Yew Chung International School of Shanghai

1. Initial enquiry and eligibility check — Contact the YCIS Shanghai Admissions team to start. Parents should confirm that the family meets local eligibility rules for international schools in Shanghai (typically foreign passports and supporting residency/visa documents) before applying; the school's Admissions pages explain these requirements and offer an Age Placement Guide and Application Checklist to help determine the correct year level. If you plan to transfer from another YCIS campus, note that internal transfers are facilitated with reduced paperwork.

2. Book a visit / information meeting — Arrange a campus visit, open day or a virtual meeting with Admissions to see the campus, ask about bus routes, meal service, EAL provision and learning-support capacity, and to confirm which campus (Puxi, Pudong or Lingang) you prefer. Parents should bring photo ID and the child's most recent school reports to the meeting, and ask for the Application Checklist so they can prepare documents correctly. Visits are useful to confirm practical matters (bus stops, start times) that affect daily logistics.

3. Complete the online application — Submit the official online application through YCIS's admissions portal and select the preferred campus. The portal collects basic family and student details and prompts for the required uploads (passport copies, proof of residency/visa where required, recent school report, immunisation record and any support plans). Completing the online form early in the admissions cycle is recommended; make sure the uploaded documents are clear and translated into English if necessary.

4. Application fee, deposit and invoice expectations — After submission you should expect to be informed about any application fee and, if an offer is made, the acceptance deposit/enrolment fee and payment deadlines. Published fee summaries used by multiple school-fee services show a one‑time application fee (reported around RMB 3,000) and a refundable enrolment deposit (reported around RMB 25,000), but families should confirm the current amounts and payment methods with Admissions and on the official invoice before paying. Keep receipts and read the school's withdrawal/refund policy in the Fees documentation.

5. Assessment and interview — For placement the school will consider academic history, English proficiency, special skills/talents, social‑emotional readiness and date of birth; applicants may be asked to complete age‑appropriate placement tests and attend an interview (in person or online). Younger children may have play‑based assessments; older applicants are usually given subject/English assessments and a short interview. If English is limited, the school will assess whether the child can access the regular curriculum with the school's EAL support (students who require specialist or intensive SEN support beyond the school's published provision may not be admitted).

6. Offer, contract and acceptance — If a place is offered you will receive an offer letter or invoice that sets out the deadline to accept, deposit/payment instructions, and the contract terms. Read the contract carefully for start date, payment schedule, minimum enrolment period and any conditions attached to the offer (for example, proof of residency or work permit if not already provided). Parents normally accept by returning a signed contract and paying the required deposit by the stated deadline to secure the place.

7. Preparation before start date — Once the place is confirmed, arrange school uniform sizing, school bus registration (if needed), meal plan choices, and provide any medical or learning‑support documentation requested. If your child needs EAL support, coordinate with the school about initial assessments and any recommended resources so they can start with appropriate support. Ask Admissions for arrival/orientation dates and the school calendar so you can plan travel and housing around term start dates.

8. Onboarding and placement adjustments — On the child's first weeks the school will typically complete induction and may make minor placement adjustments once they have observed the student in class; keep lines of communication open with the class teacher and the Admissions/Year‑Level leader. If your child is moving mid‑year, expect a formal placement assessment and an agreed in‑year start plan, including catch‑up or bridging suggestions. Parents should maintain copies of medical forms, prior reports and any individual education plans, as these speed the placement process.

9. Follow‑up and appeals — If an application is declined or a child is placed in a different year level than expected, ask Admissions for written feedback and guidance on re‑application or alternative options (including the waiting pool if applicable). If you plan to reapply or update application materials, send the improved documents and new reports to the Admissions office so they can re‑assess when a vacancy arises. YCIS also supports transfers within the YCYW network, which can simplify moves between sister campuses.

YCIS schools keep a waiting pool when a year level is full rather than a single‑ranked public queue; applicants who meet the admission criteria but cannot be placed immediately may be held in that pool until space becomes available. Priority considerations used when moving candidates from the pool to offer places include sibling status, campus balance and curriculum/age fit; parents are advised to confirm whether they must re‑confirm interest to remain in the pool and how long a pool placement is valid at the specific campus. The practice of maintaining a waiting pool and giving sibling priority is used across the YCYW/YCIS network (for example, another YCIS campus page explicitly states a waiting pool is maintained when a year level is full), so expect similar local practice at YCIS Shanghai and check with Admissions for campus‑specific details and timelines.

YCYW (the Yew Chung Yew Wah network) operates a network scholarship programme that is implemented at YCIS campuses, including YCIS Shanghai. The programme awards merit‑based scholarships for academic excellence, leadership, service and subject/talent strengths; award categories include the Madam Tsang Chor‑hang Memorial Scholarship, Yew Chung Yew Wah Subject & Talent Awards, and Yew Chung Yew Wah IGCSE/IB/A‑Level Academic Awards. Eligible applicants are typically current or prospective students in the upper years (network guidance and campus notices commonly reference Years 7–13), and external applicants are usually required to submit admission materials and take designated tests (CEM/CPT or equivalent) before scholarship application. Scholarship support varies by award and campus; the network's published material indicates tuition‑fee waivers ranging from partial (about 15%–25% for some awards) up to full (100%) and durations commonly from two to three years depending on the scholarship type, with an annual review and a selection process that includes a written application and panel interview. YCIS Shanghai publishes its own scholarship announcements and timeline (application season, short‑listing, panel interviews and final decisions—application windows are usually in the November–January period with interviews and decisions in the months that follow), so families should contact the YCIS Shanghai Admissions or scholarship email for current deadlines, application forms, and the exact percentage and duration available at that campus.