International Students

After September 15          Accepting applications for grades 7-9

February 15                      Application deadline for 1st round decisions

February 28                      First round admission decisions

Part One

• Set up your login to our Wellington Admissions Portal by completing an initial inquiry form.
• Submit a report for a recent Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL or TOEFL Junior for student under 17 years of age) or Duolingo English Test to the admissions office. You may submit test results by uploading them to your Wellington admissions portal account or emailing the admissions office.
• The required minimum TOEFL Jr score is 800 for students entering grade 9. Students entering grades 7 or 8 do not have a required score but should be proficient in English. The school code for Wellington is 2221. For Duolingo, we require a score of 90-100+.

A member of the admissions staff will review the scores and inquiry form to determine if the student should continue the application process. If the scores match or exceed Wellington's requirements, the student will be asked to move forward with Part Two. See Frequently Asked Questions for more information about this process.

Part Two

1. Complete the APPLY NOW steps through the Wellington Admissions Portal and submit the $150 nonrefundable application fee online or mail to: The Wellington School 3650 Reed Road Columbus, Ohio 43220 Attention: Admissions Office.
2. Upon review of the information submitted, a member of the Admissions staff will contact the student’s family or representative to arrange a student interview during a visit, or, if the student will not be in the United States, virtually.

Upon completion of the student interview, a member of the Admissions staff will contact the student’s family or representative with instructions about the next steps in the process, as outlined below.

Part Three

1. The student's family will provide a teacher recommendation form to the student current English, math and a third teacher of the student's choice. It is preferred that the recommendation form be written in English. If that option is not available, the current school's English teacher or a professional translation organization may be used to translate teacher recommendation forms. All translations must be signed by the translator. In addition to the translator's signature, please provide the organization's official seal if using a professional translation organization.
2. A copy of the student’s most recent report card and transcript should be submitted through the Admissions Portal. The report card must be submitted with an accompanying English translation.
3. The student’s family will submit the Parent Questionnaire and Student Questionnaire in English. The student must complete the form unassisted. A professional translation organization can be used for the parent form, and must be signed by the translator. In addition to the translator’s signature, please provide the organization’s official seal.
4. The student’s parents will sign the Parent Authorization Form and the Transcript Request Form, which allows Wellington to contact the school or request other important sources of information.

Admissions staff will review the above items and contact the family regarding next steps.

Part Four

The student’s family will be asked to initiate contact with an English-speaking teacher in the student’s current school to arrange for the teacher to administer the Wellington admissions exam (if the student is not in the United States). The English-speaking teacher will be asked to contact the Wellington Admissions Office via email to receive the testing materials and instructions.

The complete application file will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee for a final Admissions decision.

Part Five

1. Families will be notified of the Admissions decision by email and through the Admissions Portal. If a student is accepted, they will be issued a contract for review. The following steps in this section must be completed before the contract can be executed and enrollment is finalized (see enrollment steps below).
2. The host family will complete the Host Family Information form and schedule a time to meet with the Wellington Admissions staff. This meeting must be in person. The host family cannot be changed prior to or during the student’s stay without previous approval from the Admissions Office. Changes made without prior approval can result in the revocation of the I-20 and F-1 visa.
3. Parents must also forward a bank statement indicating that the family has sufficient funds to support the student’s school and living expenses in Columbus for the upcoming school year.
4. The student’s family will submit a complete copy of the student’s immunization records and passport.

If the student’s parents accept the contract, the following steps are required before Wellington will issue the Form I-20, the document that is used to obtain the F-1 student visa:

1. The student’s parents must sign the online enrollment process, as outlined in the email from the Admissions Office. This includes completing the required photo policy, selecting a payment plan, and signing the online enrollment contract. The host family will be given read-only access to the online enrollment portal to allow them to assist the family through the process, if needed.
2. The student’s family will make a deposit of 70% of the total tuition and fees. The deposit can be sent by wire transfer from a bank in the home country to Wellington’s bank in the United States.
3. The student’s parents will submit a signed travel authorization and medical treatment authorization form provided by Wellington once the host family is approved. The host parent information should be used for these forms.
4. A copy of the student’s health insurance policy (Insurance Company Reference form) must be submitted to the Admissions office before the first day of school.

Wellington requires that families consult a Columbus immigration attorney to support the process of entering the United States. Families may choose any Columbus area immigration attorney.

After the above steps are completed, the Wellington Admissions Office will initiate the process for the student to obtain Form I-20. The Form I-20 is necessary for the student to secure a visa from the student’s home country. Form I-20 is only a part of the process, and the issuance of this document does not confer an immigration status on the student, rather U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services must declare immigration status.

If the student is denied a visa from the student’s home country, Wellington will release the contract and the 70% deposit will be returned in full to the family. Students who are denied must present written documentation to the Wellington Admissions Office.