Application Process

• Applicant Photo
• Copy of Student's Passport
• Copy of Parents’ Passports
• Nursery/School Report (if available)
• Additional documents when applicable including Speech and Language/Occupational Therapy reports, Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), Academic Program Accommodations (504 plans), Behavior Modification Plans or Psychological-Educational Evaluations
• Recommendation Forms (from current school year principal/teacher) - we recommend that applicants do not request recommendations until October. Deadline to receive the forms is November 15
• Questionnaire
• Introductory Family Video
  • The family introduction video is a wonderful opportunity for us to learn more about your family and your child.  Please follow the instructions below to help you create a great video. 
    • Maximum of 2-3 minutes in length
    • Can be filmed with any device and then uploaded into the application portal
    • File size should not exceed 200MB (hint: turn of HD setting when filming on phone/tablet)
    • We want to see genuine and authentic interactions, so avoid attempting a perfect or scripted video. 
    • Focus on family interaction in a typical family activity such as reading, playing a board/card game, or simply having a conversation at lunch or dinner. 

As part of the admissions process, we’d like to meet applicants in person as much as possible to better understand the student's readiness for our Early Learning program in the following areas: fine motor skills, gross motor skills, cognitive skills, social/emotional development, and English language ability. Students who complete applications within the deadline will be invited for a campus visit in mid-November. For students applying from overseas who cannot come for the visit, we will schedule a virtual meeting. Please contact the admissions team for more details.

• Applicant Photo
• Copy of Student's Passport
• Copy of Parents’ Passports
• Previous End of Year Report Cards (for the past 2 school years)
• Current School Year Term Report (when available)
• Additional documents when applicable including Speech and Language/Occupational Therapy reports, Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), Academic Program Accommodations (504 plans), Behavior Modification Plans or Psychological/Educational Evaluations
• Recent Writing Sample - completed for English class with teacher comments and/or rubric; could be an illustration with 2-3 sentence description and student’s name (for grade 1); short story, essay or creative response (grades 2-5)
• Recent Leveled Reading assessment and Math chapter/unit test scores (grades 1-2) - you may request these from your child’s teacher
• Standardized Test scores for Reading and Math such as the MAP, GL assessment, STAR, SSAT or similar (grades 3-5)
• If assessments/test scores above are not available, you can sign up for one of our MAP testing days (grades 1-5), please contact our team for more details
• CAT IV (for UAE transfers)
• Introductory Video - This is a great way for ASD to get a chance to know its applicants and their families.  The video should be 2-3 minutes in length .Students will record a video and upload it to the application portal. There are no right or wrong answers, so just be yourself, speak clearly, and have fun with the project.  The following questions (you do not need to answer all of them) can be used as guidance:
  • Introduction - tell us your name, your age, where you are from, etc
  • What are three things you really like about yourself?
  • What do you enjoy doing outside of school? (Arts, Athletics, Hobbies, etc)
  • Share an experience from school (project, book, activity, etc) that you really enjoyed being a part of and why.
  • How do you go about making new friends?
  • What excites you most about applying to ASD?
  • Who is your hero?
• Recommendation Forms from current school year teacher and principal/counselor  - we recommend applicants to request online through your application portal after November 1.  Deadline to receive the forms is February 15. 

• Applicant Photo
• Copy of Student's Passport
• Copy of Parents’ Passports
• Last Two End of Year Report Cards
• Current School Year Term Report (When available)
• Standardized Test scores such as the MAPs, GL assessment, STAR, SSAT or similar; if not available, please contact us. If you are overseas and your child does not have any of the above testing we only accept the SSAT assessment. Please register HERE for an at home or at a testing center site.
• CAT IV (Required for UAE transfer)

• Introductory Video – This is a great way for ASD to get a chance to know its applicants. Students will record a video and upload it to us.  

  Tips:

  • Keep the video 2–3 minutes.

  • Record in a quiet, well-lit space.

  • Dress neatly, as you would for an in-person interview.

  • Look directly at the camera as if speaking to the admissions team.

  • Be yourself—authenticity matters more than perfection.

  • Consider what will set you apart from other applicants.  This is your chance to showcase who you are and what you could add to the ASD community. 

  Suggested Topics:

  • “What will I bring that will make the community stronger?”

  • “Why do I believe this school is the right place for me?”

  • “What role do I play in making my community better?”

  • “When have I stepped up to lead or support others?”

  • “How do I use my passions to make a difference?”

  • “What am I passionate about that I want others to see?”

  • “What is a time I pushed myself to learn something new or difficult, and what did I discover about myself?”

  • “What story best shows the kind of person I am?”

  • “What is something about me that people notice right away?”

  • “If I had 30 seconds to introduce myself to someone new, how would I want them to remember me?”

  • “If I could leave you with one final thought about me, it would be…”
     

• Character Skills Snapshot
  • Please go to the Character Skill Snapshot Link to create an account, complete the assessment and get all your questions answered.  Make sure to upload the screenshot of the results once you receive them.
• Recommendation Forms from current school year teacher and principal/counselor  - we recommend applicants to request online through your application portal after November 1. Deadline to receive the forms is February 15.

• Applicant Photo
• Copy of Student's Passport
• Copy of Parents’ Passports
• Last Two End of Year Report Cards
• Current School Year Term Report (When available)
• Official High School Transcript (Applying for grades 10-12)
• Standardized Test scores such as the MAPs, GL assessment, STAR, SSAT or similar; if not available, please contact us. If you are overseas and your child does not have any of the above testing we only accept the SSAT assessment. Please register HERE for an at home or at a testing center site.
• CAT IV (Required for UAE transfer)

• Introductory Video – This is a great way for ASD to get a chance to know our applicants.  Students will record a video and upload it to us. 

  Tips:

  • Keep the video 2–3 minutes.

  • Record in a quiet, well-lit space.

  • Dress neatly, as you would for an in-person interview.

  • Look directly at the camera as if speaking to the admissions team.

  • Be yourself—authenticity matters more than perfection.

  • Consider what will set you apart from other applicants.  This is your chance to showcase who you are and what you could add to the ASD community. 

  Suggested Topics:

  • “If I could leave you with one final thought about me, it would be…”

  • “What will I bring that will make the community stronger?”

  • “Why do I believe this school is the right place for me?”

  • “What role do I play in making my community better?”

  • “When have I stepped up to lead or support others?”

  • “How do I use my passions to make a difference?”

  • “What am I passionate about that I want others to see?”

  • “What is a time I pushed myself to learn something new or difficult, and what did I discover about myself?”

  • “What story best shows the kind of person I am?”

  • “What is something about me that people notice right away?”

  • “If I had 30 seconds to introduce myself to someone new, how would I want them to remember me?”

• Character Skills Snapshot
  • Please go to the Character Skill Snapshot Link to create an account, complete the assessment and get all your questions answered. Make sure to upload the screenshot of the results once you receive them.
• Recommendation Forms from current school year teacher and principal/counselor  - we recommend applicants to request online through your application portal after November 1. The deadline to submit is February 15.