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Tsinghua International School

China, Beijing

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· Reviewed by · B2C Marketing Manager

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English, Mandarin
Fees RMB 186,000 - 218,000
Ages 6 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 560
Type Co-educational
Opened 2009
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum American Curriculum, Advanced Placement (AP), Chinese National Curriculum
Taught languages English, Mandarin, Spanish, French
Strengths STEM, Performing Arts, Languages
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language
Stages Primary School, Middle School, Secondary School, High School
Introduction

Tsinghua International School (THIS) is the international division of Tsinghua University High School on the Tsinghua Fuzhong campus in Haidian District, Beijing. Founded in 2009, THIS uses an American-based curriculum informed by US Common Core and AERO standards; the high school offers Advanced Placement (AP) courses and Chinese language and culture study is required for all students. The school shares sports and other facilities with Tsinghua Fuzhong and lists computer labs and a STEAM laboratory among its resources. Primary, middle and high sections teach primarily in English while providing separate Chinese classes for native and non-native speakers. THIS runs an extensive extracurricular programme (more than 50 clubs listed) including performing arts, debate teams and ISAC athletics. Distinctive practices include primary “Spartan families” and project-based, inquiry-led learning across grades. Admissions are for foreign passport holders and Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan permanent residents.

Tsinghua International School, Zhongguancun North Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100084

The Essentials

Tsinghua International School has 560 pupils, instruction in English, Mandarin.

Location
Tsinghua International School (THIS) is on the Tsinghua University High School campus in Haidian District, Beijing, opposite the Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace), with a strong academic neighbourhood and university links. The school is reachable using local roads and public transport serving the Zhongguancun/Tsinghua area; the school's address and office phone are listed on its website.

Stages
THIS operates a Primary, Middle and High School program (grades 1–12) with separate curriculum pages for the middle and high school divisions. The curriculum is based on U.S. Common Core standards combined with required Chinese language and culture courses.

Type
THIS is a co-educational international school attached to Tsinghua University High School (清华附中) and serves international and returning Chinese students. The school has undergone WASC accreditation processes and has reported receiving WASC accreditation in its published materials.

Additional learning support
THIS provides English-language support for students still mastering English: Structured English Immersion (SEI) classes are offered in middle school and eligibility is determined using the WIDA test. The school website does not publish a detailed, separate Special Educational Needs (SEN) department description; if your child has diagnosed learning needs, contact the admissions office to discuss specific accommodations and assessments.

Country affiliation
The international school is part of (operates on the campus of) Tsinghua University High School and is run within Beijing, China; admissions information notes it enrolls foreign passport holders and residents of Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan for grades 1–12.

Religious affiliation
No religious affiliation is stated on the school's official materials; THIS presents itself as a secular international school.

School day structure
Published and parent-facing summaries report a typical school day beginning around 08:00 and ending around 15:15, with extracurricular activities and after-school clubs running later in the afternoon (for example, many activities are reported around 15:30–17:30). Exact daily schedules, start/end times and break/lunch arrangements vary by division and year level—confirm current times with admissions.

Bus service
THIS offers a daily school-bus service with designated pick-up and drop-off points for elementary, middle and high school students; external summaries report multiple routes across Beijing (commonly reported as around eleven routes). Parents should contact the admissions or transport office for current route maps, pick-up points, fees and registration procedures. }
Diving Deeper

Food Options
School Lunch: Students have access to the dining hall of Tsinghua University High School. The dining hall is a two-story building with multiple food options. Primary school students have an independent canteen, and primary students also receive a mid-morning snack. Lunch is charged separately, typically around CNY 15-25 per meal.

Governance and Ownership
The school is affiliated with Tsinghua University and Tsinghua University High School. It is located on the grounds of THUHS, and it benefits from the resources of Tsinghua University and THUHS.
Fees

Annual tuition at Tsinghua International School ranges from RMB 186,000 to RMB 218,000 for 2026/27.

Application fees

- The school's public admissions pages do not list a specific, published application or registration fee amount. Applications are submitted through the school's OpenApply portal; OpenApply supports collecting application fees and records payments, but THIS does not publish an application-fee figure on its public pages.

Tuition fees by year group (published annual rates)

- Primary (Elementary): RMB 186,000 per academic year.

- Lower secondary (Middle/Junior high): RMB 208,000 per academic year.

- Upper secondary (High school): RMB 218,000 per academic year.

(Note: the school's published fee page gives these amounts as annual fees for the 2024–25 academic year; no per-term breakdown is published on the school's fee page.)

Per-term amounts and billing frequency

- The school's public fee page states annual tuition only; it does not publish a per-term fee or an explicit billing frequency (for example, whether tuition is invoiced annually, by semester, or by term). Therefore no official per-term figures or invoicing schedule can be provided from the public pages.

Billing schedule and payment terms

- The school's public pages do not set out a published billing calendar, invoice due dates, late-payment penalties, or detailed payment terms. The admissions pages explain the application and assessment timeline (including two common intake cutoff dates), but the site does not publish the school's invoicing or refund deadlines.

Boarding / accommodation fees

- The school's published fees page does not list boarding or accommodation fees and does not describe boarding as a standard, published offering on the international‑department fee page. No official boarding fee is published on the school's public fee page.

Other costs and typical ancillary charges

- School lunches: the school confirms lunch is charged separately and gives a general range of about RMB 15–25 per meal for cafeteria lunches.

- Other ancillary costs: the school's fee page states that “other fees will be charged according to actual circumstances” but does not itemize school-uniform costs, transportation (school bus), exam fees (AP/IB), extracurricular trip costs, learning‑materials or device charges. These items are therefore not published in detail on the school's public fee page.

Refund information

- The school's publicly available fee page does not publish a general refund policy (for example, pro‑rata refunds, deadlines for withdrawal refunds, or conditions for refunding deposits). No specific refund terms are shown on the publicly available admissions or fee pages.

Fee payment options (methods commonly used / platform noted)

- The school uses the OpenApply online admissions platform for applications; OpenApply supports recording payments made by credit card and by bank transfer, and can issue invoices and receipts through the portal. The school's public pages do not, however, publish an explicit list of all accepted payment methods (for example, which card networks are accepted or local bank details). Parents completing payment through OpenApply would normally see available payment methods in their applicant invoice.

Summary of what is and is not published (brief)

- Published clearly on the school site: annual tuition for Primary (RMB 186,000), Middle (RMB 208,000) and High School (RMB 218,000) (shown as the school's 2024–25 annual rates) and an approximate cafeteria lunch cost (RMB 15–25 per meal).

- Not published on the school's public pages: a specific application fee amount, per-term tuition amounts or confirmed billing frequency, detailed billing/payment terms and deadlines, boarding fees or a boarding policy, uniform costs, exam or activity fees itemized, and a formal refund policy. The admissions portal (OpenApply) is used for applications and supports payment collection, but the school's public pages do not list exact payment-method acceptances or invoicing schedules.

If you require these specific items (application fee amount, per-term invoices, boarding costs, refund rules, or accepted payment instruments) the school's admissions office provides applicant invoices via the OpenApply portal and can supply official invoicing and payment-term documentation directly to enrolled or admitted families.
Academics

Tsinghua International School teaches American Curriculum, Advanced Placement (AP), Chinese National Curriculum for students aged 6 to 18.

Curriculum
Tsinghua International School (THIS) operates an international K–12 programme (Grades 1–12) that integrates Western curricula with sustained Chinese language and cultural study. The elementary programme (Grades 1–5) follows a US-style curriculum aligned with the Common Core and AERO standards, uses Singapore Math and Beijing Normal/PRC-aligned materials for Chinese, and emphasizes project- and inquiry-based learning. The middle school (Grades 6–8) continues this inquiry-based US standards approach with bilingual English/Chinese tracks, world language options (including French and Spanish) and STEAM offerings. The high school is credit-based (minimum 25 credits for graduation; the school recommends ~28 for competitive university preparation), follows US Common Core frameworks through Grade 11, and provides a wide range of required and elective courses across sciences, mathematics, humanities, arts and technology. For external qualifications and assessments, THIS is an authorized AP provider and on‑campus test centre (offers roughly 16 AP courses and administers AP, SAT, ACT and PSAT exams), so students typically prepare for AP exams and standardised admissions tests rather than IB/IGCSE pathways.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
THIS describes a formal school counselling service that explicitly supports students' social and emotional development; the counselling team lists programmes such as individual and group counselling, teaching self‑help skills, assisting transitions and creating positive behaviour plans. The counselling pages say the team works closely with teachers, parents and school leadership to support students' social/personal growth and to teach interpersonal skills and self‑esteem. The school names two counsellors on its site: Gerald Anthony (Primary School Counselor) and Laura Zhang (Secondary School Counselor). These services are described as part of the personalised support offered under Social & Emotional, Academic and Career domains. The description and staff names are published on THIS's School Counseling page.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
THIS's public faculty listing includes staff roles titled “Learning Specialist” (e.g. Vicky Zhao) and the counselling overview refers to helping to “remove learning barriers,” indicating the school provides in‑school learning support. The site also describes whole‑staff training on differentiated instruction, which the school says is intended to help meet diverse learner needs. The school does not, however, publish a detailed list of specific special educational needs (for example, dyslexia, ADHD, sensory or physical needs) that it can or cannot support, nor does it present itself as a specialist SEN institution in its public materials. For precise limits of provision and formal SEN policy the school asks families to contact admissions or the support team directly.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
THIS publishes multiple English Language Support (ELS) roles on its faculty page, including a Head of Primary ELS (Caroline Williamson) and named Primary and Secondary ELS teachers, showing an organisational provision for English language support. The school's Primary section states that English is the main language of instruction and that students are taught by native English teachers alongside Chinese teachers. The admissions process also includes an academic English test as part of entry requirements, indicating English placement is assessed on entry. The site does not present a separate public EAL policy document, but the named ELS staff and admissions testing are described on the school site.

Mental Wellbeing
THIS's counselling programme explicitly includes crisis intervention, individual and group counselling, referrals to external services and creating individual positive behaviour plans as part of student mental‑health support. The school has also run staff training on psychological crisis intervention and prevention, describing sessions for faculty on identifying crisis signals and response procedures. The school's stated core values include wellbeing and the counselling and crisis‑training pages frame mental‑health support as a school priority. For details about clinical or external therapeutic arrangements the school directs families to contact the counselling team.

Safeguarding
THIS publishes evidence of safeguarding‑related activity: the counselling service lists crisis intervention and creation of behaviour plans, and the school has public reports of staff training in psychological crisis intervention and response procedures. The school's core values list Wellbeing and refer to protecting student health and safety as a priority. However, THIS does not appear to publish a standalone child‑protection or safeguarding policy document on its public website; a formal written safeguarding/child‑protection policy is not linked from the public pages. Families seeking the school's formal safeguarding policy or detailed reporting procedures should contact the school directly.
Parent Experience

History
Tsinghua International School (THIS) was established in March 2009 as the Fuzhong campus to provide an international-style education within the Tsinghua University High School framework. It was created to serve international families, children of foreigners, and Chinese returnees by combining Western pedagogical approaches with required Chinese language and culture courses. The school is located on the grounds of Tsinghua University High School and draws on that affiliation and its resources as it developed primary, middle and high divisions. Over time THIS has continued to formalize international-facing accreditation and testing relationships as part of its development.

Community
THIS describes a multicultural school community and runs a regular calendar of events that bring together students, parents and staff. Annual community and cultural events include Sports Day, International Day, STEAM Day and an Arts Festival; the school also stages curriculum-based field trips and exchange programs to extend learning beyond campus. Many events invite family participation through open days, performances and curriculum workshops that connect classroom work with the wider community.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
The school works with an active parent body (often referred to on school pages as a Parent Council) and operates a Parent School lecture series for families; the site notes a 26th Parent School session held on December 17. THIS and its Parent Council have jointly organized sharing sessions on key transitions (primary→middle, middle→high, and college entrance), with parents, students and staff presenting practical advice. The school also runs division-level parent–teacher meetings (PTCs) that are used to review student progress and align home and school support. Parents are regularly invited to help at community events, attend curriculum afternoons and participate in information sessions that strengthen home–school partnership. Typical parent-linked activities described on the site include hosting parent lectures, coordinating volunteer support at events, and co-hosting transition and curriculum workshops.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
The school provides high-speed wireless networks for students and teachers, and every classroom has an interactive smart board and a projector. Advanced Apple computer labs, a PC lab, and a mobile Apple cart support computing education. Several iPads are available for teaching use, and the STEAM lab offers a technology-rich environment for hands-on learning. The library is the center for literature and research, supporting project work and reading development. The school provides extensive online resources through a web-based LMS, Power School for attendance and grading, and subscriptions to online tools such as Noodle Tools and Discovery Education, which teachers integrate into instruction.

Sports Facilities
The school is a member of the International School Athletic Association (ISAC). As a member, students have opportunities to participate in inter-school competitions in Beijing and Tianjin with other international schools. The elementary division participates in the Junior International Schools Athletic Conference (JISAC) events in Beijing and surrounding international schools. The sports program includes basketball, soccer, and volleyball and runs boys and girls teams at elementary, middle, and high school levels. Sign-ups occur before each sport season, and teams emphasize sportsmanship, leadership, and healthy competition.

Academic Facilities
The school provides high-speed wireless networks for students and teachers, and every classroom has an interactive smart board and a projector. Apple computer labs, a PC lab, and a mobile Apple cart support computing education. The STEAM lab offers a technology-rich learning environment where students move beyond textbooks to practice concepts. The library is the center for literature and research, providing resources for project work and reading development, and librarians assist students with information needs. The school offers extensive online resources, including a web-based LMS used for virtual learning, and subscriptions to resources such as Noodle Tools and Discovery Education integrated into classroom instruction.

Extra Curricular Facilities
THIS offers a rich range of extracurricular activities to enrich campus life. The elementary, middle, and high schools run active club programs, with some elementary clubs supported by third-party providers while middle and high school clubs are led by students or teachers. There are 56 student clubs, 8 team-building trips, and 7 Chinese culture trips planned for the 2025-2026 year. Representative clubs include a chorus, AI art, aerospace, baking, book club, chess, robotics, drama, environmental science, philosophy, and other clubs across performing arts, culture, STEM, and service. Clubs are student- or teacher-led and operate alongside annual learning-practice activities and campus events.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
THIS was founded in 2009 to provide an education that blends Western and Chinese learning. It operates a primary, middle, and high school on the campus of Tsinghua University High School, Haidian District, Beijing, opposite Yuanmingyuan. The student body includes international students, children of foreigners, and Chinese returning from overseas studies.

Cultural & Language
The school offers a full-English environment with Chinese language and culture as a required core course, supporting strong bilingual development.
Languages

Language Provision
The curriculum is based on US Common Core standards with additional Chinese language and culture courses. The full-English environment supports language development across content areas and in social language. Chinese language and culture is a required core course, ensuring a strong Chinese level while exploring Chinese traditional culture in line with the Tsinghua Spirit. Students have strong proficiency in both Chinese and English.

Bilingual Teaching
THIS provides a full-English environment across the curriculum, with Chinese language and culture taught as a required core course. The program integrates US Common Core standards with Chinese culture content. Students develop strong abilities in both Chinese and English, and the school serves primary, middle, and high school levels.
Reputation

Awards
(All items below are taken from the school website and are awards received by the school or by school teams/programmes within the past five years.)

1) Top award at the UNESCO 16th ASEF ClassNet Conference (Ljubljana, Nov 2023) — the school's AI education project (presented in collaboration with a partner school) earned the highest jury score at the 16th ClassNet Conference, recorded on the school site as “winning the top award for THIS.” This award recognises the school's project work in AI education at an international education forum.

2) “Prestigious / Famous International School with Public Reputation” at the 2022 International Online Education Summit (Dec 2022) — the school's 2022 highlights on the website state that THIS received the summit's honourific award, which the school presents as external recognition of its public reputation in international education.

3) Awards at the 13th “Hope China” Youth Educational Drama & Bilingual Choir Beijing Festival (2022) — the school reports that its four entries in the Beijing final won three Grand Prizes and one First Prize (plus related production awards). These prizes were awarded to the school's drama/choral entries and are listed on the school website.

4) Team awards at the Xuanzang Road Ultra Gobi Youth Challenge 2 (May 2024) — the school's weekly report documents that the THIS team received five team awards (EEC Xuanzang Road Cultural Heritage Award, Shackleton Award, Ultra Gobi Excellence Award, Ultra Gobi Progress Award, and Team Spirit Award). These are team-level awards recorded on the school site.

Notes and scope limitations:
- I included only accreditations and school-level or team awards that are explicitly described on Tsinghua International School's official website (this.edu.cn). Individual student prizes and awards listed on the site were excluded where they were clearly awarded to individual students rather than to the school or a school team. Where the website gave dates or renewal details (for example WASC), I relied on those statements as published on the site.

Accreditations
1) WASC (ACS WASC) — Tsinghua International School holds accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC); the school first received a six-year WASC accreditation in January 2016 and the website records a successful renewal visit and continued accreditation in 2023. This accreditation is a U.S. regional-style, internationally recognised school accreditation that signals the school has met a set of quality and continuous-improvement standards used by many international schools.

2) College Board membership and authorised test centre status — the school is a member of the U.S. College Board and is identified on the website as an on‑campus test centre for AP, SAT and ACT (the site also refers to PSAT/AP testing availability). College Board membership and test‑centre status allow the school to offer AP courses and to administer College Board exams on site, which supports students taking those exams as part of the school's programme.
Admissions

Admissions
1. Prepare application documents. Parents should gather photocopies and bring originals to the in-person interview: student identification (passport and, if applicable, current China visa page; for Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan residents the specific travel/ID documents listed by the school), a color passport-style photo (3.3 x 4.8 cm), immunization record (original and scanned copy), recent school transcripts and any award certificates, and parents' valid ID plus parents' undergraduate degree certificates. For specific grades, THIS requires particular documentary ranges (for example: original transcripts of the most recent one year for grade 2 applicants, two years for grades 3–8, and all transcripts since grade 9 for grade 9–11 applicants) — confirm which original documents you must bring because some documents are requested as originals at interview.

2. Complete and submit the online application. All applications are submitted through THIS's online application system (OpenApply); when you enter referee information the system will automatically send a secure link to teachers for recommendation forms, so provide accurate teacher email addresses. The school operates year‑round admissions, but applications are processed in the order received, so submit early if you need a specific start term; keep copies of every uploaded PDF and note the system checklist so you don't miss required items.

3. Testing and observation (school assessment). After the admissions office reviews materials, the student will be invited to an assessment day: a ~15-minute comprehensive potential assessment and written tests; applicants for Grade 7+ must take a mathematics test, and non‑native Chinese speakers take a Chinese placement test. Grade 1 applicants who pass the test also take a behavioral observation session; test results are valid for six months, so if you plan to defer more than six months the student will need to retake the tests. Plan travel and scheduling around the test date and bring originals of all documents requested on the day.

4. Family interview (where applicable). Students who perform well in the tests (and in the Grade 1 observation, if applicable) may be invited, together with their parents, to a family interview — typically within about a week after testing; Grade 1 students are an exception and do not have the family interview stage. Use the interview to clarify academic needs, language support, and any special educational or medical needs; bring any documents that support requests (IEPs, medical records, etc.) because the interview is used to confirm fit and logistics.

5. Admission decision and next steps. The admissions office will notify applicants by email once all steps (tests, observation, interview where applicable) are complete; responses are generally sent after the full application process finishes (the school indicates decisions are communicated by email). If offered a place, confirm deadlines for acceptance, start‑of‑term paperwork, visa/residence permit requirements and any payment deadlines — the school lists two cut‑off dates for transfer enrollments (Nov 15 for first semester and Mar 15 for second semester), so check these if you are requesting mid‑year entry. For specific payment instructions, enrollment deposits, or registration procedures, contact THIS Admissions directly (phone/email listed on the school site).

Scholarships
The school's official admissions and fees pages list tuition and incidental fees but do not publish a K–12 scholarship, tuition assistance, or fee‑remission program on the public site. For the 2024–25 academic year THIS lists tuition in RMB and specifies per‑year amounts by division (Primary ¥186,000; Middle ¥208,000; High ¥218,000) and notes that lunch and other incidental fees are charged separately (lunch typically ~¥15–25 per meal). If you would like to confirm whether any merit‑ or need‑based assistance, sibling discounts, payment plans, or bursaries are available in the current or coming year, contact THIS Admissions (phone: +86 10 6277‑1477 / +86 10 6279‑7000; email: this@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn) because the school's public pages do not describe such programs.

Waitlist
THIS states it uses rolling admissions and that places are allocated on a first‑come, first‑served basis; the school's public pages describe admissions as “rolling” and encourage applicants to contact admissions early because enrollment is by available places. The website does not publish a formal waitlist policy or describe a separate ‘pool' of held applicants; if you need to know whether THIS will hold a declined place on a waitlist or how long a held offer remains active, ask the admissions office directly (telephone and admissions email are published on the site). For transfer requests or timing questions, note the two published cut‑off dates (Nov 15 and Mar 15) and confirm how the school manages late applications in the year you apply.
School Events
The school has not added events
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