St. Louis International School Milan, St. Louis International School

• Location: Milan, Italy,
• Year founded: 1996,
• Number of students: approximately 1800,
• Language of instruction: English, Italian,
• Type of study: mixed.

St. Louis International School — an international bilingual school with three campuses located in Milan. It offers programs for all academic stages of secondary education: preschool, primary, middle, and senior, based on a fusion of the national educational systems of Italy and England. Senior students complete their studies by receiving an international diploma that is highly valued by leading universities around the world.

St. Louis International School has been conducting successful academic activities for 30 years — during this time it has grown both territorially and educationally. Starting with 100 students at the preschool and primary education levels, over several decades it increased the number of students to 1,800, covering all stages of the academic cycle. Today, St. Louis International School attracts local and international students, offering outstanding conditions for comprehensive development and effective academic preparation, a high level of individual attention, and a rich environment where representatives of dozens of different nationalities come together.

St. Louis International School holds the necessary accreditations, annually receives high ratings from national and international rating agencies, and boasts excellent graduate outcomes: many of them achieve top scores on final exams and gain admission to the best colleges, universities of the Russel Group, Ivy Group, and other associations.

At the core of the educational process at St. Louis International School lies the English national academic system; however, students in grades 2–9 have access to an alternative academic path — Italy's national secondary education program, which combines bilingual subject instruction and leads to the Terza Media examinations at the end of grade 9. Once students move to grade 10, the two academic tracks merge into one — the British track; however, in grade 13, when choosing subjects for the diploma program, students may select tracks to obtain the national equivalent of the Esame di stato diploma, officially recognized by the Italian Ministry of Education.

Located across three campuses, St. Louis International School offers programs at all levels of secondary education. From grades 2 to 9, students choose the most suitable academic track: British or Italian.

British System

• Kindergarten: three levels of preschool groups, first grade — ages 2 to 5,
• Primary School: grades 2–6 — ages 6 to 10,
• Middle School: grades 7–11 — ages 11 to 15,
• High School: grades 12–13 — ages 16 to 17.

Italian System

• Kindergarten: three levels of preschool groups — ages 2 to 4,
• Primary School: grades 1–6 — ages 5 to 10,
• Middle School: grades 7–9 — ages 11 to 13,
• High School: grades 10–13 — ages 14 to 17.

The school does not have its own residences and does not offer boarding.

During the school week, students visit the dining hall, where they are offered dishes of national and international cuisine prepared by qualified chefs. When composing the menu, dietary, religious, and other taste preferences of individual students are taken into account. A cafeteria for senior students operates on the Archinto campus.

The rich extracurricular development program includes dozens of sports sections, creative clubs, and themed events, including olympiads and competitions. By helping to realize talent and improve social, physical, emotional, and academic skills, extracurricular activities build self-confidence and the experience of achieving goals.

Activities in clubs and sections are organized in the afternoon and at the end of the school day, Monday through Friday, from the beginning of October to the end of May. Some events are held on campus, others — at city venues and sports facilities.

In addition to team and individual sports, performing and visual arts, students have access to a high-quality music education program. Under the guidance of qualified visiting teachers, students learn to play musical instruments: flute, saxophone, percussion, piano, violin, guitar, or clarinet, and perform at school and city concerts. At St. Louis International School, in collaboration with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music of London, annual examinations are held, upon passing which students receive a valuable qualification and the opportunity to enter the best music conservatories.

• High rating of three campuses from The Good Schools Guide,
• A third of graduates continue their studies at the world's top universities, and 90% — at their first-choice institutions,
• Partnership with Arete Education, The Classroom Door — consulting centers for university admissions in the USA and the UK,
• Outstanding exam results: 41% receive 37 points, 21% — more than 40 points in the Diploma programme, making the school first among the best secondary education institutions in Europe,
• From grades 2 to 9, students choose between the Italian and British academic tracks.

St. Louis International School has three campuses located within Milan.

• Archinto Campus — a campus for students in grades 10–13, a historic building with modern equipment located in the very center of the city: it features lecture halls, subject laboratories, specialized studios and workshops, computer classrooms, and other spaces for academic and extracurricular development,
• Colonna Campus — a campus for 600 children aged 3 to 14, located in the northeast of Milan. Its infrastructure includes spaces adapted for different age groups, as well as shared facilities: a dining hall, sports complex, libraries, specialized workshops and studios,
• Caviglia Campus — a learning area for 500 students aged 2 to 14, located in the south of Milan. As the first and for a long time the main campus, Colonna Campus reopened after a major renovation in 2018 and now includes specialized learning spaces for different age groups, science laboratories, a library, and a gymnasium.

The campuses are in relative proximity to one another, with school buses running between them.

The academic year consists of trimesters:

• Autumn: September–December,
• Spring: January–April,
• Summer: April–June.

Classes are held Monday through Friday; rest is organized on weekends and public holidays, as well as during seasonal breaks.

Approximate list of additional expenses:

• Registration and administrative fees,
• Meals,
• Some extracurricular activities,
• School uniform,
• Personal study materials,
• Medical insurance,
• Personal expenses.

The admissions committee expects a completed registration form and the required documents, after which it arranges an interview and entrance examinations in mathematics, English, and CAT4. Based on the results of the conversation with the applicant and the tests, official letters of admission are sent.

Achieving excellent results in their final exams, high school students go on to study at the world's best universities, including:

• Cambridge University,
• University of Oxford,
• Imperial College London,
• University College London,
• University of Warwick,
• Kings College London,
• Princeton University,
• Johns Hopkins University,
• Boston University,
• École hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL).

Foreign applicants wishing to enroll in St. Louis International School must provide:

• Personal documents of the child and guardian/parent: identity document, visa or residence permit, medical insurance and health certificates,
• Academic transcripts for the last two academic years,
• A recommendation letter from the previous place of study.

Admission to the school is based on the submitted documents and the results of entrance examinations.

Students of St. Louis International School participate in the global Nsuli scholarship program: awards are given annually to 50 particularly outstanding students, allowing them to continue their studies at one of 80 Inspired international schools with full funding.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision