American Overseas School of Rome
Description of American Overseas School of Rome
- Location: Rome, Italy,
- Founded: 1947,
- Number of students: about 575,
- Language of instruction: English,
- Type of study: blended.
Welcome to the American Overseas School of Rome, where over 50 nationalities blend to create a vibrant global community. As the preferred choice for diplomats and international families, which make up over 70% of our community, AOSR is international by design and is open from PreK to Grade 12 (3 to 18 years of age). Our dedicated team champions exploration and growth, ensuring students are poised to excel in elementary school as they are in higher education and beyond. Choosing the right school is paramount, and we’re here to guide you every step of the way. Schedule a tour or chat with us online to experience our enriching ethos. At AOSR, global unity and personal growth converge.
Educational process
Foreign students are provided with language assistance in the format of an additional English language course EAL. Classes are included in the price of the program and are available to students of all grades. Students attend lessons in small groups, improving their knowledge and skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening, building vocabulary and communicating with native English speakers.
Faculties and colleges
AOSR has three academic departments:
- Primary school, which includes a nursery and a kindergarten,
- High school
- High School.
Programs and prices, tuition fees in American Overseas School of Rome
Pre-K Programme, Nursery and Kindergarten Programme
- Age — from three years old,
- The duration of training is two to three years.
The AOSR Early Learner Program offers a safe, engaging, and diverse environment to begin their academic journey. The basis of the curriculum is a game, in the process of which children learn about the world around them, the rules of safety and communication with people and animals, gain self-care skills and gradually develop all aspects of their personality.
Over the course of 2-3 years, students will develop in the following areas:
- Social and Emotional Development: Respect, Kindness, Responsibility, Honesty,
- Cognitive development: reasoning, research, problem solving, logical thinking,
- Fine and gross motor skills: physical activity and creativity,
- Creative Expression: Drama Games, Music Lessons, Drawing,
- Language and literacy: reading, playing, talking, and other communication to help conversational skills,
- Additional courses: Music, Physical Education, Reading in the Library, Art.
The crèche programme allows children to prepare for the transition to the next stage of education, to the primary grades.
International Elementary School
- Age — from six years old,
- The duration of the study is five years.
Primary school builds a solid foundation of knowledge and skills that will help students further their academic development. That is why the junior high school curriculum meets modern American educational standards and covers many disciplines:
- English: Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Listening and Speaking,
- Mathematics
- Italian
- Science
- Social Studies,
- Art
- Music
- Physical Education,
- Technology.
The leisure program includes no less variety: from sports and creative clubs to excursions and volunteer activities - everything is aimed at the versatile development of children.
Middle School, High School
- Age — from 11 years old,
- The duration of the training is three years.
Individual needs and goals, experience and level of knowledge are the foundations for the high school program. Over the course of three years, students will consolidate their previously acquired skills and strive to choose a certain direction for further specialized education.
The curriculum of secondary school students includes such disciplines as:
- English language
- Mathematics
- Science
- Social Research,
- World languages: Italian, French, Spanish,
- Physical development and health,
- Additional courses: Art, Design, Music, Drama.
Training at this stage will help students in all-round development:
- An academic foundation that will contribute to further academic success,
- Problem-solving and confidence in one's abilities,
- Communication in spoken and written English,
- A variety of disciplines that broaden your horizons,
- Developing an understanding of the fine, applied and performing arts,
- Knowledge of personal and physical health.
High School, High School
- Age — from 14 years old,
- The duration of the study is four years.
High school includes instruction in grades 9-12. In the ninth grade, students take a variety of disciplines, including languages and mathematics, and then, in the 10th grade, must decide on a further direction between the Advanced Placement program and the International Baccalaureate Diploma.
If a student would like to pursue an International Baccalaureate Diploma, they should attend high school until Grade 11 and then apply for the program.
High School: Advanced Placement
- Age — from 15 years old,
- The duration of the training is three years.
The Advanced Placement program is taught in grades 10-12 and includes the study of more than 20 different subjects in the following areas:
- Languages
- Science
- Mathematics
- History
- Social Sciences.
The goal of the A P program is to bring the college experience into high school classrooms. AP courses expose students to new knowledge of higher education majors and career opportunities, helping students develop important academic and personal skills: curiosity, creativity, and determination.
Exams are taken at the end of the preparatory course and are graded on a scale of 1 to 5, with a passing score of 3.
High School: International Baccalaureate Diploma
- Age — from 16 years old,
- The duration of the training is two years.
The IB diploma program is recognized by universities in many countries and is competitive, thereby giving advantages in admission.
The curriculum is designed for two years – 11th and 12th grades. It includes subject blocks consisting of several disciplines to choose from:
- Language & Literature: English or Italian,
- Foreign Language and Literature: Italian, French, Spanish,
- Individuals and Societies: History, Economy, Ecological Systems and Societies,
- Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Ecological Systems and Societies,
- Mathematics: Mathematical Analysis and Approaches,
- Electives: Fine Arts, Film Production.
Students will have to create an individual set of disciplines, each of which is possible to study at one of two levels of difficulty: HL - high and SL - standard.
In addition to the set of subjects, students must take three additional courses:
- TOK (Theory of Knowledge) – critical thinking, the ability to reflect and logically substantiate one's statements,
- Extended essay – writing a research essay on a free academic topic,
- CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) – participation in the life of the institution, charity events and volunteer activities.
Summer Program
- Age — from 10 years old,
- The duration of the training is two weeks.
The AOSR Summer Camp offers students from the age of 10 the opportunity to participate in exciting activities and sports competitions. Each summer, the school organizes two programs:
- Basketball camp – sports activities under the guidance of experienced coaches, excursions to the playgrounds of local teams, going to tournaments and matches,
- An extended program includes sports, creativity and many excursions.
The exact program of activities is published a few months before the start of enrollment, unique each year.
Accommodation, meals, prices
The school does not have residences, so it does not provide on-campus accommodation.
The AOSR cafeteria serves homemade Italian cuisine made daily with fresh ingredients. A dietitian working at the school supervises the menu and ensures that the dietary, medical needs of individual students are met. The lunch menu always includes first and second hot courses, salads, fruits and yoghurts. Students can have a snack or a full lunch not only indoors, but also in the open equipped space in the courtyard. The café, which operates at the cafeteria, offers students healthy snacks, sushi and sandwiches, coffee and tea, water, and is open from morning until relatively late in the evening.
Activities American Overseas School of Rome
Students' extracurricular activities at AOSR include themed clubs, numerous activities and excursions, social activities, and sports competitions.
Students can find like-minded people in student interest clubs:
- Ecology
- Robotics
- Engineering
- Speech and debate,
- Homework
- Model United Nations,
- Global Issues,
- Clubs by nationality: Italians, French, Spaniards and others,
- Charity.
Participation in clubs will help students learn more about their interests, develop personal and communication skills, make new friends and help the world solve modern problems.
Sport occupies an important place in the life of pupils - national teams compete not only with local schools, but also compete at such a level as the teams of the Educational Activities of the Italian Ministry of Defense. The DoDEA European Championships are held annually in various university sports, which gives students the opportunity to show their skills to representatives of the top leagues. Since AOSR first became a member of the DoDEA, its athletes have regularly won championships in football, cheerleading, basketball, and volleyball.
For each level of school education, extracurricular activities are offered dedicated to the development of hobbies, physical and intellectual characteristics of the child. For example, elementary school students are given a choice of the following courses:
- Rhythmic gymnastics,
- Yoga
- Basketball
- Capoeira,
- Tennis,
- Art Club,
- Cookery
- Fundamentals of chess and others.
Middle school students can devote their free time to the following activities:
- Rhythmic gymnastics,
- American football
- Acrobatics
- Basketball
- Volleyball
- Soccer
- Tennis.
High school students have a slightly more limited choice of extracurricular activities:
- Basketball
- Swimming
- Volleyball
- Cheerleading
- Participate in podcast recordings.
Advantages
- AOSR is a member of the Rome Association of International Schools (RISI), the Council of International Schools (CIS),
- Accredited programs, including IB International Baccalaureate Diploma and Advanced Placement Programme,
- The first school in Rome to offer comprehensive IB and AP programs,
- Students of more than 50 nationalities, representing 70% of the total number of students,
- Small classes, thanks to which each student receives a sufficient amount of individual attention,
- A varied leisure program, including excursions,
- Study on a modern campus in the capital of Italy.
Facilities and equipment at American Overseas School of Rome
The AOSR area is located in a beautiful residential area of Rome, in Via Cassia. The campus area, surrounded by a nature reserve, has more than 2.5 hectares and offers a variety of opportunities for academic and extracurricular development.
The campus is equipped with:
- Seven buildings for study and leisure, including a historic villa,
- High School Common Use & Performance Center,
- Kindergarten with Reggio Emilia-style learning areas,
- 55 classrooms, each equipped with a projector and an LCD panel/touchscreen TV,
- Four science labs for middle and high school students,
- Several libraries with more than 25,000 books,
- Theatre
- Indoor Gymnasium,
- Polyclinic
- Cafeteria and snack bar,
- Design lab with two 3D printers, laser cutters and advanced design tools,
- Computer Lab for Programming, Coding and Graphic Design,
- Rooms for recreation and events, meetings of student clubs,
- Outdoor areas for walking, socializing and snacking.
The entire territory is landscaped and equipped for the safe stay of children at any age. Students have access to:
- A large courtyard with benches,
- Children's playgrounds,
- Two football fields,
- Basketball court,
- Two tennis courts,
- A garden in which vegetables and fruits used for cooking are cared for,
- Food truck with barbecue area.
Admission dates and extra charges
The academic year begins on September 1 and lasts until the end of June. For several semesters, vacations are organized in honor of international, national holidays and vacations. The weekly schedule contains five school days on weekdays and two weekends on which excursions can take place.
An indicative list of additional costs will include:
- Meals in the cafeteria,
- Capital valuation,
- Registration fee for applicants,
- Fee for high school education,
- School buses,
- Exam fees,
- Leisure: student clubs, excursions, activities,
- Personal spending.
Annual tuition fees include classes, consultations, graduation expenses, transcripts, study and laboratory materials, English language courses for foreigners.
Enrolment process
The admission procedure for foreign candidates consists of going through several stages:
- Submission of the application and required documents,
- Payment of the registration fee,
- Arrival at the campus to take entrance exams in English and several disciplines, interviews,
- Payment of fees and tuition,
- Attending orientation events and getting to know the teachers,
- Start of education.
Perspectives
The number of AOSR graduates includes several thousand specialists in various fields, who have continued their studies and built careers in more than 53 countries. Former students of the school include Olympic champions, Grammy winners, respected professors, doctors and lawyers, famous writers and innovators.
100% of high school students go to the universities of their choice, which include more than 230 elite colleges and institutes around the world, including:
- University of Nottingham,
- Manchester Metropolitan University,
- Knox College,
- York University,
- Boston University,
- University of San Diego,
- Rhodes University,
- Bard College,
- Webster University and others.
Entry requirements, how to apply, what is required to enrol
Due to the demand for places in classes, applicants are advised to apply in January-February for September admissions, but applications are reviewed throughout the year.
To enter some levels of schooling, you must reach a certain age by 31 October:
- Pre-K – three or four years,
- Kindergarten – five years,
- Primary school — six years.
For admission to AOSR, the following academic and personal documents must be provided:
- School transcripts for the last two years of study,
- Teacher's Recommendation Form,
- Personal documents: passports of the child and parents, birth certificate, medical certificates and insurance, visa or residence permit,
- Certificate confirming the level of English proficiency for applicants to middle and high school (not strictly required, as English is included in the list of entrance exams).
Scholarships American Overseas School of Rome
Scholarships are awarded to students based on their academic merit. Temporary financial assistance is provided on a case-by-case basis once a year.
Institution on the map
Residence permits, citizenship and other services
- Guardianship services during the studies
- Student supervision
Review about American Overseas School of Rome
Recommendations on when to apply
| Language courses, schools and children's language camps | Primary and secondary education - private schools | Preparation programmes for entering universities - higher education | Higher education (after completing accredited programs A-level, IB, High School) - Bachelor, Master, MBA |
| - we recommend to apply 6-9 months before the start of the course (some camps and schools offer discounts for early booking or for lengthy study programs) - there are some very popular and high demand children's camps, where the applications need to be submitted 1 year in advance (in particular Switzerland , Great Britain , USA , Canada , Austria) | - we recommend to apply one year before the start of the training program, - some schools have a specific time frame (September-November - please specify an individual school) - some schools require tests in several stages (UKISET, internal tests of the school: English, mathematics, logics, subjects, interview, some require a personal visit) | - we recommend to apply one year before the start of the program, - for Foundation and Pathway programs, IELTS and TOEFL certificates are usually required, respectively | - recommended submission one year before the start of the program, - the deadline normally closes in January, for TOP HEIs and, as a rule, in March in other universities - for a bachelor, a Foundation or Pathway preparatory program a completed A-level, IB, High School + IELTS / TOEFL are required - for Masters you need a graduated higher education, in some cases you need a pre-Masters program - MBA requires completed higher education, work experience preferably at least 2-3 years, etc. |
