Admissions Policy and Process

Admissions Policy

HIS is a school dedicated to serving the expatriate community of Sapporo and Hokkaido, as well as others pursuing a western style education. Admission applications are reviewed and decided on by an Admission Committee consisting of two or three staff members and chaired by the Head of the School. This group will also make initial grade-placement decisions.

Priorities in admission

When the number of eligible applicants exceeds the availability of spaces for a particular grade year, students may be placed in a wait pool until space becomes available. Students with siblings already enrolled at HIS are given priority status within the wait pool, as are children of HIS staff and alumni, students returning to Japan who have previously attended HIS. We consider various other criteria in selecting students from the wait pool, including whether the student has other viable educational options, their level of English and general academic proficiency, and the gender and nationality balance of the class/grade.

When placing an applicant in a wait pool, we try to provide the candidate with a realistic assessment of the chances and possible timing for admittance. However, candidates should be aware that, like most international schools, the enrollment situation at HIS is dynamic and often unpredictable. Parents of applicants in the wait pool are asked to submit updated school reports as they become available to confirm their wish to remain in the wait pool. We will of course notify applicants at the earliest opportunity if space does become available.
 

HIS, as a western style educational school, expects parents to

  • Take an active role in the life of the school (i.e. attend and take part in school/ PTA activities)
  • Be able to communicate with the teachers and staff in English work with your child at home in your native tongue (i.e. encourage reading; help with homework, etc.)
  • While HIS cannot admit students with profound learning difficulties, HIS may be able to accommodate students with mild special needs. Continued enrollment at HIS is always dependent upon a student’s satisfactory achievement, behavior and effort.

Admissions Process

  1. Complete HIS Application Form, one per child. Assemble comprehensive school records, including current report cards and those from the previous two years of schooling, standardized test scores, and a recommendation from at least one teacher. Include medical and inoculation records. Proof of student’s age must be included. Have translated into English, if necessary.
  2. Call to schedule an admissions interview.* The interview fee is ¥20,000. At least one parent must accompany the student to the interview. The interview will be conducted in English. * We recommend (and may request) that parents observe classrooms to gain a clear understanding of HIS teachers’ expectations for student behavior and academic work.
  3. Immediately prior to the interview, students in third grade and above may be asked to complete a writing sample. Please arrive 30 minutes before your interview time to complete the writing sample.
  4. The interview will take from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. Students will be interviewed by both teachers and school administration. Students for whom English is not the first language will also interview with the ESL teacher.
  5. At the conclusion of the interview, the committee will determine whether or not to grant admission. A student may be admitted, denied admission, or–in some cases–admitted on a probationary basis or placed on the waitlist. Probationary or conditional admission means that the student will be admitted for a set period of time, at the conclusion of which time his/her admissions will be reviewed by all of his/her teachers. Admission can, at that time, be revoked.
  6. All decisions of the admissions committee are final; students are welcome to apply again in the future.
  7. If a student is admitted, parents should arrange for immediate payment of the first school bill, which will include the entrance fee. Upon payment, students may begin attending classes at HIS.
  8. Dormitory students and their parents must interview with the dorm parents, and read and sign the dormitory residence agreement before enrolling.

If you have any questions, please contact admissions@his.ac.jp.

Sincerely,
Tim Schlosser
Head of School