5–12); there are no boarding facilities and no boarding fees. Other charges and typical additional costs - The application fee is the only routinely stated compulsory fee in the admissions information (USD 50, applied to tuition on enrollment). - The school does not publish a mandatory uniform charge or a routine boarding charge. Any optional or incidental costs (for example, external standardized test fees, AP exam fees, course materials, or optional extracurricular costs) would be billed separately or paid by families as applicable; these are not shown as fixed mandatory school fees in the published admissions/tuition materials. Refund information - The application fee is applied to tuition upon enrollment. There is no detailed, publicly posted multi‑line refund policy visible in the school's published admissions and tuition material; specific refund or withdrawal terms (for example, how refunds are handled after invoice/installation payments or mid‑semester withdrawals) are set at enrollment/contract stage and are communicated to families through the enrollment contract and invoice. The application fee's application toward tuition on enrollment is explicitly stated. Fee payment options - Accepted payment methods and arrangements include bank transfer (standard invoice payment) and credit card (accepted with a small convenience fee). Families may choose one of the available payment plans (annual pre‑pay, two‑installment semester billing, or monthly plan with a small fee). Specific invoicing and payment instructions are provided to families when an enrollment contract is issued. Brief note on published detail availability - Aeon publishes a sliding‑scale annual tuition range (USD 11,800–39,500) and an application fee (USD 50). The school does not publish fixed per‑grade or per‑term tariff tables; families receive an individualized annual tuition and the related installment amounts during enrollment. Detailed refund and withdrawal mechanics, any enrollment deposit amount, and itemized mandatory fees beyond the application fee are handled through the enrollment contract and individual billing.	Fee details Application fee - New student application fee (per child): USD 75. One-time and annual school-wide fees - Enrollment fee (annual, per child): USD 825. - Society membership fee (annual, per family account): USD 150. - Facilities fee (annual, per family account): USD 1,250. Rebates and sibling discounts - Loyalty rebate: USD 700 per child after five years of consecutive enrollment; USD 1,200 per child after seven years of consecutive enrollment. - Sibling rebate: 10% off the lower of two tuitions; 20% off the lowest of three (or more) tuitions. Annual tuition — Mountain View campus (2026/27 school year) - Preschool & Kindergarten - Preschool (Ages 2–3) 5‑day AM: USD 26,000. - Preschool (Ages 3–4.11) 5‑day AM: USD 26,900. - Preschool (Ages 3–4.11) 5‑day Full‑Day: USD 35,250. - Kindergarten 5‑day AM (Ages 5–6): USD 26,900. - Kindergarten 5‑day Full‑Day (Ages 5–6): USD 35,250. - Grades 1–12 (Morning Program, 8:00 am–1:50 pm) - Grades 1–4 (annual): USD 27,700. - Grades 5–8 (annual): USD 32,200. - Grades 9–12 (annual): USD 35,750. - Afternoon Program (5 days/week; 2:00–5:00 pm) - Grades 1–4 (annual): USD 6,600. - Grades 5–8 (annual): USD 6,100. Annual tuition — San Francisco campus (2026/27 school year) - Preschool & Kindergarten - Preschool 5‑day AM (Ages 3–4.11): USD 30,550. - Preschool 5‑day Full‑Day (Ages 3–4.11): USD 40,000. - Kindergarten 5‑day AM (Ages 5–6): USD 30,550. - Kindergarten 5‑day Full‑Day (Ages 5–6): USD 40,000. - Grades 1–8 (Morning Program, 8:00 am–1:50 pm) - Grades 1–4 (annual): USD 31,850. - Grades 5–8 (annual): USD 35,300. - Grade 9 (added 2026/27): USD 35,750 (2026/27). - Afternoon Program (5 days/week; 2:00–5:00 pm) - Grades 1–8 (annual): USD 9,200. Per‑term figures (calculation note) - The published tuition rates on the school pages are stated as annual amounts for each program and grade band. The school notes that annual tuition may be prorated for students who start mid‑year; several annual fees are explicitly non‑prorated. The per‑term amounts below are an arithmetic division of the listed annual tuition by three (3) to provide an illustrative per‑term figure for database display where a per‑term field is required. This per‑term breakdown is an arithmetic inference (annual ÷ 3) and is shown only to provide consistent per‑term entries; the school publishes tuition as annual amounts. - Example per‑term (Mountain View, Grades 1–4): Annual USD 27,700 → Per term (illustrative) USD 9,233.33 (27,700 ÷ 3). - Example per‑term (San Francisco, Grades 1–4): Annual USD 31,850 → Per term (illustrative) USD 10,616.67 (31,850 ÷ 3). Billing schedule and payment terms - The school lists the enrollment, society membership and facilities fees as annual charges (fees will not be prorated). Annual tuition is published by program and grade; the school states that annual tuition might be prorated for mid‑year starts. - Visiting students pay a daily fee and must present payment in full by the first day of the visit; guest (non‑U.S. resident) students must pay tuition in full at enrollment (tuition will be prorated for guest students but annual fees may not be). - The school's bylaws note that membership (required for attendance) may be terminated for non‑payment after a written reminder if fees remain unpaid for 30 days following that reminder. Boarding fees - Boarding is not applicable. GISSV operates two day campuses (Mountain View and San Francisco) and does not list boarding or residential options. Other costs and typical additional charges - Afternoon/extended‑care program fees (annual rates listed above) apply if enrolled in those programs. - Parents should expect additional, separate costs for items such as spiritwear/uniforms (Spiritwear store), library and school supplies, field trips, exam fees, and optional extracurricular activities. A school Spiritwear/online store and a Library & School Supplies section are part of the school's published program resources. These items are generally billed or purchased separately from tuition. Refund information - For summer programs, the school publishes a specific refund schedule (examples: full refund within a short cancellation window after registration; staged refunds with decreasing percentages the closer to camp start date), and summer refunds are processed within business days as noted in the camp policy. Summer camp refund rules and schedules are explicit for camp registration. - For visiting/guest student arrangements, visiting students pay per day and that payment is applied to tuition if they enroll full time; guest students must pay in full at enrollment (the site indicates tuition for guest students will be prorated). - Annual enrollment, society membership and facilities fees are presented as non‑prorated annual charges; the school's published material indicates these annual fees will not be prorated. Fee payment options - The school uses an online parent/administration portal for account access and online payments. The school's giving/payments information confirms acceptance of credit card and eCheck (ACH) payments through its secure online payment system; the school also supports payments submitted through the school's parent portals. Historic payment instructions reference the school's online payment portal for one‑time fee payments. Notes on timing and display for a database - The listed tuition numbers are the school's published annual rates for the 2026/27 school year for each campus and program. The school states some fees will not be prorated while annual tuition may be prorated for delayed starts; guest students and visiting students have distinct payment requirements. Use the annual figures as the authoritative amounts and the per‑term figures above only as an arithmetic, illustrative division (annual ÷ 3) if a per‑term field is required by your database.
Diving deeper	Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements	Boarding arrangements —	Boarding arrangements —
Uniform requirement	Uniform requirement —	Uniform requirement —
Food options	Food options —	Food options —
House system	House system —	House system —
Governance and ownership	Governance and ownership —	Governance and ownership —
Academics	Academics
Curriculum details	Curriculum details The school has Great Works as the cornerstone of its education, an interdisciplinary core curriculum that unites English, social studies, science, and the arts through integrated learning. Students read a common set of Great Books and undertake interdisciplinary projects that connect learning to local communities and global issues. Math is taught through Math Inquiry, a problem-based mathematics curriculum modeled on materials developed at Phillips Exeter Academy, fostering collaboration and deep mathematical thinking. Beginning in middle school, students who demonstrate exceptional mathematical talent may apply to the Institute for Advanced Mathematics. Language learning is delivered through Global Passport, a task-based language curriculum that combines project-based learning with authentic practice. Students may study Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian, or Spanish.	Curriculum details GISSV provides preschool-12 dual-language education in German and English at two Bay Area campuses. All programs are bilingual and based on the Thuringian curriculum with English and California standards integrated. A multilingual curriculum begins in preschool and adds language courses in grade 6 (French in Mountain View; Spanish in Mountain View and San Francisco). The upper grades follow the German education structure and prepare for Hauptschulabschluss, Realschulabschluss, German International Abitur and the California High School Diploma. Graduates earn two diplomas—the German International Abitur and the California High School Diploma—enabling admission to universities in the United States, Germany and other European countries. Student-teacher ratios average under 20:1 at school and about 10:1 in preschool; the school is accredited by the German government and Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio —	Student teacher ratio Student-teacher ratios average under 20:1 at school and about 10:1 in preschool.
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results —
Higher education progression	Higher education progression Aeon graduates pursue a wide spectrum of pathways, from Ivy/Ivy-equivalent universities and selective private research institutions to public flagships, small liberal arts colleges, and specialized programs in engineering, design, business, STEM, and the arts. They are prepared not only to enter competitive programs but to thrive in them. University counseling lists acceptances to Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, Stanford University, the University of California system (including Berkeley and UCLA), and New York University, among many others.	Higher education progression Graduates earn two diplomas—the German International Abitur and the California High School Diploma—enabling admission to universities in the United States, Germany and other European countries.
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented Starting in middle school, students who demonstrate exceptional mathematical talent may apply to the Institute for Advanced Mathematics.	Gifted and talented Differentiated learning opportunities with individualized learning plans support entering students; small class sizes facilitate personalized attention.
Academic calendar	Academic calendar —	Academic calendar —
Wellbeing & support	Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning	Social & emotional learning —	Social & emotional learning —
Special educational needs (SEN)	Special educational needs (SEN) —	Special educational needs (SEN) —
English as an additional language	English as an additional language —	English as an additional language —
Mental wellbeing	Mental wellbeing —	Mental wellbeing —
Safeguarding	Safeguarding —	Safeguarding —
Safeguarding policy	Safeguarding policy —	Safeguarding policy —
Facilities	Facilities
Facilities overview	Facilities overview —	Facilities overview —
Sports facilities	Sports facilities —	Sports facilities —
Academic facilities	Academic facilities —	Academic facilities —
Extra curricular facilities	Extra curricular facilities —	Extra curricular facilities —
Parent experience	Parent experience
History	History —	History —
Community	Community —	Community —
Parent teacher association	Parent teacher association —	Parent teacher association —
Extra-curricular	Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual	Academic & intellectual —	Academic & intellectual —
Arts & creative	Arts & creative —	Arts & creative —
Cultural & language	Cultural & language —	Cultural & language —
Social & hobbies	Social & hobbies —	Social & hobbies —
Community & service	Community & service —	Community & service —
Leadership & professional	Leadership & professional —	Leadership & professional —
Lifestyle & wellbeing	Lifestyle & wellbeing —	Lifestyle & wellbeing —
Language provision	Language provision
Language provision	Language provision —	Language provision —
Bilingual teaching	Bilingual teaching —	Bilingual teaching —
Immersion programs	Immersion programs —	Immersion programs —
Reputation	Reputation
Awards	Awards —	Awards —
Accreditations	Accreditations —	Accreditations —
Admissions	Admissions
Admissions	Admissions Applications are open for August 2026 and are reviewed on a rolling basis. The requirements include a $50 application fee; Admissions Application (Parent/Guardian Portion) and Admissions Application (Student Portion); Academic Records (unofficial, last 1–2 years); Teacher Evaluation; Additional Supplements (optional) such as letters of recommendation, portfolio, writing samples, and/or individualized learning plans; SSAT and/or Character Skills Snapshot are accepted. The process also includes a 45-minute Parent Meeting and a 30-minute Student Interview, and there is an optional Reduced Tuition Program Application for need-based tuition assistance.	Admissions The school welcomes students of all cultural and ethnic backgrounds and serves students from two to eighteen years old. The enrollment period begins in January and February of each year for the upcoming school year, and new students may be admitted throughout the school year based on availability. Knowledge of the German language is required for all children who enroll after 1st grade, and there is a German Fast Track Program.
Scholarships	Scholarships AEON School is the official school partner of USA Fencing. Two scholarships are made available to members of the USA Fencing community. Rise Scholars: AEON partners with Rise to identify 100 Global Winners each year and AEON has offered 17 full scholarships to Rise Winners and Finalists in the Classes of 2022–25.	Scholarships The school offers need-based financial aid for students entering grades K through 12. A professional third-party reviewer assesses household income/assets and each family's ability to pay. The school makes every effort to meet demonstrated need of admitted or enrolled financial aid applicants, but resources are not always sufficient. Applicants are encouraged to apply; however, there is no guarantee that aid will be fulfilled or that it will be fulfilled at the level requested. Because of high demand and deadlines, all documents must be submitted by the prescribed deadlines for returning and new students. Currently enrolled families must be up-to-date on tuition payments to be eligible. Aid decisions are communicated before enrollment, and all information is kept confidential. New students must submit a school application before financial aid is considered, and contact admissions for an access code. The next financial aid application period is for the 2026-2027 school year, with award decisions by April 30, 2026, and the school must receive all required enrollment documents beforehand. To apply, families use the Clarity platform; steps include starting the application, adding the school to the entry, entering financial information, paying a $65 Clarity fee, and completing the Enhanced Tax Verification if required. International families may need to provide translated income documentation.[source: turn2view0]
Waitlist	Waitlist —	Waitlist —
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