American Embassy School, New Delhi

This alumnus was surprised to hear from friends, who graduated from other top performing schools in Delhi and elsewhere, that they remembered the pursuit of achievement, the pressure to perform but couldn’t remember many specific people, places, or details; that they didn't recall much joy.

A big contrast to what our AES alumnus remembers: He says he remembers every single day. He remembers the classes, the labs, the teachers, the positive emotions, the names, the friends, the faces. He remembers every corner of the AES campus, including the classrooms which felt personal and rich.

We’ve all read stories that we quickly forgot or that we’d rather forget. But our children’s international adventures, their friendships and mentors, all the sensory wonders of India and campus, their sense of belonging to our AES family—all are foundational memories we want them to carry for a lifetime.

We’ve come a long way since our students brought their own desks to school or studied in a building known as the ‘Taj’. But when roots are deep, ‘coming a long way’ means continually revisiting the beginning of our AES story.

The vision for AES was born when a small group of Americans, living and working in New Delhi in the early 1950’s, decided to establish an American-style school for their children. One brave teacher launched the program in a single classroom with 12 children spanning six grades.

In 1960, the School adopted the American International School (AIS) name to reflect the growing diversity of nationalities within the community and the exhilaration it brought. Shortly after, in 1963, the School moved to its current campus in Chanakyapuri. The original stone buildings remain today, taking their shape through the inspired work of renowned American architect, Joseph Allen Stein.

During that decade, we began cheering our teams as Tigers and opened a boarding section that offered a decade of residential life on campus for American students whose parents were stationed in the sub-continent ‘from Colombo to Kathmandu.’

In 1973, the School was re-named as the American Embassy School (AES), due to its primary relationship with the US Embassy in New Delhi. Thus began many decades of stability, growth, and innovation. As the School gained a global reputation, the High School was also accredited.

In the first half of the 1980’s, AES sealed its commitment to a rigorous dual curricular program in the High School by re-introducing the Advanced Placement (AP) program and adding the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP).

With foresight, a campus building phase was launched during the 1990's. Construction began on the new middle school and elementary school buildings. During this frenzy of construction, the high school facilities and faculty housing also underwent major remodeling.

AES celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2002, with a Golden Jubilee that brought many decades of alumni back to campus with the enthusiasm and affection that have always characterized our AES Tigers.

Our Vision

AES is a destination school for families and educators seeking personalized learning to cultivate intellectual and creative leaders who will make the world a better place.