International Students and International Exchange Program

Santa Fe and the Southwest

International students find the Santa Fe Waldorf School, Santa Fe and the Southwest, a fascinating and enchanting place to visit, live and study. Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico with an elevation of 7,000 ft (2,300 meters) and the oldest city in the USA, celebrating its 400^th anniversary in 2009. Santa Fe is a multi-cultural small city with many features of a large city—a central plaza; an internationally renowned opera; international folk art festivals; Native American Indian Market; international film festivals, galleries, restaurants, parks, cafes, and more. In addition, the outdoors is rich with mountains and hiking; rivers and rafting; canyons and trekking; deserts and exploring. International students appreciate the intimate size of our high school, the inclusive culture, and excellent teachers and curriculum.

Over the years, students have enrolled either as an International Student (not an exchange) or an International Exchange Student. Families in our community may provide room and board if a student does not already have a relative or friend with whom to stay in the Santa Fe area. Of course, through the International Exchange Program, room and board is provided with the host family.

The Waldorf education system is an international system with over 1000 schools worldwide. In recent years, Santa Fe Waldorf High School has had students from Germany, Austria, Peru, Cambodia, and France. We anticipate that students from Eastern Europe and Asian countries will find our school an excellent choice as well.

Students must be proficient in English to participate fully in classes and must provide the English Proficiency Form along with the rest of their application. We do not provide ESL support – students may need to seek outside tutoring in English.

Santa Fe Waldorf High School can provide an I-20 for students to take to their country’s embassy to acquire their student visa and the application for the I-20 is included in the admissions forms.

Steps for Completing the Application Process

1.  Complete the forms (located at the bottom of the page) for the applying student and his/her parents and mail or fax them to the High School Admissions Office along with the $50 application fee.

2.  Complete the Release of School Records and English Proficiency forms so your student’s transcripts can be sent from his or her current school. Transcripts should be mailed or faxed directly to the High School Admissions Office.

3.  Students should also request three of his or her teachers or counselors to complete the Teacher Recommendation Form and have the teachers send or fax them directly to the Admissions Office.

4.  Student applicants are required to include a recent sample of your English writing.

5.  When all relevant paperwork has been received, you will be contacted to set up a telephone interview.

6.  After the telephone interview, the high school faculty reviews all the documentation and phone interview and makes a decision regarding whether the international student has been accepted.

7. Once the student has been accepted, a host family arranged and the I-20 fee paid,  the school will issue the I-20 for the student.

Study Abroad Program for SFWHS students

The fact that Waldorf Education is a worldwide movement enables us to offer the Study Abroad Program. As one of the most exciting and popular programs at Santa Fe Waldorf High School, this three-to-five month Study Abroad Program is an option for selected tenth and eleventh grade students. By tenth grade, SFWHS students may be looking for new horizons in the world and want to have an international experience. In addition to providing an excellent opportunity to strengthen their language skills, the exposure to a different culture is an extremely valuable experience for adolescents.

Over the past nine years SFWHS students have travelled abroad to live with host families and attend sister Waldorf schools in France, Germany, Austria, Scotland, Argentina, and Peru.  Students from these countries have attended Santa Fe Waldorf High School and lived with host families in return. The School seeks to have school and family environments that reflect Waldorf values and educational goals.

Contact

For more information, please contact Raquel Castilla at 505-992-0566 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Forms

Click Here to view and download the Teacher Reference Form

Click Here to view and download our Student Questionaire Form

Click Here to view and download the Request Transcript Form

Click Here to view and download the Parent Form

Click Here to view and download the English Proficiency Form

Click Here to view and download the I-20 Request Form