China, Guangzhou
Let the school know you're thinking of applying — they can share their prerequisites and help you through the process.
It's best to ask — circumstances can change at any time.
1. Prepare to apply — Confirm eligibility and gather documents. UISZ accepts only students holding valid foreign passports or residents of Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan; children holding PRC passports are not eligible to enrol. Parents should assemble the required documents before starting the online application: passports and residency documentation for parents and the student, the student's birth certificate, a passport photo, at least two years of school reports (with verified English translations if needed), a recent vaccination record, and any learning‑support or medical reports if applicable. Having these ready avoids delays, because the Admissions Office requires uploads during the application and may not process incomplete submissions.
2. Submit the online application (OpenApply) and pay the application fee. Applications are submitted through the school's OpenApply portal; within the portal you will upload the documents listed above and request a confidential reference from the student's most recent teacher or principal (for Years 1–12). The non‑refundable application fee is RMB 2,000 and the school will not process the application without this payment; families who are currently outside mainland China may submit passport copies first and supply visa/residence permits later. Depending on the student's age and prior English experience, the school may require an English assessment as part of the application; after submission the Admissions Office schedules an interview with the Head of Division.
3. Admissions review — school assesses fit and capacity. Admission decisions are made by school leaders (Head of Division, Head of Admissions, and Head of School) based on whether the student can benefit from UISZ's programmes, the school's capacity to meet the student's needs, results of any assessments, references, and the availability of places. The school is inclusive and aims to support English Language Learners and students with mild learning needs, but may decline admission where it judges enrolment would not be in the best interests of the student or school (for example serious past disciplinary expulsions or lack of appropriate documentation). Parents should be prepared to provide clear academic records and, when relevant, detailed learning‑support documentation so the school can evaluate capacity to meet needs.
4. Admissions response and wait pool. After review you will receive a formal admissions response: an offer will be accompanied by an official enrolment letter and a debit note listing payment deadlines required to secure the place. If the year level applied for is full, UISZ may place the child in a wait pool (referred to on the site as a “wait pool”); if a space becomes available the Admissions Office will contact parents to discuss the enrollment timeline. If denied, the school will issue a formal letter explaining the reasons for refusal. Parents should act promptly on any debit note to secure a place and confirm timelines for deposit and tuition payment.
5. Confirm enrolment and pay tuition (timing, inclusions, and discounts). Tuition is charged either annually or by semester; day tuition is stated as inclusive of meals, textbooks, after‑school activities and a contribution towards field trips. UISZ's published tuition schedule includes specific per‑year/grade fees for the 2025–26 academic year and the school offers a 5% discount for full‑year payments made in advance before the specified deadline (May 1, 2025 for the 2025–26 schedule). Parents should review the exact annual or semester amounts for their child's year group (these are listed in the school's tuition charts) and check the payment deadlines on the enrolment debit note.
6. Boarding, transport, sibling bursary and other levies. Boarding is charged separately (rates shown for 5‑day and 7‑day boarding, plus daily flexi options); transportation is optional and charged by zone for day and 5‑day boarders (the transport levy is subsidised by the school). UISZ also publishes a sibling bursary that applies to the second and subsequent concurrently enrolled children (the bursary applies to basic tuition only and excludes boarding, transport and other fees). Parents planning boarding, school transport or multiple children at UISZ should budget for these additional fees and confirm exact amounts and payment schedules on the school's fee tables and the enrolment documents.
Yes — UISZ uses a wait pool system (the website refers to a “wait pool” rather than a formal numbered waitlist). When a year level has reached capacity, students who meet the admissions criteria may be placed in the wait pool for future consideration; the Admissions Office will contact parents if a space becomes available and discuss the enrolment timeline. Parents should note that placement in the wait pool does not guarantee a later offer, and the school's decision to offer a place will depend on capacity and the school's assessment of fit at the time a vacancy arises. For precise position or timing questions, contact admissions@uiszc.org or the Admissions Office directly.
UISZ operates a time‑limited scholarship programme (published for the 2025–2026 academic year) with separate application windows and award types for current students and new starters. For current students the application period shown is May 1–May 31, 2025; for new starters it is May 1–July 31, 2025. Awards are given in categories such as Academic Excellence, Artistic Excellence, Athletic Excellence and Community Engagement; prize levels and quantities are published for IB (MYP/DP/PYP) and DSE programmes — examples from the 2025–26 announcement include first, second and third prizes with amounts such as RMB 60,000 (first prize for selected MYP/DP students), RMB 30,000 (second prize), and RMB 20,000 (third prize) for current students, and for new starters awards that can include half or full tuition fee awards or cash amounts depending on programme and prize ranking (the scholarship posters list programme‑specific prizes for IB and DSE). Applications require academic evidence (transcripts from the past two years), a personal statement, and shortlisted applicants will have a final student interview conducted in English; DP and MYP eligibility minimum averages are specified on the announcement (for example minimum average DP 4.5, MYP 5.0 as shown for the 2025–26 cycle). All awards published for 2025–26 are single‑year awards and subject to the school's interview and selection process. Parents should refer to the scholarship announcement and contact admissions@uiszc.org with questions or to confirm current scholarship availability and application deadlines in future years.
Utahloy International School Zengcheng (UISZ) opened in 2003 and is located in Zengcheng District of Guangzhou. The school provides the International Baccalaureate continuum (Early Years / PYP / MYP / DP) and also offers the Hong Kong DSE pathway in senior secondary. The UISZ website describes a lakeside campus near Guangzhou with dedicated innovation spaces and classroom facilities, and it highlights multilingual provision (including mother‑tongue support) alongside after‑school activities and boarding. The site lists contact details for Admissions and a dedicated Tuition & Fees page for the 2025–2026 year (the school's fees pages list fee categories but the site does not publish a simple, public “min–max” summary on the pages accessible to me).