boarding-schools-germany.org

What It Is

Boarding Schools Germany is operated by Humboldt-Institut. Its core purpose is to help international students aged 10-17 enter boarding secondary schools in Germany. Its main program, “German + Boarding School,” bundles intensive German study, boarding life, school selection consulting, and application transition support, with the goal of enabling students to complete secondary education in Germany and obtain the Abitur. It also offers a short-term “Boarding School Experience” program for students who want to try 2-4 months of boarding school life in Germany first.

Core Courses and Services

Its courses focus on German as a foreign language and progression into German secondary schools. German courses are delivered offline at the Lindenberg or Bad Schussenried campuses, with an emphasis on an immersive environment. Youth courses include around 30 lessons per week, with an average class size of about 10 students, plus on-campus accommodation, full board, daily activities, and 24-hour supervision. The organization says it works with more than 40 boarding schools in Germany and provides consulting on application forms, school selection, document preparation, and transition arrangements. This consulting is free when students enroll in its German courses. Formal admission to a German school usually requires at least Humboldt B2 level; going from zero German to B2 takes about 6-8 months, or at least 25 weeks.

Pricing and Requirements

The stated annual cost ranges for boarding schools are relatively high: about €27,000-€37,000, €37,000-€47,000, and above €47,000 per year. Course fees should be checked in the price list. The payment terms show a €200 deposit for courses up to 9 weeks, and a €2,000 deposit for long-term courses of 10 weeks or more, with the remaining balance usually due 4 weeks before the course starts. The short-term experience program requires students to be aged 14-17, have at least B1 German, be able to travel to Germany visa-free, and be willing to stay for more than 2-3 months. For Chinese students, this may be constrained by visa requirements.

Pros, Cons, and Who It Suits

Its strengths are a complete pathway, strong boarding supervision, a broad school network, and more than 40 years of experience teaching German to international students. For parents, it reduces the fragmentation costs of cross-border school selection and language preparation. The limitations are high costs, a high German-language threshold, the need for students to apply for visas through embassies or consulates themselves, and the fact that school admission depends on available places. It is better suited to families with sufficient budgets, clear goals, and a willingness to commit long-term to the German education system. If the goal is only a short study tour or low-cost German learning, it may not be very economical.

Access from China and Alternatives

The source text does not provide information on access speed from mainland China, payment methods, or local service support, so its China access status should be considered unknown. Chinese families should specifically verify direct website access, international bank transfer/card payment options, visa feasibility, and guardianship arrangements for minors. Alternatives include applying directly to German boarding schools, using other German education consulting agencies, taking domestic German-language international programs, or considering boarding school pathways in Switzerland, the UK, Austria, and other countries.