Palma does not have an English Second Language program for our international students. Because international students join with domestic students in all the college-preparatory classes, each student accepted into Palma must demonstrate proficiency in both written and spoken English. International applicants will demonstrate this proficiency through a good score on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language test), as well as being able to listen and speak with us comfortably during the admission interview (in person or via webcam).
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Admissions
Applying for admission to Palma School is an easy four-step process. You will need:
- Online application
- Placement test
- Teacher Recommendation and Release of School Records forms
Your son will be considered for admission once we receive these materials.
When filling out the online application, you will be asked to register for an admission test (SSAT at Home). The purpose for the test is to evaluate where your son is academically so we may design an appropriate course of study. There is an $225.00 testing fee.
Deliver the Teachers’ Recommendations and Release of School Records forms to your son’s school. These forms can be downloaded using the links on the right, from the online application site or can be picked up at the school office. The forms will also be available at our open house. There are two recommendation forms: one goes to your son’s current English teacher and the second goes to his current Math teacher. Please include envelopes with Palma’s address so the teachers can mail the forms to us. The Release of School Records form should be given to your son’s school’s front office so they may send a current transcript and test scores directly to us. Be assured that we will keep the information contained in all of these forms confidential.
Once the test results and forms are in our possession, the Admission Committee will review your son’s file and make a decision regarding his admission to Palma. Palma’s Admission Committee will start meeting in mid January and you and your son will receive a decision soon thereafter.
*Character and personal growth are an integral part of a Palma School education. Grades and test scores just don’t tell us the whole story. The Character Skills Snapshot gives us richer holistic information and illuminates areas where Palma School can help your son grow and thrive. All applicants to Palma School are required to take The Character Skills Snapshot. For students who take the SSAT, there is no charge to take The Snapshot. Once you register for an SSAT, you will have access to The Snapshot.
After all application documents have been submitted, interviews are scheduled with the prospective student. It is required that the sponsoring family be interviewed before the decision to accept a student will be granted.
ADMISSION CRITERIA
- A completed application, financial disclosure, and interview (in person or over the telephone for students outside of the United States as well as an interview with the host family).
- TOEFL testing to determine English language proficiency. A minimum score of 475 (paper) or 53 (Internet-based) is required.
- A review of the records of classes taken by the student and grades in those classes to evaluate the student’s ability to succeed academically. Transcripts must be translated into English.
- Evidence of immunizations.
- Palma School will consider applications for international students going into grades 7-11.
ACCEPTANCE
Following the submission of all the application requirements and the interview, the Admissions Committee makes a decision regarding the applicant, typically within two weeks. Upon approval, a letter of acceptance is sent. After receipt of the tuition contract and international students fees are met, the I-20 will be issued to the student. This document is the basis for receiving an F-1 visa status from the United States Department of Homeland Security. Incoming international students must show proof of medical insurance before entering Palma School as a student.There are specific California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) and Central Coast Section (CCS) rules that apply to sports participation for international students that Palma School is required to meet. International student applicants should request an athletic eligibility determination before a final decision to seek admission to Palma if school sports participation is desired.
TUITION AND FEES
International students have two payment options: payment twice a year at the start of each semester (June 1 & January 1) or payment in full due on June 1. In addition to the tuition cited above, a $1,800 registration fee is due at the time of registration.
Palma students must purchase their own textbooks every year. Please visit our online booklist for book choices and and prices.
If a visa is denied, all but $400.00 of the registration fee will be returned. A portion of the registration fee will only be returned upon receipt of the denial letter from the US Embassy stating the reason for your denial, and the return of the original I-20. There is a $50.00 fee for a lost I-20.
There is no financial aid option for international students here on an F-1 visa.
A completed application, financial disclosure, and interview (in person or over the telephone for students outside of the United States as well as an interview with the host family).
HOUSING
Palma School does not board students. Parents must privately arrange for the placement of their student with a legal guardian. The host family/relative (legal guardian) in the Monterey County area will be responsible for all out-of-school supervision, school business, communication, and housing. At least one of the adults in this family must be 25 years or older and be granted legal guardian status over the student throughout the school year. It is required that the sponsoring family be interviewed before acceptance of an international student will be granted.
Palma discourages students from changing legal guardians during the school year. Students who desire to change legal guardians must report it to Palma immediately or risk being asked to leave school. If an international student is not adjusting well to their legal guardian or to Palma School, the student may be required to return to his country of origin.
MEDICAL INSURANCE
The safety and security of our international students is a top priority of Palma School. Therefore, health insurance is required for all international students. It is the responsibility of each international student to obtain coverage that meets Palma’s minimum requirements (at least $50,000 maximum coverage for an accident or sickness). You may already have a plan from your home country or with your legal guardian that is acceptable. If you are in need of finding adequate medical coverage, please contact the Admissions Office as soon as possible for information.
QUESTIONS?
Palma will consider international applications for students entering grades 6-11. Unfortunately we cannot consider applications for international students entering grade 12.
Generally, all international students are accepted to begin only at the start of an academic year — our fall semester (mid-August). Occasionally, we do accept a few international students for the second semester if they have been in the US school system for at least one year, have high grades, and demonstrate excellent written and spoken English skills.
Applications are due the first week of February. Please check directly with the Palma Admissions office for how to apply after the due date.
- An application, filled out by the parent or guardian
- International Applicant Supplement, completed by the applicant in his own hand writing
- Applicant’s Math and English Recommendations (translated into English)
- Academic records (grades) for the current and the previous two school years (translated into English)
- Financial Disclosure Form, filled out by the Parent or Guardian
- Photocopy of student’s current valid passport
- Current photo
- TOEFL and SSAT scores
All of these items must be mailed or faxed together directly to Palma School. After all application materials have been submitted and received initial approval, an interview is scheduled. If the student is not in the Salinas area, the interview can be done via a webcam using Skype. The guardian or host family is also interviewed. Final admissions decisions are made within two weeks of interviews.
International students must obtain an F-1 visa from their local US Embassy to attend school in the US for more than one year. In order to obtain an F-1 visa, the international student must first be accepted at a SEVIS-approved school, such as Palma School. After the student has been accepted to Palma, and his family returns the Enrollment Contract to our school, we issue the student the I-20 form. We send the I-20 by certified mail courier to the student in their home country. The student then takes this form to the US Embassy and requests an F-1 visa.
Palma does not board international students or directly place students in homestays. Many students stay with friends or relatives in the area.
We develop close relationships with the guardians for our international students. They have a personal interview with us, just as does the international student. The family in which the student lives must have at least one adult over the age of 25; married couples are preferred. The guardian should have a Limited Power of Attorney form signed and on file with us so that we can share information related to the student’s progress in our school. The Limited Power of Attorney form should be written to give the guardian the legal authority to make decisions about the student’s health, education and general welfare.
Yes, all international students must have health insurance to attend our school. They may select and purchase their own health plan in their home country if it is recognized in California, or they may purchase a plan in California immediately upon arriving.
Unfortunately there is no financial aid for students attending Palma from other countries.
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Mindful of our primary mission to be a witness to the love of Christ for all, Palma School admits students of any race, color, national and/or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to the students at the school. Palma School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and/or ethnic origin, nor age in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. While Palma School does not discriminate against students with special needs, a full range of services may not be available. Likewise, Palma School does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of gender, age, disability, race, color, and national and/or ethnic origin. Palma School reserves the right to be a sole judge of merit, competence and qualifications, and can favor Catholic applicants and co-workers in all employment decisions, especially in those positions that have direct bearing upon the pastoral activity of the Church.