Washington International School in Taichung (WIST)

The Washington International School in Taichung is located at No. 26, Buzaikeng Road, Taiping District, Taichung City 411012, Taiwan. The hillside campus is near a bus stop and about a 20-minute commute from downtown Taichung. The address is publicly listed on the school's materials.

WIST offers Grades 7-12, with both junior high and senior high. The curriculum is American-styled, with English as the primary language of instruction and some Chinese instruction in junior high (Chinese literature, math, and science).

Private, coeducational. Boarding facilities are available on campus for eligible students.

WIST maintains an Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity Policy that emphasizes an inclusive learning environment and provides for support of students regardless of protected characteristics, including disability. The policy prohibits discrimination and outlines mechanisms to assist students facing protected characteristics.

The school is located in Taiwan and operates within Taiwan; it follows an American-style curriculum and IB Diploma Programme but is not affiliated with a specific country as its governing affiliation.

There is no religious affiliation noted in the public materials.

The school runs on a two-semester academic schedule, as shown by the Semester Calendar. Daily start/end times are not published on the public pages.

The campus operates a school bus service; the Transportation office handles arrangements (Ext. 141).

Washington International School Taichung (WIST) offers Grades 7–12 with an American-styled curriculum; English is the language of instruction for all classes, with Junior High Chinese Literature, Math and science taught in Chinese. The curriculum is built on the U.S. Common Core State Standards, with teachers writing semester plans aligned to these standards. The high school program prepares students for the College Board SAT and AP exams; mock TOEFL testing is available for students in grades 9–10, and grades 11–12 typically take SAT or ACT along with TOEFL or IELTS, with many taking AP and subject-specific SAT exams. In March 2025, WIST was authorized as an IB World School, enabling the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme to be offered alongside its English/Chinese language offerings. Beyond academics, WIST offers extensive extracurriculars, including Student Council, team sports and clubs, debate, culture clubs, community service, and a Model United Nations program.

WIST supports social and emotional learning through a broad range of extracurricular activities—Student Council, teams, clubs, The Debate Team, Culture Clubs, Community Service, and the Student Newspaper/MUN—designed to nurture students' interests and talents, with involvement contributing to positive growth spiritually, emotionally, and academically.

WIST has an Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity Statement committing to an inclusive, equitable, and diverse learning community and to removing barriers for students disadvantaged by gender, race, disability, or other protected characteristics, and it notes adherence to gender equity education; the school does not publish a list of specific SEN provisions or designate itself as a specialist SEN institution.

English is the common language of instruction for most classes, with exceptions in some junior high subjects (Chinese Literature, Math and science); there is no publicly disclosed information about dedicated EAL programs or staff.

Mental wellbeing is supported through emotional support and counseling as part of the safety framework; WIST provides emotional support and counseling and includes a campus bullying prevention and response policy with a designated team and counseling for victims.

Safeguarding is addressed via policies on bullying prevention and response, internet and digital safety, and safety, risk, and emergency procedures, including a dedicated Response Team for Prevention of School Bullying, explicit reporting procedures, and systematic emergency and safety measures.

Step 1: Submit an application form. Applicants are encouraged to visit on Open Days or arrange a personal visit, and a booking in advance is required. After you submit the application form, an admissions officer will guide you through the rest of the admissions process and answer any questions you have. The school targets applicants in Grades 7–11 (G7–G11). The language of instruction is primarily English, with some junior high subjects taught in Chinese; this may be relevant for families planning bilingual or language-specific considerations.

Step 2: Take the Placement Test. Applicants take an English placement assessment (covering speaking, reading, listening and writing) and a Math assessment. The results from these tests are used to determine the appropriate placement in the study program.

Step 3: Offer a Placement. An official letter notifies the family of the placement decision. If you accept the offer, you will be asked to pay a selection of fees (including a deposit) and provide certain documents to advance the application. This step confirms the placement and starts the enrollment process.

Scholarships: Public materials indicate the existence of merit scholarships within WIST's overseas program. An Our Story post from April 11, 2023 notes that the overseas program awarded scholarships totaling TWD 80,000,000 (80 million New Taiwan Dollars) to students. The Alumni section for the Class of 2023 references Merit Scholarships totaling TWD 68,000,000 (68 million NT) and presents Merit Scholarships as a defined category.

Waitlist/Pool: The Admission Statement states that when the school is at full capacity, new applicants may be placed on a waiting list.