Admissions Criteria & Guidelines
The American International School Vienna shall accept students who are able to work towards the successful completion of the school's academic requirements within the framework of the regular classroom and the limits and capacity of the school's facilities, resources, and support personnel. In order to maintain an environment in which English is the predominant language, places for non-English speaking students shall be limited.
Priority Categories
Admission is in accordance with the Admissions Criteria and Guidelines, and the following order of priority:
Children of U.S. or Canadian citizens with diplomatic status, qualifying AIS Vienna faculty and administration, and Ambassadors to Austria
Siblings of currently-enrolled students
Children whose strongest academic or native language is English
Children of diplomatic or transient international families, with priority given to underrepresented nationalities
Children of AIS Vienna Alumni or returning families
Children of residents or citizens of Austria for whom the above priority categories do not apply
In reserving places for the next school year, the order of priority is maintained until April 1 of the current school year.
Age
A child must be four (4) years old by September 1 of the year entering Pre-Kindergarten, five (5) years old by September 1 of the year entering Kindergarten, or six (6) years old by September 1 of the year entering Grade 1.
Students must be on track to graduate before they reach their 20th birthday.
Living Arrangements
Throughout their attendance at AIS Vienna, all students must live with their parent(s) or AIS Vienna-approved guardian(s), who must furnish evidence of guardianship and power of attorney. Otherwise, the student will be required to withdraw. Students and at least one parent/guardian must be legally authorized to reside and attend school in Austria during their entire period of enrollment at AIS Vienna. Proof thereof may be requested by AIS Vienna at any time. If proof is not provided, the student may be asked to withdraw. AISV does not offer boarding.
English Fluency
The Elementary School (Pre-Kindergarten - Grade 5) is able to accept beginner-level English speakers. Elementary School applicants may be asked to participate in an English proficiency screening. In Elementary School, the number of students who don't yet speak English or are still mastering English fluency is limited to 20% of each grade level 1-5 and 30% of PK and KG. Specialist English as an Additional Language (EAL) teachers offer small group "pull-out" classes and "push-in" support in the mainstream classroom.
The Middle School (Grades 6 - 8) is able to accept intermediate-level English speakers. Middle School applicants are required to demonstrate intermediate or advanced EAL skills based on an admissions screening. The Middle School EAL program is limited to approximately 20% of each grade level. Each grade level offers an intermediate/advanced EAL Core Class (EAL 2). A specialist EAL teacher offers small group "pull-out" classes (maximum 12 students).
The High School (Grades 9 - 12) is only able to accept proficient/native English speakers. High School applicants must demonstrate advanced/native (C1) proficiency in English. Applicants to the high school may be required to take an English proficiency test during the application process to establish the applicant’s fluency in writing, reading, understanding, and speaking English and will not be eligible for admission unless found to be sufficiently fluent or considered capable of meeting requirements. The High School does not offer EAL support.
Learning Support
AIS Vienna is a college preparatory program that accepts and is able to serve students with a diversity of mild and moderate learning differences who can be successful within our mainstream classrooms with support.
To inquire whether a student with documented learning needs is eligible for AISV Student Support Services, please email the following documents (if available) to admissions@ais.at before starting your application:
Most recent report card
Most recent IEP, ILP, or other accommodations plan
Most recent psychological-educational evaluation
Additional documentation may be requested by our team of support specialists.
Academic Standards
Students will be admitted only when their previous records and/or academic screening indicate a high likelihood that they can successfully complete grade-level requirements in Kindergarten - Grade 8 and, in Grades 9 - 12, the requirements for the AIS Vienna U.S. High School Diploma. Additionally, students may pursue the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. Admission decisions are made upon review of report cards/transcripts, confidential teacher references, other records, and academic screening/placement tests. Applicants with below-satisfactory grades or the equivalent for students coming from non-graded instructional institutions may be considered ineligible for admission.
School Capacity and Class Size
Admission will be granted according to class size limits that ensure that standards of excellence will be maintained.
Reserved Spaces
As part of the contractual agreement between AIS Vienna and its teaching staff, the right of admission is granted to children of faculty whose needs can be met by the available services.
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