Alzar School
Cascade, ID · Grades 10–11
Boarding schoolCoedF-1 (I-20) — SEVP-certified
Applewild School
Fitchburg, MA · Grades PK–9
Boarding schoolCoedF-1 (I-20) — SEVP-certified
Baylor School
Chattanooga, TN · Grades 6–12
Boarding schoolCoedF-1 (I-20) — SEVP-certified
Ben Lippen School
Columbia, SC · Grades PK–12
Boarding schoolCoedF-1 (I-20) — SEVP-certified
Berkshire School
Sheffield, MA · Grades 9–12
Boarding schoolCoedF-1 (I-20) — SEVP-certified
Berwick Academy
South Berwick, ME
Boarding schoolF-1 (I-20) — SEVP-certified
Blair Academy
Blairstown, NJ · Grades 9–12
Boarding schoolCoedF-1 (I-20) — SEVP-certified
Blue Ridge School
St George, VA · Grades 9–12
Boarding schoolBoysF-1 (I-20) — SEVP-certified
Brooks School
North Andover, MA · Grades 9–12
Boarding schoolCoedF-1 (I-20) — SEVP-certified
Buffalo Seminary
Buffalo, NY · Grades 9–12
Boarding schoolGirlsF-1 (I-20) — SEVP-certified
Buxton School
Williamstown, MA · Grades 9–12
Boarding schoolCoedF-1 (I-20) — SEVP-certified
Canterbury School
New Milford, CT · Grades 8–12
Boarding schoolCoedF-1 (I-20) — SEVP-certified
Cate School
Carpinteria, CA · Grades PK–12
Boarding schoolCoedF-1 (I-20) — SEVP-certified
Chatham Hall
Chatham, VA · Grades 9–12
Boarding schoolGirlsF-1 (I-20) — SEVP-certified
Christchurch School
Christchurch, VA · Grades 9–12
Boarding schoolCoedF-1 (I-20) — SEVP-certified
Christ School
Arden, NC · Grades 8–12
Boarding schoolBoysF-1 (I-20) — SEVP-certified
Concord Academy
Concord, NC · Grades PK–12
Boarding schoolCoedF-1 (I-20) — SEVP-certified
Document · I-20
The Form I-20 is the document an SEVP-certified U.S. school gives an admitted international student so they can apply for an F-1 student visa. It is issued by the school's Desig...
Document · MRV fee
F-1 and J-1 student visas are applied for at a U.S. embassy or consulate. The non-refundable visa application fee for F and J visas is $185 under the State Department's fee sche...
Document
An F-1 student who is maintaining status can move to another SEVP-certified school through a SEVIS transfer: you tell your current DSO, who sets a release date, and the new scho...
Document · I-901
Before an F-1 or J-1 visa can be issued, the student must pay the I-901 SEVIS fee to the Department of Homeland Security: $350 for F-1 students and $220 for most J-1 exchange vi...
Document
A ready-to-copy request asking your bank for an English-language letter confirming the account holder, balance and currency, for a U.S. boarding school's I-20 file or a J-1 spon...
Document
A generic statement in which a parent or other sponsor promises to pay a student's tuition, boarding and living costs, to go with bank letters in a school's I-20 file. It is a U...
Document
A month-by-month plan for international families applying to U.S. boarding schools for a fall start: research and tests about 12 months ahead, applications and interviews in the...
Document
On the day you fly, carry in your hand luggage: your passport with the F-1 or J-1 visa, the signed Form I-20 (F-1) or DS-2019 (J-1), proof of funds, and your school or sponsor c...
Guide
A U.S. private school can enroll an F-1 student only if it is certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) — that certification is what lets the school issue the Fo…
FAQ
No. Only schools certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) can issue a Form I-20 to F-1 students. Check the school's international-admissions page and the offici…
Guide
For an F-1 visa interview, a boarding school student needs a valid passport, the signed Form I-20 from the school, proof that the I-901 SEVIS fee was paid, the DS-160 confirmation …
Guide
Since September 15, 2026, new F-1 students are no longer admitted for "duration of status" (D/S) but until a fixed date: the program end date on the Form I-20, capped at 4 years, p…
FAQ
…om the school, pay the SEVIS I-901 fee, complete the DS-160 visa application, attend the visa interview, and travel. Rules and timing change, so use the official sites (Study in th…
FAQ
An F-1 student enrolls at a private school that is SEVP-certified to issue a Form I-20 and can stay through graduation. A J-1 exchange student comes through a designated sponsor or…
Guide
Most students who want to start at a U.S. boarding school in the fall begin about 12 months earlier: research and visit in the spring and summer, take tests and prepare materials i…
Guide
Many U.S. boarding schools ask international students under 18 to have a guardian in the United States who can act quickly in an emergency, host the student during breaks and handl…
Guide
A boarding school's college list is useful, but it is not a promise about your child. Look at how many seniors graduated, where the whole class enrolled (not just the best names), …
Guide
Our directory lists 283 U.S. boarding schools in 43 states. Massachusetts (35), Connecticut (27), California (22), Virginia (20) and New York (19) together hold 123 of them — 43%. …
