International Homestay Program

There are thousands of high schools in the United States . . .   Why choose Girls Preparatory School?

• GPS’s emphasis on global studies has created a student body that celebrates different cultures and that hungers for interaction with students from other parts of the world.
• GPS’s laptop program, one of the very few in the country when it was initiated in 1998, has enabled teachers to make interactive education a way of life.
• GPS’s outstanding programs in the fine and performing arts, in athletics, and in worldwide service encourage students to experience all the school has to offer.
• GPS’s honor system allows all members of the school community a sense of trust and challenges everyone to live in a way that is worthy of that trust.
• GPS’s academic excellence is recognized by colleges and universities, and students with a GPS diploma find themselves extraordinarily well-prepared for the rigors of university studies.

Additionally, GPS has the extremely good fortune to be located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a city positioned less than two hours from Atlanta to the south, Nashville to the northwest, and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville to the northeast.  Chattanooga sits on the Tennessee River, surrounded by mountains, in a gorgeous setting that provides opportunities for every kind of outdoor activity imaginable.  Add a revitalized downtown area that features the Tennessee Aquarium, the Hunter Museum of American Art, and many other educational and entertainment venues, and you have this beautiful city, recently named one of National Geographic Magazine’s “Fifty Next Great Towns.”

Cost

o   Tuition for the 2011-2012 school year is $20,020. Expect a slight increase for 2012-13.

o   Ancillary Fees are used to cover charges for books, uniforms, trips, purchase of a used laptop, and other class-specific incidentals.  These fees range from $2,000 to $3,000 depending on grade level.

Application

o   We act only upon applications we receive through agencies approved by CSIET.  For a list of approved agencies, visit here (http://www.csiet.org/publications-resources/publications/listed-programs.html).

o   Once we receive a student's application from an agency, we will ask the student to complete the GPS International Student Application, found here.

o    In most cases, GPS will advise the agency whether or not we can place a student within a week of receiving the application.

Academic Requirements

o    GPS requires that students entering at the high school level have a very strong academic record.

o    Additionally, international students wishing to seek a high school diploma in the U.S. must score a minimum of 50 on the SLEP Test.

o    Students who are more interested in a one-year experience, and who carry no absolute expectation of academic requirements, may be invited to enroll with a minimum score of 45 on the SLEP Test.

Students and/or their sponsoring agencies must be prepared to provide an interpretation of the student's transcript to facilitate academic placement at GPS.

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