International Students at Gunston

International students have been part of the Gunston community's fabric since the inception of the school in 1911. International students attend Gunston with the aim of receiving a rigorous, personalized, and nurturing educational experience, as well as gain admission to selective colleges and universities in the United States. Throughout Gunston's history, we have welcomed international students from the countries of Germany, Spain, Poland, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and China, among others. International students at Gunston have the opportunity to experience American life and culture through both our school's curriculum and our varied extracurricular programs. Our international students live with host families within the local community, some of whom are teachers and many of whom have their own children enrolled at Gunston. Because of this, the Gunston experience is highly English-intensive and fully focused on an integration into American culture. It also means that Gunston is a less expensive option than many boarding schools. Our host family program allows for a comfortable, friendly, and safe environment that provides a perfect balance of the American experience and excellent preparation for admission into the most competitive colleges and universities.

 

Academics Resources

The Host Family Experience

International students experience daily American home life and increase their cultural awareness by living with host families. In addition to providing a safe, secure environment, meals, and ensuring transportation to/from school, host families care for their student and consider them to be a part of the family. This arrangement ensures an authentic cultural experience for our international students and also enables them to expand their language proficiency outside of their academic program.

Tuition and Fees
International student tuition is inclusive of the academic program, housing, lunch, auxiliary fees, and any applicable agency fees. Please contact David Henry, Director of Admission at dhenry@gunston.org to get more information on Gunston's tuition and fees for our international student program.

Applying to Gunston

Most international students use agencies to apply to Gunston. If applying to Gunston directly or through an agency that does not have an application form, the application can be found on the Gunston website here. Please contact David Henry, Director of Admission at dhenry@gunston.org with any questions. 

The Gunston School is also a proud partner with Cambridge Network to ensure the best possible international program. Cambridge Network’s international student program prepares students for life abroad prior to arriving at Gunston and continues to provide international students with on-going support throughout the school year. International students coming from China can work with Cambridge Network to apply to The Gunston School (if using Cambridge, please use this form to start the process) 

Meet Some International Students


 

Yutong (Vera) Xie'22

Yutong (Vera) Xie '22

From: Kunming, Yunnan, China
Favorite Class: AP Statistics, Pottery and Photography
Favorite thing about Gunston: The learning atmosphere here is very relaxed and pleasant, there is a special teacher to help you do homework if you do not know how to do it. 

Read More about Yutong (Vera) '22
Jan Serraviñals

Jan Serraviñals '24

From: Barcelona, Spain
Favorite Class: I don't have a favorite class because I like learning new things from different subjects and that's one of my favorite things at Gunston, is that I like all the people and also the teachers that make me enjoy all the classes even if I'm not having a good day.
Favorite Things About Gunston: I'm interested in my studies and also I'm crazy about soccer.

Read More about Jan '24
Hartje Kohlgrueber

Hartje Kohlgrueber '24 

From: Cologne, Germany 
Favorite Class:  English with Mr Freda 
Favorite Thing About Gunston: It feels like one big family and the school spirit is really big. I’m happy to be/was here and I’ll miss the school, teachers and my friends. 

Read More about Hartje '24
Yining Wei ’23

Yining Wei ’23

From: Guangzhou, China | Tianhe Junior High School
Interests: Technology and Math Club
Favorite Class: Computer Science
Favorite thing about Gunston: Everyone treats each other equally and respects each other. 

Read More about Yining ’23
Spencer Liu

Rui (Spencer) Liu ’22

From: Beijing 石景山区 远洋山水 | RDFZ Chaoyang Middle School
Interests: Math club and Technology Club
Favorite class: Math and Chemistry
Favorite thing about Gunston: The tight connections between students.

Read More about Rui (Spencer) ’22

International Alumni


 

Class of 2016: Wei (William)Jiang

Class of 2016: Wei (William) Jiang

“After I left Gunston, I studied game design at Maryville University and learned programming by myself. While I’m self-learning programming, I think that data science might help me in the future. So I’m applying for the data science graduate program. I’m currently interning in a transportation company doing marketing and design. Eventually, I want to get into the game industry and get another master’s degree in game design at a top university.”

Class of 2014: Heteng (Henry) Xu

Class of 2014: Heteng (Henry) Xu

“After graduating from Miami University of Oxford with a degree in Interactive Media Study & Arts Management, I headed back to China and now work for Bytedance (TikTok), where my position is focused on user growth for gaming products. “It is a pretty nice job. I appreciate its corporate culture,” said Heteng. “When we talk about the U.S. I always share my life [at] Gunston with my friends—it [was] wonderful!”

Favorite Gunston memory? “Green and White Day, how we raced with each other, we had lots of fun, it [felt] just like the Harry Potter 4 [movie] to me.” 

Rongje (Rose) Fan ’18 pictured with Mr. Dize during Green & White Awards in 2018.

Class of 2018: Rongje (Rose) Fan

“I feel so grateful that I had [Mr. Dize] as my art teacher and guidance counselor for life. I learned watercolor and oil painting, and believe it or not, before coming to Gunston, I didn't think I liked painting! Now, I have a great time painting alone and painting with friends. Not just painting, but also being creative. Who else would be lucky enough to see how lithography works?” 

Jonathan (Yongah) '21

International students have unique needs, and Gunston is committed to providing our international students and the international program with the appropriate support infrastructure to support their social, emotional, and cultural needs. 

Assistant Head of School: assists the student with academic scheduling and academic progress reports.


Assistant Head of School at the Gunston School Christie Grabis

Christie Grabis

Head of School: should be contacted if there are concerns/issues where no satisfactory resolution has been found.

Headmaster of the Gunston School John Lewis

John Lewis