UWC South East Asia - East Campus

Entrance and selection criteria

UWCSEA seeks to enrol students who will be able to embrace the opportunities offered by the College, and who are committed to our mission and vision. All applications are reviewed to determine whether the applicant will be able to benefit fully from the opportunities offered by UWCSEA.

Entrance criteria

Applicants need to demonstrate age-appropriate qualities and skills that will enable them to thrive in all five elements of our learning programme. These include but are not limited to:

• A positive approach to learning, as reflected in effort grades (typically, eligible applicants will be consistently in the upper levels of effort and approach within their current school’s assessment bands); please note that this is just as important to us as academic attainment
• An academic profile that indicates the applicant can progress with confidence in our learning programme (typically, eligible applicants will be consistently in the upper levels of assessment within their current school’s assessment bands).
• Positive and collaborative classroom behavior and social interactions with peers, as reflected in report comments
• Active engagement in activities and extracurricular interests, in relation to opportunities available in the child’s current context
• English proficiency levels that will enable the student to access our learning programme, possibly with additional EAL (English as an Additional Language) support that we are able to provide
• Individual learning needs that can be supported by our Learning Support provision

All applicants who meet our entrance criteria, and so are eligible to be offered a place, are placed in the application pool to be considered for available places in the upcoming academic year.

Allocation of places to eligible applicants

If there are more ‘eligible applicants’ than there are places available, we consider a variety of factors when  allocating places. These factors depend upon the section of the school and grade that your child is applying to join. Above all, our allocation policy is driven by our mission, along with our commitment to diversity and variety of experience, as described below. We are looking to build balanced and diverse cohorts in each grade level, taking into consideration a range of factors, including but not limited to:

• Personality
• Background and variety of experience
• Interests and activities
• Proactive involvement in school and community life
• The applicant’s potential to flourish within our learning programme
• The applicant’s potential to embrace the College mission and values (for applicants to Grade 6 or above)

Other factors we take into consideration include:

• Gender balance within the grade applied for
• Applicant’s age within the age-range of the grade applied for
• Whether the applicant has a sibling currently enrolled at the same campus
• Placing siblings applying at the same time, where possible and appropriate
• Whether or not the applicant, or their parents, previously attended UWCSEA
• Whether or not the applicant previously applied to UWCSEA

UWCSEA's definition of diversity and variety of experience

In keeping with our mission and ethos, we seek to build a diverse student community that represents a variety of backgrounds and experiences. We believe that our students’ learning, interactions, and growth through the five elements of our learning programme is all the more exciting and enriching when they interact with peers who bring a diversity of backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives to campus. We therefore look for diversity and a variety of experience in a number of ways, including but not limited to the following:

• Gender, ethnicities, nationalities
• Cultural, religious, and linguistic diversity
• Countries or regions of current and previous residency
• Variety of personalities (along the continuum from extroversion to introversion, among other things)
• Educational backgrounds (including types of schools, curricula studied, academic and other educational opportunities and experiences)
• Academic interests, talents, and skills; future aspirations (for older applicants)
• Extra-curricular interests, hobbies, and pursuits
• Variety of family backgrounds (nuclear, extended, interdependent, single-parent, blended families, career backgrounds, number of siblings, and other aspects of family situations)
• Special educational and other needs or circumstances

The following admissions policies are very important:

• All day students must reside with at least one parent who is living in singapore and is present for at least 90% of each term. Students applying to grade 8 and above must apply to the boarding house if neither parent will be residing in singapore
• In line with singapore government regulations that require singaporean citizens to attend moe schools, we accept applications from singaporean citizens applying to grade 1 and above and only in limited circumstances. Please contact admissions before submitting an application if your child is a singapore citizen, or may become a citizen during the application cycle.
• Once a place is accepted, it is not possible to transfer campuses
• Ensure that you provide all information relating to your child's learning or that might impact your child's ability to progress in all elements of our learning programme

If you'd like us to email you when applications open for future years, please complete our registration of interest form and we'll be in touch.

Applications can only be made  via our online application system. This User Guide to the application system outlines the documentation required. This timeline explains what happens after you have submitted an application.

Application process

Step 1: Research the school and choose a campus
Its important that you do your research on the campus location, as once you accept a place on one campus its not possible to transfer between them. Day student applicants who would be genuinely happy with either campus can make a 'dual campus' application. 

There are many excellent sources of information on moving to Singapore. However, to assist families who are considering which campus to apply to prior to their move to Singapore, we’ve listed the key residential locations near each of our campuses.

Step 2: Contact Admissions and visit the campus(es)
Please contact Admissions to arrange a tour and clarify any questions you have. An individual tailored tour will take about an hour. A group tour, which hosts up to three families who are looking at the same school section, can be around 1.5 hours.

If possible, visit while school is in session, as this provides a far greater insight into the quality of our programme and the vibrancy of our community.

Tours are offered Monday–Friday between 9am and 2pm. It is essential to book a campus tour in advance, as we are rarely able to provide a comprehensive tour at short notice. Due to child safeguarding, safety and security, self-guided tours are not possible.

We also have virtual tours of many parts of both Dover and East Campus.

The Admissions team also visits countries around Asia and Europe each year to see a list of locations and dates.

Step 3: Apply online
You can apply online or register your interest in joining us in future. 

If applications are already open for the academic year you are interested in, submit the online application, which will include submitting supporting documentation and paying a non-refundable application fee(s). If you would be happy with either campus, you are able to apply to both using a single application form, by indicating you are making a dual application and paying two application fees.

The availability of places in some grades is not the same at both campuses. Before you make your selection as to which campus to apply to, please contact Admissions for information.

If applications for the year you are interested in having your child join the College are not yet open, register your interest and we will be in touch to let you know when applications open. We will also let you know about open days and other events relevant for families who are looking to join our community.

UWCSEA Nominee Programme (UNP) applicants
The Admissions Department can pre-screen UNP nominees at the request of subscribing corporations. It is important to note that applicants need either nominate as candidate via the UNP or apply via the general application process in any given year; if a standard application is unsuccessful, students cannot, regardless of meeting the entrance criteria, then be nominated as a UNP candidate for the same academic year.

Potential UNP nominees should contact Jon Parr, Director of Corporate Relations, prior to submitting an online application to discuss the process. Please also review the information on the UNP before submitting an application.

Step 4: Admission evaluation
During this step, Admissions looks at your child’s application to assess their eligibility to be considered for a place. They will be in touch to confirm or clarify details, and may request further information.

Some applicants are asked to come to the College for an assessment. This is generally to ascertain whether any specific support might be required or to ensure the applicant has the necessary level of English to progress well in our programme. All eligible High School applicants are asked to to participate in an immersion day, which includes interactive activities, assessments and an interview. This takes place on campus if you are in Singapore, or during one of our overseas outreach visits.

Once an application has been evaluated, parents are advised of their child's eligibility to be considered for a place. Once we are sure that an applicant meets our entrance criteria, they are placed in a pool of eligible applicants, from which we then select students for offers. We also contact parents of applicants who are not eligible to join the pool of eligible applicants.

Step 5: Offers and accepting a place
Eligible applicants are considered for places in the next academic year during our offer periods, which run in phases between November and May.

Eligible applicants to K1–Grade 8 who are not offered a place for the start of the academic year may be invited to remain in the application pool for an immediate entry place, should a student leave the College after the start of the academic year. These offers are made at any time up to the beginning of Term 2 in January.