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The Essentials: When do I best apply for an English boarding school?

A brunette man in a dark suit and a white shirt is looking into the camera By Ferdinand Steinbeis

As usual at this time of the yeart a lot of families are getting in touch with us - either to still find a placce for this September or already to start for a stay next year.
One frequently recurring question we get is the following: when is the best time to apply for a boarding school place?
Since a simple "the sooner, the better" won't do, we will devote this blog post to answering this question in depth.
From over 30 years of experience, we know the following to be true....

1. There's ALWAYS places at good boarding schools

We can allay this fear - it's never too late to start searching for a place at a good boarding school!
Only last year we placed one of our pupils after term start in September at top boarding school Malvern College. This was because a place became available at very short notice and a lucky applicant was still searching.
This happens all the time. Right up until the start of the school year in September, the places situation at many top schools is still in flux. That is because most pupils apply for several schools at the same time and only decide rather late. Moreover, pupils change their minds about going to boarding school last-minute or leave a boarding school due to a change in personal circumstances.

2. Be early for the big-name schools

There are certain boarding schools where it pays to be early. Two years in advance, in fact. Among these are the classic, big name schools like Eton, Harrow or Radley.
Sometimes we even get lucky here: a very talented Spanish pupil of ours managed to win a place at England's finest girls boarding schools Wycombe Abbey.

3. Rule of thumb: plan a year-and-a-half in advance.

In order to have a smooth, stress-free search and application process, we at von Bülow Education advise families start their application process 1 1/2 years in advance of a stay. Like this, all options are open and you have enough time to discuss and visit schools.
Most good boarding schools' deadlines are in the autumn of the year prior to the stay (e.g. want to come in September 2026, apply by November 2025). Top IB-schools expect applications sooner. At e.g. Sevenoaks School, the deadline of 1. August must be adhered to in order to be considered.

30 Years experience in the UK boarding school placements

For over 30 years, we have been guiding families in choosing the right British boarding school. This makes us one of the first and only agencies to specialise exclusively in this field. Our experience makes all the difference. Find out why that matters here.

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