Every year, Madeira welcomes students from all around the world to our campus.
Madeira students represent 38 different countries by citizenship or residency, making ours a culturally diverse community. International students (those who are not US citizens) make up 13% of our student body.
The application process is the same for both international and domestic students. However, students who do not speak English as a first language must also submit TOEFL scores (Madeira School code 8029) or the Duolingo English Test.
As of January 1, 2023, students attending school in China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan must schedule their interview through Vericant which will complete Madeira's interview requirement.
Additional Requirements for International Students at Madeira
Stateside Guardian: Madeira requires all international students to have a guardian living in the United States who can be contacted in case of an emergency and who can collect the student from campus within 48 hours of the school requesting the student leave campus.
Health Insurance: All international students are required to have some form of international health insurance. International students have the option to purchase insurance through Madeira.
I-20: Madeira issues I-20s after an accepted student has enrolled and paid the registration fee.
International Student Fee: All international students (non-US Citizens) are required to pay an annual International Student Fee in addition to the boarding tuition. For the 2023-24 school year, the fee is $2,000.
International Student English Program: International students who are non-native English speakers are enrolled in Madeira’s International Student English program unless exempted by the Academic Dean.
International Student English Program
The International Student English (ISE) Program is a two-year program designed for international students as they acclimate to Madeira and to academic standards and practices in the US. Specifically designed for international students who are and will be studying English and History in a rigorous, college-prep academic environment, the courses allow international students the opportunity to develop the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills needed to engage fully in Madeira academic and community life.
Students in the ISE program are guided to connect their language skills to their leadership aspirations and community engagement as they prepare to represent themselves and Madeira in their Co-Curriculum internship placements.
Students take ISE courses in addition to the English courses for their grade level, and because students in the ISE program are already bi- or tri-lingual, the World Language graduation requirement is waived for them. Descriptions for ISE 1 and ISE 2 courses can be found in the School’s Course Catalogue.
A student will be enrolled in this program if her language of instruction for the preceding three school years was other than English.
A student may be exempted from the ISE program in consultation with and approval by the Dean of Academics if she is a US citizen.
A student who is exempted from the ISE Program must meet the graduation requirements for World Language.
An incoming 10th grade international student will be placed into ISE2 if she has been in a standard (non-ELL) English class in a US-like boarding school with English as the language of instruction and has presented SSAT or PSAT scores at the 75 percentile or higher in the language-based areas.
