International Students


 

Bienvenue. 欢迎. Wilkommen. Hoan nghênh. Bienvenidos. Karibuni.

It doesn’t matter how you say it: you are welcome here.

 

From our earliest days, we have drawn students from around the world who are seeking a traditional boarding school experience within a safe and diverse campus community.

Every Darrow student - whether he or she is from the United States, China, Africa, India, Europe, or somewhere else - benefits from the incredibly divergent intellectual and cultural points of view represented by their classmates.

 
Visa Information

The Darrow School is authorized by the Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Information System (SEVIS) to issue the I-20 visa application.

Please note that students must apply to, be admitted to, and agree to enroll at Darrow (to include the submission of an enrollment agreement and appropriate deposit paid) before we may issue the visa application.

After we issue the Form I-20, applicants should schedule the “Initial Entry Visa Interview” with their local U.S. embassy or consulate.

Please check with your U.S. embassy or consulate to determine their policies and procedures.

Study in the States

 

Frequently Asked Questions
 
  • How many international students attend Darrow?
    Approximately 20% of Darrow’s student body is made up of international students. In recent years, students have come here from Russia, Jamaica, China, Ghana, Mexico, Serbia, Senegal, Spain,  The Bahamas, Taiwan, Italy and Japan. Other students have come to Darrow from Turkey, Ukraine, Nigeria, South Korea, among other places.
     
  • How do I apply?
    You can download our application from our website here.

    International students whose first language is not English must also submit scores from a test of English proficiency.

    TOEFL or TOEFL jr. scores are accepted, as is the Duolingo test, and submission of SSAT scores is required.

    If your country has a different common testing system, please contact us to discuss.
     
  • Do I need to interview?
    Yes, all applicants must have an interview.

    Darrow strongly prefers to conduct interviews on campus. However, we understand that not all students will be able to visit the school during the application process, so we also conduct interviews via Skype, and in-country during international recruitment travel.
  • Is the COVID vaccine required?
    Yes. All members of Darrow, domestic or international, are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
  • Is there a minimum TOEFL score for application?
    Darrow requires a minimum TOEFL score of 65 on the iBT. Please contact us if your TOEFL score is lower than 65 to discuss your admissibility. 
     
  • What is the nearest airport?
    Albany International Airport (ALB) is 45 minutes away from campus.

    Most international students fly into JFK or Boston Logan Airport, located 2.5 hours from Darrow. Bradley International in Hartford, CT, is also easily accessible.
     
  • How far is Darrow from major cities?
    New York City and Boston are both 2.5 hours from campus. Darrow is located in the central Berkshires region on Mount Lebanon in New Lebanon, NY. For shopping and weekend activities there are also some smaller cities nearby, we are seven miles west of Pittsfield, MA, and 26 miles east of Albany, NY.
     
  • Are scholarships or financial aid available for international students?
    Darrow offers financial aid to qualified students based upon the family’s financial need and the School’s available funds. Darrow’s need-based financial aid program allows the School to seek a diverse student population that reflects a wide range of socioeconomic, experiential, and cultural backgrounds.
     
  • Are there limits or quotas on accepting students from any one country?
    Our goal is to provide a well rounded education, which means that we want to maintain a student body that is not too heavily represented by any particular country.
     
  • Are homestays provided?
    Darrow offers homestay for short-term stays for school breaks during the academic year. We are a boarding school, so we do not offer homestays during the summer or during the academic year.
     
  • Are guardians required?
    Darrow does not require stateside guardians, but we have found that it has been quite helpful if a student has a person or family in the U.S. to help with transportation, housing during vacations, and translation and contact with the family.