St. Stephen's School

• Location: Italy, Rome
• Age of students: 14 - 19 years old
• Educational programs: International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement
• Number of students: 308, 250 Day students, 58 Boarding students
• Foundation year: 1964
• Type of education: mixed
• Accomodation: In-campus residence for Boarding students
• Price: from €28,960.00 for Day tuition / €20,453.00 (€49,413.00) for Boarding tuition
• Ranking: one of the most prestigious schools in Rome, 96% of its graduates take exams for IB on A*-B

Nestling at the foot of the Aventine, the most exclusive of Rome’s seven hills, and a stone’s throw from the city’s great imperial sites, our international non-denominational high school for Boarding and Day students has built its academic program and reputation on the classical heritage of our host country, Italy, and the rigor of two prestigious educational models: the American, independent college-preparatory curriculum, and the IB Diploma. A distinctive faculty of accomplished scholars bring the highest level of instruction to a diverse student cohort. Our emphasis on the School's core values of care, independence, scholarship, integrity, and creativity guides St. Stephen's students to become architects of their futures, and engaged, motivated, global citizens.

Academic preparation

Teaching and learning are integral to the School’s mission, and its charge to develop the character and potential of each student. As we maintain the highest standards in all areas, both in and out of the classroom, we use the past to inform our learning, we encourage a passion for thorough knowledge, and we provide challenging intellectual opportunities to offer an enriching scholastic experience. Students come to St. Stephen’s because they are high achievers looking to make their academic marks and distinguish themselves in their individual scholarly pursuits. The International Baccalaureate and liberal arts foundation at the core of the academic experience promotes learner autonomy, allowing students to assume full ownership of their educational choices. A 13:1 student-teacher ratio and an academic program uniquely tailored to the interests and strengths of each student create a learning environment that allows each student to achieve his or her personal best.
 

The institution annually accepts foreign students from the United States, Europe, Central and South America, Russia and Asia under an exchange program. Those wishing to gain the experience of studying in Rome arrive at the school for one semester or a whole year, choosing to attend courses in research, history, Italian language or art.

In St. Stephen's, students find a positive, safe, and stimulating environment that values all of its members. We promote personal and academic excellence, fully supporting students as they seek their individual best and develop independence in all facets of their lives. The Boarding community is a tight-knit family of 58 foreign students and the school offers accommodation in a comfortable in-campus residence, as well as extra living spaces in buildings adjacent and parallel to the main campus. 10 teachers and staff comprise the Boarding Faculty, In the residence, students are generally placed in double rooms with a roommate, but single accommodation can be arranged on an individual basis. Rooms in the residence are furnished, spacious, and with Internet access. Girls' dormitories and Boys' dormitories are in separate hallways. In common use, there is a laundry, a lounge, and a kitchen; but truly the whole school becomes an extension of a student's living space. Boarding students can have access to the sports courts, music room, art rooms, and classrooms. The residence is guarded around the clock. To promptly solve the organizational and everyday issues that students face in the building, there are curators.  Meals in Boarding are organized according to the boarding principle. Boarding students have three meals a day on campus: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The cafeteria serves mainly Italian dishes and can cater to any dietary/allergic/food restrictions. Vegetarian options can also be accommodated. Students mature through daily choices and decisions, and through a collaborative effort involving students, faculty, and parents, we sustain a healthy, supportive community that values each individual during his or her transformative time here. We cultivate relationships based on warmth, mutual respect and genuine concern, essential qualities for living together harmoniously in a small community. The culturally rich and vibrant setting of Rome affords us endless opportunities for exploration and discovery and figures prominently in the lives of St. Stephen's students.
 

Subject list: Art, computer techologies, cultural studies, drawing lessons, economics, history, letter, maths, music, Natural science, painting, photography, sculpture
Activity list: dancing

On the campus of St. Stephen's supports many of the students' interests and hobbies. For extracurricular development, thematic events and meetings of clubs such as:

• Chess
• Cookery
• Debate
• Horticulture
• Geology, geography and ecology,
• Literature
• Investment
• Robotics
• Natural and exact sciences.

Students are instilled with a love of society and charitable activities, encouraging volunteering and participation in social events: cleaning of beaches and school grounds, business trips, theatrical performances for special children, psychological and mutual educational events are organized.

St. Stephen's has an excellent infrastructure for sports and creative activities, whether it's team games or yoga. On campus and partner organizations, you can devote time to football, volleyball, running, Pilates, fencing, horseback riding or rowing, improve your skills in modern dance and individual yoga training.

For those living in the residence, the weekends are busy, as on Saturdays and Sundays a lot of events are organized: from sightseeing trips to culinary master classes - all in order to relax after a difficult school week.

• St. Stephen's School is a highly ranked school with high academic achievements of students. Its graduates enter leading universities in Italy and the world.
• Freedom from beliefs. In a non-denominational educational institution, the themes of religion are not addressed, in curricula there are no theological subjects. This distinguishes the school from other Roman schools.
• The school is the first in Italy to introduce the International Baccalaureate program. More than 30 years of experience in teaching students determines high final results of its graduates.
• Not only classical academic education. Particular attention is paid to the development of social skills: ability to communicate and make friends, to work in a team. Also, in school such qualities of students as responsibility, leadership, independence are brought up.
• The school attracts foreign students with convenient location. Education in the school provides complete immersion in the classical Roman cultural environment.
• Opportunity to join one of kids camps in Italy on hollidays.

School infrastructure is represented by classrooms with interactive whiteboards, a library, a computer classroom, scientific laboratories, a multimedia hall, a concert hall with excellent acoustics, art studios, sculpture, ceramics, Italian dance. Sports infrastructure includes a gym, volleyball, basketball courts, a tennis court. The school also leases halls and fields in several major sports centers in Rome.

The training period is from September to June.

Additional fees: 

• Lunches made from local products (only for full-time students) = 1590 €,
• Comprehensive assessment fee (new students) = 1500 €,
• Comprehensive assessment fee for returning students = 500 €,
• Spring trip deposit = 500 €.

Extras:

• Registration fee (for a programme/course) 500 EUR
• Deposit for a course/programme 2000 EUR
• One-time entrance fee 1000 EUR

The admission procedure consists of several stages:

• Filling out an application and submitting documents,
• Payment of registration fees,
• Receiving a response from the admissions committee with an invitation to campus or an online interview,
• Passing entrance examinations,
• Making deposits, booking accommodation on campus and paying for the first semester,
• The beginning of training.

Thanks to the quality education provided by the school, graduates achieve excellent results in final exams - about 96% of high school students receive high scores: from A * to B in the IB program.

Some of the universities that accept graduates of St. Stephen's School are:

• Boston University,
• Case Western Reserve University,
• Columbia University New York City,
• Cornell University,
• Georgetown University,
• Harvard University,
• Haverford College,
• Illinois Institute of Technology,
• North Carolina Wesleyan College,
• Parsons (The New School),
• Pepperdine University,
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,
• Santa Monica College and others.

A community of more than 4,000 alumni over 50 years has many professionals who have made careers both in Switzerland and abroad.

Foreign applicants must provide:

• Personal documents: passport, medical insurance,
• Academic reports for the last two years of study, transcripts,
• Certificate confirming the level of English.

All documents must be translated into English and notarized. Candidates pass entrance examinations, on the basis of which enrollment in the school takes place.

Scholarships are awarded to a limited number of students based on their academic performance and need for funding. Third-party sources are also available to students: government scholarship programs, loans and credits, grants.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision