Virtual Open House Day: Admission after Grade 8. 2025-2026 - December 3, 2024

Admission of Bulgarian Students after Grade 8

The American College of Sofia offers admission to Bulgarian students after the completion of 8th grade when class size allows. The policy is in response to great public interest and corresponds to the mission of the College to provide first class education to talented and motivated Bulgarian students and to prepare them to meet the most challenging academic requirements of any university in the world. The College has built a reputation of a prestigious secondary school with high academic standards and many extracurricular opportunities for its students. After the successful completion of the course of study, students receive a Bulgarian and an American high school diploma.

Who May Apply:

All Bulgarian students or permanent residents who fulfill the following requirements:

1.     They will have successfully completed Grade 8 in the 2024-2025 school year in a Bulgarian school on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. Students from foreign schools on the territory of Bulgaria are not eligible for this program. 
2.     They have a GPA of at least 5 for their last year of study. This is certified by a final year-end transcript. 
3.     Their year grade in Bulgarian Language and Literature for the last year of study is at least 5.

If you have any questions regarding the conditions for applying please do not hesitate to contact us before you register for the exam.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE FOR ADMISSION OF BULGARIAN STUDENTS AFTER GRADES 8

The ACS admissions process after grades 8 consists of three parts: a written exam, an essay and an interview with the candidate.  

ADMISSIONS EXAM – April 26, 2025

Applicants take the standardized ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) in English. The exam is prepared and evaluated by the external organization for independent academic assessment ERB (Educational Records Bureau)  http://erblearn.org/. The American College of Sofia is the test site for the admissions exam. All applicants will take the Upper Level of the ISEE exam. 

• About the ISEE: The ISEE provides a standard assessment of each applicant’s academic skills at a certain age level. This test does not grade particular knowledge in a particular subject area. The ISEE test consists of the following parts: 

(a) Verbal and quantitative reasoning tests that measure a student's capability to interpret information;

(b) Reading comprehension and mathematics achievement tests;

(c) Essay. The ISEE essay is timed (30 minutes) and written in response to a prompt.  The essay is not scored by ISEE; it is sent to ACS for reference. 

Total timing of the admission exam: 2 hours and 40 minutes. ERB and ACS do not organize preparatory courses, nor have ever authorized any organization or individual to engage in such activity. ERB has created materials, which are free for download, to help students prepare. This booklet provides sample questions, scoring information, test directions, and other information. 

REGISTRATION – December 1, 2024 – March 31, 2025

To register after December 1, please visit: https://www.erblearn.org/parents/isee-registration 

Registration closed on March 31, 2025. 

Add American College of Sofia as a Score Recipient, so we receive the results.

The registration fee of $155 is payable by credit card directly to ERB. The American College of Sofia does not charge an additional fee.

After March 31, instructions are sent regarding the testing day, in addition to a notification regarding Personal Data Protection of candidates applying to the American College of Sofia.

POSTING OF ISEE TEST RESULTS – May 2025

A link to the results of the ISEE exam are sent by ERB via email to the address provided by the applicant during the online registration.    

INTERVIEWS WITH SELECTED CANDIDATES – June 2025

Based on the ISEE and essay results, selected applicants will be invited to an interview with a small group of ACS faculty and staff.  Candidates will be evaluated on their ability to freely express themselves in English on the following topics and/or others: self-introduction, reason for wanting to attend ACS, past achievements, hobbies, etc. 

ENROLLMENT – July 2025

Those candidates with the best overall results from the ISEE exam section, essay and interview will be invited to enroll at ACS. The remaining applicants form the reserves’ list. They can be invited if there are vacancies after the deadline for enrollment has expired.

Enrollment documents are distributed in mid-July and due back to ACS before August. Transferring of students is performed by ACS after receiving a signed request from parents of invited students. Students may apply for tuition fee reduction corresponding to the financial need of their families. An orientation day is scheduled prior to the first day of school for all new ACS students.

Contact: 
Ms. Sarah Skaggs, Director of Admissions
Tel.: (359-2) 434-1008. 
E-mail address: s.skaggs@acsbg.org

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