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SEV American College

Turkey, Istanbul

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English, Turkish
Fees TRY 955,500 - 975,000
Ages Not listed
Type Co-educational
Opened 2014
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (DP)
Taught languages German, French, Spanish
Strengths STEM, Visual and Creative Arts, Languages
Clubs Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language, Community and Service
Stages Secondary School, Sixth Form
Introduction

SEV American College is a private high school in Istanbul, Turkey, established in 2014 as part of the SEV network of schools. It is an IB Diploma Programme World School, offering the IB DP with six subjects from six disciplines, three at Higher Level, plus the programme's core requirements. In the upper grades, students select courses from sciences, languages, individuals and societies, mathematics, the arts, or other groups, with emphasis on cross-disciplinary learning and multilingual study. English is the language of instruction; Turkish Language and Literature and Social Sciences are taught in Turkish, with German, Spanish and French available as second languages. The campus covers 14,500 square meters in Çekmeköy and includes 40 equipped classrooms, science laboratories, an art center, a music center, two computer labs, an auditorium and a library with 28,000 books. SAC is pursuing AP Exam Center status for 2026-27 and offers AP courses in upper grades.

Nişantepe, Dikiliağaç Sk. No:21, 34794 Çekmeköy/İstanbul, Türkiye

The Essentials

SEV American College has instruction in English, Turkish.

Location
SEV American College is located at Nişantepe Mah. Kerem Sok. No:5-9 Çekmeköy, Istanbul 34794, Turkey. It sits in the Çekmeköy district on the Asian side of Istanbul.

Stages
Secondary school (high school). Grades 9–12; IB Diploma Programme.

Type
Private high school.

Country affiliation
Turkey

Bus service
Minibus service is provided to students at cost. Buses and drivers adhere to state guidelines; set routes are available for faculty and staff.
Diving Deeper

Uniform Requirement
Uniforms are worn by students at SAC. Students wear uniforms to school and stand when answering questions.

Food Options
The food services division prepares meals directly on site. A Food Committee oversees menus to ensure meals are nutritious and tasty. SAC food facilities include a cafeteria with seating for 650, a large kitchen and storage areas, and a separate canteen adjacent to a student lounge.

Governance and Ownership
The school is governed by the Health and Education Foundation (SEV), a Turkish non-profit trust.
Fees

Annual tuition at SEV American College ranges from TRY 955,500 to TRY 975,000 for 2026/27.

Application fees
- No separate, non‑refundable application fee is published; completion of registration requires payment of the school fee at the time of registration.

Tuition fees (by year group and payment format)
- Latest publicly reported figure available for the high‑school preparation year (Hazırlık / Prep): Taksitli (installment) price reported at TRY 975,000; peşin (single payment) price reported at TRY 955,500. These figures are the published reported amounts for the recent reporting period.
- No complete, itemized per‑grade fee schedule (per term / per year group) for the 2025/26 or 2026/27 academic years was found in the school's registration documents made publicly available; the school's registration guidance and parent financial information reference payment plans and rules but do not publish a full per‑grade fee table in the publicly posted documents.

Billing schedule and payment terms
- Registration is completed once the school fee is paid and registration contracts are signed; payment of the declared fee at registration is required.
- Typical payment options historically offered include:
- Single (peşin) payment with a reduced peşin amount option.
- Installment plans shown in school communications (examples used in prior years): 1+4, 1+6, 1+9 installment structures (meaning an initial payment plus the remaining installments).
- Electronic invoicing for the academic year issued in equal monthly portions (example: 10 equal electronic invoice installments covering September–June).
- Late payment: past communications apply contractual late‑payment terms to overdue installments (example: monthly vade farkı/late charge applied to missed installments in earlier notices).

Boarding fees
- SEV American College operates as a day school in its published materials; no boarding / residential (yatılı) program or boarding fee schedule is published for the institution. No boarding fee line items are listed in the school's registration and information materials.

Other costs and typical additional charges
- Families should expect additional, separate costs commonly charged by international/foreign high schools in the same market, including: school uniform, daily food/lunch, transport (servis), stationery and books, exam and extra‑curricular activity fees. These ancillary charges have been reported to add materially to the total annual cost at comparable schools.
- The school's prior parent financial letters and registration guidance note that some services and charges are handled separately from the tuition invoice; specific amounts for uniforms, transport, meals or optional activities are not published as a consolidated public fee table in the materials examined.

Refund information
- Refunds are administered in accordance with the Turkish Ministry of Education special‑education / private‑schools regulation (Özel Öğretim Kurumları Yönetmeliği). The rule applied in the school's registration guidance states: if a student withdraws before the school year starts, the annual fee is refunded except for a 10% retained portion; if the student withdraws after the year begins, the amount retained is the 10% plus the pro‑rata amount for the days attended (the remaining portion is refunded under the regulation's formula). Exact refund calculations follow the regulation text included in the school's registration materials.

Fee payment options (methods accepted)
- Bank transfer to the school's corporate account (example bank and IBAN have been used in school communications).
- Cash or payment through on‑site bank representatives at registration (historically possible at the time of registration).
- Credit card payments with installment options via the partner bank; prior notices specify credit‑card instalment programs (Worldcard options permitting multi‑month installments such as 5, 7 or 10 installments subject to bank conditions).
- Bank loan/financing channel (TEST system) arranged through the partner bank to spread payments over approved installment plans; customers using this route must apply through the bank prior to registration.

Other payment‑related notes
- A sibling discount has been included in prior communications: a standard discount scheme provided a 10% tuition discount for second and subsequent SEV students in the same family, except where the sibling already receives a financial support bursary.

Note on availability of full per‑grade figures
- The school's publicly posted registration documents and parent financial letters include payment methods, installment patterns, refund rules and past example amounts, but a complete, itemized per‑grade, per‑term fee schedule for the 2025/26 or 2026/27 academic year was not published in the publicly available materials examined. The only widely reported recent published tuition number available in public press reporting was the prep‑year figure noted above; full per‑grade breakdowns and term‑by‑term published tables were not located in the school's publicly posted registration documents.
Academics

SEV American College teaches IB (DP).

Curriculum
The school offers the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) and is an authorized IBDP World School. In the IBDP, students select six subjects from six groups of disciplines, three at Higher Level. The six groups are: 1 Studies in Language and Literature; 2 Language Acquisition; 3 Individuals and Society; 4 Sciences; 5 Mathematics; 6 The Arts or another subject from one of the above groups. The students also fulfill three core requirements and are encouraged to connect learning across disciplines, become self-learners, and engage in multilingual study. The school offers an Advanced Placement (AP) Program and is pursuing AP Exam Center status to host AP examinations on campus starting in the 2026–2027 academic year. For the upper grades (11th and 12th), SAC provides a wide range of AP courses whose university-level work is recorded on transcripts.

Student Teacher Ratio
Enrollment for 2024-2025 was 607 students with 75 teaching staff, giving an approximate student-teacher ratio of about 8:1. Average class sizes range from 16 to 22 students per class by grade (Prep Year: 16; Grade 9: 22; Grade 10: 20; Grade 11: 20; Grade 12: 17).

Exam Results
IB Diploma Programme results: SAC'25 graduates completed the IBDP Diploma with scores above the world average.

Higher Education Progression
Graduates have placements at universities worldwide; SAC'24 students were accepted to 93 universities worldwide, and details of Turkish and international placements are published on the Placements in Turkey page (including the list of SAC'25 acceptances).
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
The SAC mission is to nurture globally-minded, well-rounded, happy individuals who contribute to society through their academic achievements and social consciousness.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
The information on SEN provision is not described on the provided pages, so no details are available.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
The site highlights a bilingual and bicultural approach with a strong English department, including a large share of native English speakers; specific EAL programs are not itemized beyond this emphasis.

Mental Wellbeing
A Child Protection Policy aligned with UN rights and CIS standards is in place to safeguard students, with the SEV Foundation responsible for safety and welfare across SEV schools.

Safeguarding
The school adheres to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and CIS Child Protection standards, implemented through a comprehensive Child Protection Policy at SEV foundations-wide.
Parent Experience

History
SEV American College opened its doors in September 2014 after a long and thorough planning phase. It is part of SEV's network of high schools established by the Health and Education Foundation (SEV); the foundation was founded in 1968 and three SEV elementary schools were founded by SEV in 1997 to complement the three high schools. SAC and its sister institutions Üsküdar American Academy, American Collegiate Institute in İzmir, and Tarsus American College are governed by SEV, a Turkish non‑profit trust whose trustees meet monthly to discuss policy; the Foundation delegates financial and legal authority to SAC heads to oversee the running of the school. The school employs 86 teachers, 17 of whom are foreign. The school aims for strong university admissions across Turkey, Europe, and America.

Community
SEV guiding statements focus on nurturing globally-minded, well-rounded individuals who contribute to society. SAC is bilingual (Turkish and English) and teaches a second foreign language (German, Spanish, or French); in 2024–2025 the school has 75 teachers, 15% of whom are foreign, with most classes taught in English. Student life features more than 50 clubs, including MUN, drama, public speaking and sports, and a Student Council that organizes events via clubs and attends PTA meetings to shape school life. Enrollment for 2024–2025 is 607 students, and technology is integrated into daily learning with computer labs and a 3D printer and teachers using smart boards.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
The PTA plays a critical role in the school's development; families, teachers and school management cooperate to support the educational life of students and strengthen school culture. PTA organizes many activities to support students' social and academic development and to strengthen bonds among families. Meetings and events increase solidarity and communication among families. Annual PTA elections on 9/10/2024 elect the Board of Directors, Board of Directors (substitute) and Board of Audit to participate in governance. PTA Board of Directors includes Mehmet Can YÜCE (President), GÜLER AKKAŞ KELEŞ (Vice‑President), ALİ GÖZÜTOK (Secretary), ALİ ÇETİNKOL (Accountant), BİLGE YILDIRIM GÖNÜL (Member). PTA contact: sacoab@my.sevkoleji.k12.tr.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
The campus sits on a hillside in Çekmeköy, Istanbul, on 14,500 square meters. Brand-new facilities have been built with state-of-the-art furnishings and technology, and the architecture, recognized with Iconic Awards, lets in daylight from every corner. The facilities include 40 digitally equipped classrooms with interactive whiteboards and natural lighting, and six modern science laboratories (two each for Physics, Biology and Chemistry). An art center features a photography classroom with a darkroom, a ceramics studio, and a multipurpose classroom; a music center includes two large classrooms and two practice rooms. The complex also houses two large computer labs, an auditorium seating 590, a smaller theater seating 63, a library for 28,000 books with 84 computer stations and two classrooms, a three-room medical clinic, a student lounge, a canteen and a cafeteria for 380.

Academic Facilities
Academic facilities include 40 digitally equipped classrooms with interactive whiteboards, projection systems, and natural lighting. There are six modern science laboratories (two for Physics, Biology and Chemistry). An art center includes a photography classroom with a darkroom, a ceramics studio and a multipurpose classroom; a music center has two large classrooms and two practice rooms. Two large computer labs, an auditorium seating 590 and a smaller theater seating 63 supplement the learning spaces. The library accommodates 28,000 books with 84 computer stations and two classrooms; a three-room medical clinic, a student lounge, and a canteen complete the academic environment.

Extra Curricular Facilities
The school maintains a wide range of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities and clubs. Student Life includes the Students Association, Clubs, Social Service, Sports, Arts, and International Projects. These activities are supported by campus facilities such as the library, arts and music centers, and performance venues.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
The school provides a five-year high school education from Prep to 12th Grade, with a Prep Year offering Intensive English, a Second Foreign Language, Turkish, Science, Mathematics, Art, Physical Education, Music and Guidance. Apart from Turkish Language & Literature and Social Sciences, all classes are taught in English, with German, Spanish, and French available as second languages. Electives from Grade 9 include Modern Turkish and World History, German/French Literature, Public Speaking, Journalism, Drama, Web Design and Animation, and AP preparation in Chemistry/Physics. The IB Diploma Programme is offered (IB World School since May 2016) and CIS accreditation was achieved in February 2023; the IB average is described as exceeding global standards.

Arts & Creative
The facilities include a four-room arts center and a four-room music center, along with state-of-the-art science and computer labs, an extensive library, and naturally lit classrooms. Drama Club explores English-language theatre and participates in the SAC Theater Festival, providing performance opportunities. There are more than 50 clubs offering visual and performing arts, including Orchestra, Oil Painting, Ceramics, Dance, Art Club, Maker, and Robotics, supporting creative development.

Cultural & Language
Bilingualism and biculturalism are central to SAC. The language of instruction is English for most classes, with Turkish Language & Literature and Social Sciences taught in Turkish; German, Spanish, and French are available as second languages. The school offers international opportunities including Model United Nations conferences in multiple languages, International School Theater Association conferences, Duke of Edinburgh, European Youth Parliament sessions, and more, along with cultural and musical exploration and international social service projects. Students may take internationally recognized language exams such as TOEFL, IELTS, DELE (Spanish), and DELF (French).

Social & Hobbies
Sports are offered in competitive and recreational formats to complement academics, helping students stretch their mental and physical capacities and develop leadership as both team leaders and members. A broad range of clubs spans tennis and basketball, as well as arts and performance activities, including Drama Club, Mind Games, Dance Club, Ceramics Club, Art Club, and more. These opportunities accompany formal academics to foster well-rounded development.

Community & Service
National and international community service projects are part of SAC's program. International opportunities also include international social service projects. An example of SAC's social service activity is the Soma relief effort, where students helped by establishing a computer lab, supporting another school, and planting 301 trees.

Leadership & Professional
The Student Council is elected by the student body, with a constitution, to improve student social life and to bring proposals or fundraising ideas to the administration. Leadership development is supported through clubs such as the IB Study Club, Public Speaking, Journalism, Drama, and Young Entrepreneurship. The SAC X-Zone Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center supports project-based learning and entrepreneurship across the campus.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
The mission is to nurture globally-minded, well-rounded, happy individuals who contribute to society. The school emphasizes international-mindedness, social awareness, and environmental stewardship as core values. The campus features state-of-the-art facilities, including science laboratories, smart boards, 3D printers, and computer labs, supporting an innovative learning environment. Extracurriculars such as MUN, ISTA, European Youth Parliament, TÜBITAK competitions, CERN visits, cultural trips, music and art studies, and community service projects enrich student life.
Languages

Language Provision
Turkish and English are the languages used in the bilingual program. The school also offers foreign language study in French, Spanish or German. Students are prepared for international examinations such as TOEFL, IELTS and Europass.

Bilingual Teaching
The school provides bilingual education in Turkish and English.
Reputation

Accreditations
Council of International Schools (CIS) Accreditation; SAC applied in 2018 and was accredited in 2023, confirming ongoing alignment with CIS standards.
Admissions

Admissions
1. Base admission score and Preparatory Class: The base admission score for 2025–2026 is 451.7918 out of 500. The Preparatory Class is mandatory and encompasses Intensive English, a Second Foreign Language, Turkish, Science, Mathematics, Visual Arts, Physical Education, Music, Information Technologies, and Guidance. 2. Registration process: Detailed information will be provided in the Admission Guide published during the registration period. Pre-registration requires the candidate's Turkish ID number, date of birth, and a mobile phone number. Admissions are based on a single score and a single quota; there is no separate gender quota. There is no boarding option; campus tours are available only on announced promotion days or through the 360-degree virtual tour. 3. Post-admission and logistics: Fees and payment details are described in the Admission Guide during the registration period. The closing score for the previous year was 451.7918. If registration is completed by someone other than the parents, a power of attorney is required; if parents are divorced, custody or power of attorney documentation must be provided. 4. Withdrawals and refunds: Withdrawals before the academic year begins are refunded the annual fee minus 10%; withdrawals after the year begins are refunded the remaining amount minus 10% of the annual fee and a days-based portion. 5. Scholarships and language: Financial Aid Scholarships are awarded according to SEV's Scholarship Regulation and may range from 10% to 100%, with annual reapplication. Sports, Arts, and Science Scholarships are also offered to eligible students and can be awarded throughout high school. 6. Language and curriculum: All courses are taught in English with Turkish culture/applied courses as exceptions; German, Spanish, or French are offered as second languages. The school offers the IB Diploma Programme and AP Programme, and CIS accreditation confirms international standards.

Scholarships
SEV American College has scholarship opportunities for students in sports, arts, and science. Resources for these scholarships come from donations and contributions from SEV. Types of scholarships vary as do the eligibility criteria and award rates. Financial Aid Scholarships are granted under the SEV Scholarship Regulation; awards range from 10% to 100% and are valid for one year with annual reapplication. Continuation requires advancement to the next grade and no disciplinary record.
School Events
The school has not added events
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