Admissions FAQ's

As long as places remain in any grade, we enroll qualified students who have filed completed applications, paid the $500 application fees and, for Secondary students, have also completed the assessment tests. We will determine whether additional assessment is necessary for Elementary students. Once the grade reaches the maximum student number, all new applicants go on a wait list in accordance with the admission categories, as found in our Admissions Policy, and the date and time we receive each completed application.

Children are placed in a grade according to their age. Age determined placements provide for greater emotional, social and academic stability and support during the course of a student's schooling. Age determined placement is both a policy and a practice. The cut off dates for each grade are as follows:

• EC1 students must be 3 by August 31st
• EC2 students must be 4 by August 31st
• Kindergarten students must be 5 by August 31st
• Grade 1 students must be 6 by August 31st
• Grade 2 students must be 7 by August 31st
• Grade 3 students must be 8 by August 31st
• Grade 4 students must be 9 by August 31st
• Grade 5 students must be 10 by August 31st

In Secondary, due to the varied educational background and experiences of the students, grade level placement is determined by age as well as based on previous school records, interviews and placement tests. The final decision is made by the Principal in consultation with the parents.

To help clarify IST Grade Levels as compared to the grade levels from other systems, we have created this equivalency chart:

Our academic year begins in August and ends in June.

Some of our incoming students are transferring from schools which follow the January to December academic calendar. For these students, if they are joining IST in January through June, then they will advance a grade in August along with the other members of their class.

No, we do not have a separate fee schedule for siblings or children of alumni. Please see the fee schedule for more information about IST's tuition and fees.

Our school is located on two campuses. The Elementary Campus (EC1 - Grade 5) is off of the United Nations Road in the Upanga area of Dar es Salaam, and the Secondary Campus (Grade 6 - Grade 12) is on the peninsula in the Masaki area of Dar es Salaam (Haile Selassie Road). For more information on our campuses, please see the About Us section of this website.

The most important parts of the process are your child's school reports for the current year as well as the last two years. In addition, the confidential report which is to be completed by the school and emailed directly to us and/or any other supporting information provided in the application pack are also important.

The checklist (Admission Cover Sheet) on the application describes each component that is required. Once we receive your application, you will receive an e-mail letting you know if any documents are missing which are required to complete the process. Due to the large volume of applications received during the beginning of the school year (July through September), this might take a couple of days for us to respond.

Once testing/assessment is completed and we have all of the student's school records and confidential references, we will consider his/her application complete. The application is then reviewed and parents will receive a letter from the Principal indicating the application was successful.

No, please refer to the IST Admission Policy under clause 3.1.3 available on our website (How to Apply).

IST will hold denied applications for one year. If you wish to be reconsidered within this period, you will need to supply additional information to strengthen your application (such as new test scores, reference letters, school records, etc.).

Not at this time. You may download all application materials from our website under Admissions-How to Apply. You can also request the information by emailing your request to our Admissions Office: admissions@istafrica.com. Completed applications can be scanned and submitted via e-mail or delivered via courier it to the respective admissions office.