Dipont Huayao Collegiate School Kunshan vs Soong Ching Ling School

	D Dipont Huayao Collegiate School Kunshan Shanghai, China	S Soong Ching Ling School Shanghai, China
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year RMB 137,000 - 192,000	Fees / year RMB 84,000 - 200,000
Age range	Age range 2 - 18 years	Age range 6 - 18 years
Type	Type Co-educational (boarding)	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum Chinese National Curriculum, American Curriculum	Curriculum Chinese National Curriculum
Pupils	Pupils —	Pupils 1,700
Typical class size	Typical class size —	Typical class size —
Instruction language	Instruction language English, Mandarin	Instruction language English, Mandarin
Opened	Opened —	Opened 2008
Bus service	Bus service No	Bus service No
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location Dipont Huayao Collegiate is on East Jingwang (Jingwang East) Road in the Kunshan Economic & Technological Development Zone (Kunshan, Suzhou, Jiangsu). It is in the Kunshan/greater-Suzhou area, within commuting distance of Shanghai, and reachable by local road links—parents relocating should check local transit or taxi routes from Kunshan or Suzhou.	Location Soong Ching Ling School is on Ye Hui (Yehui) Road in the Zhaoxiang area of Qingpu District, on the western edge of Shanghai; the school gives the campus a suburban, residential setting. The website lists the campus address as No.2 Yehui Rd, Qingpu District (Zhaoxiang), and the school's own profile describes a large, green campus in Zhaoxiang.
Stages	Stages The school is described as an all-through campus serving early years through upper school: a preschool (ages around 2–6), an elementary school (Grades 1–5), a middle school (Grades 6–8) and an upper school (Grades 9–12).	Stages The school comprises both Domestic and International divisions and offers primary, middle and high school provision; the International Division serves grades 1–12.
School type	School type Dipont Huayao Collegiate is a co-educational, independent international/bilingual school operated by Dipont Education in partnership with the No.2 High School Affiliated to East China Normal University. The school offers both day places and boarding (boarder provision is noted in school information).	School type Soong Ching Ling is a co-educational day school with separate Domestic and International divisions operating on the same campus. The public information does not indicate boarding provision.
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support Public-facing information highlights integrated academic and student‑life/pastoral programmes but does not publish a detailed special educational needs (SEN) policy online. If your child requires specific SEN or additional learning support (assessments, one‑to‑one support, therapy services, exam access arrangements), contact the admissions office for the school's current provisions and formal policy.	Additional learning support The school describes bilingual/co-teaching arrangements (Chinese and Western teachers in classes) and separate Chinese-language tracks for native speakers and additional‑language learners, which supports language differentiation. The website does not publish a detailed public policy about formal Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision, so parents requiring specific SEN services should contact Admissions to discuss individual needs and available support.
Country affiliation	Country affiliation The school is registered and based in China and is run by Dipont Education in partnership with East China Normal University's affiliated high school; it delivers a Sino‑American/blended Chinese–American curriculum rather than being formally affiliated to another country's government.	Country affiliation SCLS is a Chinese school founded and funded by the China Welfare Institute (established in memory of Madame Soong Ching Ling); it is not affiliated to a foreign country.
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation No religious affiliation is listed on the school's public information; it presents as a secular bilingual/international school.	Religious affiliation The school does not list any religious affiliation; its materials present an educational and cultural mission rather than a faith-based one.
School day structure	School day structure The school's public pages and published brochure do not show specific daily start/finish times or the exact timing of breaks and lunch. For the most accurate day‑time schedule (term dates, start/end time, break and lunch arrangements), contact admissions before you relocate.	School day structure Public listings indicate a typical school day beginning in the early morning and finishing in the mid‑afternoon (examples found: about 08:00–15:30 or 08:15–15:50 in third‑party school listings). Exact daily start/finish times and break/lunch schedules can vary by division and year, so please confirm current hours with Admissions.
Bus service details	Bus service details There is no detailed, publicly posted information about a school bus provider or routes on the school's website pages reviewed. Many international schools in the region run parent‑arranged or school‑organised shuttle services, but Dipont Huayao Collegiate does not publish routes or a provider on its public pages—please contact admissions to request current bus/transport options, route maps and costs. Admissions contact shown on public pages: admissions@huayaocollegiate.com and the school phone numbers listed online. }	Bus service details The school operates a formal school-bus service with multiple morning and afternoon routes for Primary, Middle and High School; route maps and timetables are published on the school website. The school's published fees (2024–25 pages) list bus transport charges in the range RMB 1,000–1,200 per month (distance-dependent). Parents can view route details and downloadable timetables on the school's School Bus Service pages or contact Admissions for route availability at your address.
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Application fees - No separate, publicly published application or registration fee was found for Dipont Huayao Collegiate School Kunshan in the official school material and major school-directory summaries reviewed. Tuition fees (by term and by year group) - Early years / Kindergarten (Nursery / K1–K3): RMB 68,500 per semester — equivalent to RMB 137,000 per year. - Primary (Grades 1–6): RMB 75,000 per semester — equivalent to RMB 150,000 per year. - Junior middle (Grades 7–9): RMB 85,000 per semester — equivalent to RMB 170,000 per year. - Senior / International high school (Grades 10–12): RMB 96,000 per semester — equivalent to RMB 192,000 per year. Billing schedule and payment terms - Published tuition figures are quoted on a per-semester basis; annual totals above are the sum of two semesters. Parents are required to complete payment as part of the enrolment/registration process for each semester. Evidence from school admissions material for Dipont-group schools shows tuition and other fees are normally collected when new students complete admission/registration formalities. - Specific deadlines for semester payments and late‑payment penalties were not publicly detailed in the school pages and directories reviewed. Boarding fees (if applicable) - The school does offer boarding; published notices indicate boarding availability begins in the lower grades (sources state boarding is offered from around Grade 3 in some notices and from Grade 5 in others). No separate, consistent boarding‑fee amount was published in the material reviewed. If boarding is required, expect an additional charge beyond the tuition figures above. Other costs and typical additional charges - Uniforms: A school uniform is part of student requirements at most comparable schools; no fixed uniform cost was publicly listed for this school in the documents and directories checked. - Meals, textbooks, consumables and exam fees (AP/standardised tests): These items are commonly billed separately at comparable international schools; no consolidated line items for these costs were published alongside the tuition figures for this school. - School transport: the school operates school‑bus routes serving Kunshan and nearby areas according to admissions notices; specific bus fares were not published. - Optional / one‑off charges (enrolment deposits, activity trips, learning‑support fees, insurance): no firm amounts for such one‑off or optional charges were publicly listed for Dipont Huayao Collegiate School Kunshan in the sources reviewed. Refund information - No school‑level refund policy or detailed refund schedule (for tuition, deposits or other fees) was publicly available in the admissions/fee notices and directories consulted. Where a school does publish refund terms they are usually included with the enrollment paperwork; no such terms were located in the public listings reviewed. Fee payment options - The school's public pages did not list a definitive menu of payment channels for Dipont Huayao Collegiate School Kunshan. For other Dipont‑group campuses and similar international schools in the region, common payment channels include corporate bank transfer for institutional payments and on‑site/QR payments for parent payments; electronic invoicing via the school finance/Engage system is used by related Dipont schools. Specific payment methods for this Kunshan campus were not published in the material reviewed. Notes and summary - The tuition values above are those published in public school-directory notices and school admissions summaries and are given per semester with the corresponding annual totals shown. Where a single term figure was reported, I have listed the semester figure and the two‑semester annual equivalent. - Several admissions and school‑information pages for the school repeat the same per‑semester tuition bands (Kindergarten RMB 68,500; Primary RMB 75,000; Junior middle RMB 85,000; Senior high RMB 96,000). Boarding and many ancillary fees are not presented as fixed public line items in the documents reviewed. If you would like this presented in a different currency or formatted for a database field, I have provided the figures here in Chinese renminbi (RMB) per your request.	Fee details Application fees - No application or registration fee is charged during the online application process; applications are accepted without a one‑time registration charge. Tuition fees (per term and per school year) — International Division - Primary (Grades 1–5): RMB 70,000 / semester; RMB 140,000 / school year. - Middle (Grades 6–8): RMB 90,000 / semester; RMB 180,000 / school year. - Secondary (Grades 9–12): RMB 100,000 / semester; RMB 200,000 / school year. Tuition fees (per term and per school year) — Domestic/China Division - Primary (Grades 1–5): RMB 42,000 / semester; RMB 84,000 / school year. - Middle (Grades 6–9): RMB 52,000 / semester; RMB 104,000 / school year. - Domestic high school figures are published separately where applicable (see school listings). Billing schedule and payment terms - Fees are quoted on a per‑semester basis (two semesters per academic year); published tuition amounts are given per semester and per school year. The school notes it may change fees without prior notice. Boarding fees - No boarding program or boarding fees are listed in the school's public fee schedules; published fees relate to day‑school tuition, meals, transport and activities. Other costs and recurring charges - Meal / lunch: Primary day meal shown as RMB 38 / day (Grades 1–4); Grade 5 meal optional. Middle/high school have optional meal arrangements billed separately. - School bus: RMB 1,000 – RMB 1,200 / month (route/distance dependent). - Activity/field‑trip fee: RMB 300 (per stated period). - Uniforms and incidental supplies: costs are not itemised in the public fee pages and are listed separately by the school when required. Refund information and payment methods - The school's public admissions and fee pages do not publish a detailed public refund policy or specific accepted payment methods (bank transfer, card, etc.) on the pages reviewed; the school states only that fees may be changed by the school. Parents should rely on the school's official fee invoice/finance office for payment instructions and any refund terms. Summary of coverage: published per‑semester and per‑year tuition, meal, transport and activity charges for both International and Domestic divisions are provided above; the school's public admissions pages do not publish detailed payment channels or a stand‑alone refund policy on the pages reviewed.
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 Dipont Huayao Collegiate School Kunshan runs a Preschool through Grade 12 programme (Preschool, Elementary, Middle and Upper School). Preschool uses an integrated bilingual early‑years approach, while Elementary and Middle combine the Chinese national curriculum with international standards such as the American Common Core/NGSS and include a layered English‑medium pathway (middle grades levels CP, CP‑A, ECP and ECP‑I). The Upper School delivers a Sino‑American high‑school curriculum developed with U.S. partners (e.g., Shattuck‑St. Mary's), offers honors/ECP/AP track options, and is an authorized College Board AP school (AP code 694680) with students prepared to sit AP exams. Across all stages the school emphasises bilingual instruction, STEAM, arts and co‑curricular learning with personalised learning plans and advisory support; students may be placed or move between instructional levels based on assessment. The school issues standard Chinese full‑time elementary/middle/upper school graduation certificates and prepares students for AP qualifications and international university entry.	Curriculum details Soong Ching Ling School's International Division teaches primarily in English and follows an American-style Common Core framework with Advanced Placement (AP) options in the upper years; the school holds Cognia accreditation and operates as an AP and SAT test center. Primary (Grades 1–5) combines the Chinese national curriculum with U.S. Common Core standards; most subjects are taught in English while Chinese and mathematics begin in Chinese and mathematics transitions to English around Grade 5. Middle school covers seven core disciplines (English, math, science, social studies, arts, world languages, PE/health) and requires students from Grade 6 to study an additional language (currently French or Spanish). High school follows a “fusion” model with English-language modules, UCLA modules, and a range of elective AP courses across disciplines (including AP Chinese, sciences and arts) to prepare students for university admission; AP courses are offered as optional accelerated electives. The school also runs extracurricular and competitive programmes (AMC, Waterloo Math, IMMC, robotics, debate, etc.) and maintains separate native‑speaker and additional‑language Chinese tracks to meet differing student language backgrounds.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio —	Student teacher ratio —
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results —
Higher education progression	Higher education progression —	Higher education progression —
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented —	Gifted and talented —
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 1. First contact and school visit — Start by contacting the school to request information, book a campus tour or an open day, and confirm application windows. The school runs public recruitment notices and open‑day dates (for example, the school published open‑day dates and recruitment notices for the 2025 intake). Parents should confirm whether the open day is for a particular year group and prepare identification (parent ID and child documents) for on‑site registration. 2. Submit an application — Complete the school's application form (online or paper) and provide the required documents: the child's passport or ID, recent school reports or transcripts, birth certificate, immunisation records, and parent/guardian contact and residency documents. For some year groups the school asks applicants to register through local online enrolment systems when relevant (the school's 2025 notices referenced the local Kunshan enrolment system for certain cohorts); private applicants typically submit direct applications to the school's admissions office. Parents should check deadlines (schools often publish specific application windows in spring for autumn entry) and whether an application fee or supporting forms (eg. guardian forms, translation/notarisation) are needed. 3. Assessment and interview — Applicants usually take an age‑appropriate assessment or attend an interview: play‑based assessments for early years, English and mathematics tests for primary and middle grades, and subject/portfolio assessments or English interviews for older students. Dipont schools and the Kunshan campus have reported using entrance interviews and tests as part of admission screening; expect the school to schedule either an on‑campus assessment or an online interview if you are overseas. Parents should prepare copies of recent term reports and, for older students, any standardised test scores or sample work the school requests. 4. Offer, deposit and contract — If the school offers a place you will typically receive an offer letter with the fee schedule, deadline to accept and the required deposit or guarantee to hold the place. The school's published fee figures (see Fees) indicate a range by year group; be ready to confirm whether the quoted fee is for day‑student or includes boarding, and to ask what is refundable and the payment deadlines. Parents should read the enrolment contract carefully for billing cycles (semester vs annual), cancellation and refund terms, and any additional compulsory charges (meals, insurance, buses). 5. Registration, visa/guardianship and local formalities — After accepting an offer you will complete registration paperwork with the school and, where applicable, arrange visa/guardianship documentation for international students. The school is registered with local education authorities and issues certificates on completion; local regulations can affect which students may be admitted and what residency/visa documents are required, so confirm with the school which proofs they need (eg. passports, residence permits, parents' work or residence documentation). If your child is a Chinese national living overseas or a resident of Hong Kong/Macao/Taiwan, different documents may be required—ask admissions for a checklist. 6. Pre‑start arrangements and orientation — The school will publish orientation dates, transport/bus routes and boarding move‑in procedures (the school's public notices include school bus routes and a boarding option). Before term starts, check uniform lists, start‑of‑term medical checks or vaccinations the school requires, and the timetable for parent‑teacher communications. Parents should also confirm who to contact for day‑to‑day questions (admissions office phone/email) and how tuition invoices will be issued.	Admissions 1. Confirm eligibility and category. Before you start an application, check that your family meets one of the school's admission categories (for the International Division these include: a working parent who holds a foreign passport with an alien employment permit in Shanghai; families from Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan working in Shanghai; a PRC parent with a child who has a foreign birth certificate; or a family holding a SHMEC waiver). Parents should review these categories carefully because eligibility is governed by Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (SHMEC) rules and the school requires applicants to fall into one of the listed categories. 2. Download the admissions booklet and check grade/age placement. The school publishes an Admissions Booklet and a Grade Level Placement chart (the Grade 1 age cut‑off is noted on the site — e.g., children entering Grade 1 should be 6 years old with a birthdate no later than August 31). Download and read those documents so you understand age cut‑offs, required certifications and any local policy references before you complete the application. 3. Create an online account and submit the application. For Grades 6–12 the site directs applicants to create an account and apply through the school's online portal (the page links to the school's application portal and confirms you will receive a confirmation email after submission); follow the portal instructions and check your email (including spam folders) for next steps. Use the portal linked on the school's admissions pages and keep the account credentials — the school uses that account for event registration and follow‑up correspondence. 4. Prepare and upload required documents. The school's admissions pages list documents you should have ready: passports or ID, evidence of parent work/permit status (where required), the child's birth certificate, and student school reports (the site specifically requests the past two years' school reports for transfer applicants and notes that Grade 1 applicants are an exception). 5. Note agency/fee and technical details. The school states you do not need to use agencies to apply and that the school does not charge a registration fee during the application; technical recommendations (preferred browsers) are provided to avoid submission problems. Parents should rely on the school's official portal and the admissions email rather than third‑party intermediaries. 6. Expect follow‑up from admissions and (if necessary) requests for additional information. The admissions pages do not provide a step‑by‑step description of assessments or interviews on the public pages, so after you submit the application watch for school emails asking for more documents, interview scheduling, placement checks or other next steps. If you need to confirm whether an assessment or interview will be required for your child's grade, contact the admissions centre directly (phone and email appear on the admissions pages). 7. Offers, acceptance and fees. The school publishes tuition figures and other fees on its admissions pages (see the school's 2024–2025 fee schedule linked on the site) — if an offer is made the admissions office will issue next steps about acceptance and payment. Because published fees can change and the school's pages include a fee‑change disclaimer, confirm the exact fees and payment deadlines with the admissions office for the year you plan to enroll.
Scholarships	Scholarships The school has publicly advertised a scholarship programme. In 2023 the school launched an “HC Scholarship” programme that named several categories (for example: a navigation/entry scholarship, a principal's nomination, subject‑competition awards and standardised‑test excellence awards). Local school listings and admissions notices indicate scholarships are awarded based on entrance exam performance, in‑school academic results and competition/standardised test outcomes; specific award criteria, application or nomination procedures and the percentage (or amount) of tuition covered are determined by the school and should be confirmed with admissions. If you are interested in scholarship support, ask admissions for the current scholarship types, eligibility thresholds (eg. minimum test scores or prize/competition results), application deadlines and whether an award is a one‑off discount or renewable each year.	Scholarships The school's International Division admissions pages do not list any routine tuition scholarships or financial‑aid programs for applicants. The public pages focus on eligibility, application procedures and published tuition/meal/transport fees (for example, the site shows tuition and optional meal and bus charges for the 2024–2025 year) and do not describe merit or need‑based awards for International Division students. The broader Soong Ching Ling/China Welfare Institute history references Soong Ching Ling awards in other contexts, but that is not the same as an advertised school tuition scholarship on the International Division admissions pages. If you are seeking fee assistance, scholarships, or awards, ask the Admissions Office directly which (if any) financial‑support options or external awards may be available to enrolled students and whether there are separate application steps for them.
Waitlist	Waitlist —	Waitlist The school's public admissions pages for the International Division do not describe a formal waitlist or pool system. The admissions information focuses on eligibility categories, required documents and online application steps but does not state whether applicants who cannot be placed immediately are added to an official waitlist. Because many Shanghai international schools manage limited places and local demand can fluctuate, if you need to know current availability or whether the school operates a waitlist for your child's grade, contact the Admission Center (admission.center@scls-sh.org or the phone numbers listed on the school site) and ask how they handle overflow and waiting applicants.
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