Admissions open · Nursery to Grade 12
BISNY Upper School students working together on the terrace with the Manhattan skyline behind them
The British International School of New York Upper School · Grades 9 to 12 · IGCSE and A Levels

Private High School in Manhattan, NYC

Four years to find what they are good at, and study it in depth.

And leave with a university place that fits them, from a small British international school on the East River.

  • Grades 9 to 12Ages 14 to 18. Year 10 to Year 13 in British terms.
  • IGCSE, then A LevelsExternal exams at 16 and 18, graded outside the school.
  • 880+ US universitiesaccept A Levels for admission, every Ivy League school included.
  • Top 4% in AmericaNiche 2026 · #190 of 4,917 private high schools.
Purposeful Pathways

Four years, two stages, one clear road to university

Grades 9 and 10 are broad. Grades 11 and 12 go deep. Each stage ends in exams that universities everywhere understand.

  1. IGCSE · breadthGrade 9Year 10 · age 14
  2. IGCSE · breadthGrade 10Year 11 · age 15
  3. A Levels · depthGrade 11Year 12 · age 16
  4. A Levels · depthGrade 12Year 13 · age 17

IGCSE

Grades 9 and 10

At least six subjects, including English, Mathematics, Science and Global Perspectives, with external exams at 16. Breadth, so every door stays open.

A Levels

Grades 11 and 12

Three or four subjects in real depth, chosen with an adviser, with external exams at 18. They arrive at university already working the way university works.

At BISNY
At most American high schools
Two sets of external exams, at 16 and at 18, graded outside the school.
Grades given by the school each year, and a diploma at 18.
Broad at 14 and 15; three or four chosen subjects in depth at 16 and 17.
Six or seven subjects a year, all four years, with AP courses for depth.
Accepted by more than 880 US universities, all Ivy League included, often with up to a year of course credit.
The standard route into US universities, with AP results considered for credit.
The same qualifications students sit in the UK and in international schools worldwide.
Read easily by US universities; translated for universities abroad.
Who they will be at 18

The habits that get them through university, built here

Teachers become tutors, and by the end of Grade 12 most students can:

  • Build and defend an argument at university level

  • Read a text, a data set or a source critically

  • Run their own study and manage deadlines

  • Speak in public, lead a team and take criticism well

  • Say what they want to study, and why

  • Live with more independence

See the Upper School for yourself.

Where they go next

Guided from Grade 9 to a university place that fits

An adviser helps choose IGCSE and A Level subjects with the end in view. A college counselor knows your child, their file and the universities they are aiming for.

$2M+

in merit scholarships offered to the Class of 2025.

1 year

of university course credit that strong A Level grades can earn at many American universities.

Where our graduates have gone

United States
  • Cornell University
  • Northwestern University
  • Emory University
  • UC Berkeley
  • UNC Chapel Hill
  • Vassar College
United Kingdom
  • Imperial College London
  • UCL
  • King's College London
  • University of Edinburgh
Canada and Europe
  • McGill University
  • Leiden University
  • Maastricht University
  • IE University
The full list of university destinations

Since our first Upper School graduate class in 2021, we are delighted by the caliber of offers and places that our students have achieved so far, a selection of which are listed below.

Europe

Belgium

  • Brussels School of Governance

Czech Republic

  • Anglo-American University, Prague

France

  • The American University of Paris
  • LISAA School of Design, Paris

Italy

  • The American University of Rome
  • John Cabot University, Rome

Netherlands

  • Leiden University
  • Maastricht University
  • University of Twente, Enschede
  • Utrecht University

Spain

  • IE University, Madrid
  • Saint Louis University, Madrid
  • Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Switzerland

  • Franklin University, Sorengo

UK

  • Birkbeck, University of London
  • Brunel, University of London
  • Cardiff University
  • Durham University
  • Exeter University
  • Goldsmiths University, London
  • Imperial College London
  • King’s College London
  • Loughborough University
  • Middlesex University
  • Newcastle University
  • Oxford Brookes University
  • Queen Mary University of London
  • Richmond American University London
  • Royal Holloway, University of London
  • Royal Veterinary College, University of London
  • University College London
  • University of Aberdeen, Scotland
  • University of the Arts, London
  • University of Bath
  • University of Birmingham
  • University of Brighton
  • University of Bristol
  • University of East Anglia (UEA)
  • University of Edinburgh, Scotland
  • University of Exeter
  • University of Glasgow, Scotland
  • University of Greenwich
  • University of Kent
  • University of Leeds
  • University of Lincoln
  • University of Manchester
  • University of Nottingham
  • University of Reading
  • University of Roehampton
  • University of Southampton
  • University of Surrey
  • University of Warwick
  • University of the West of England (Bristol)
  • University of Westminster, London
  • University of York

USA & Canada

USA

  • Auburn University, AL
  • Bard College, NY
  • Barnard College, Columbia University, NY
  • Bates College, ME
  • Belmont University, TN
  • Bennington College, VT
  • Brandeis University, MA
  • Caldwell University, NJ
  • Chapman University, CA
  • City University of New York (CUNY)
    • Baruch College
    • Brooklyn College
    • Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music
    • City College
    • Hunter College
    • Lehman College
    • Queens College
    • York College
  • Colgate University, NY
  • College of Holy Cross, MA
  • Colorado State University, CO
  • Connecticut College, CT
  • Cornell University, NY
  • Drexel University, PA
  • Dickinson College, PA
  • Emerson College, MA
  • Emory University, GA
  • Fairfield University, CT
  • Florida State University, FL
  • Franklin & Marshall College, PA
  • Fordham University, NY
  • Gettysburg College, PA
  • George Washington University, Washington D.C.
  • Indiana University, IN
  • LaVerne University, CA – Presidential Scholarship
  • Loyola Marymount University, CA
  • Manhattanville University, NY
  • Massachusetts College of Art and Design, MA
  • Mercy College, NY
  • Michigan State University, MI
  • Mount St. Mary’s University, MD
  • New Jersey Institute of Technology, NJ
  • New York University, NY
  • Northeastern University, MA
  • Northwestern University, IL
  • Ohio State University, OH
  • Pace University, NY
  • Penn State University, PA
  • Providence College, RI
  • Purdue University, IN
  • Quinnipiac University, CT – Presidential Scholarship
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
  • Rochester Institute of Technology, NY
  • Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, IN
  • Rowan University, NJ
  • Rutgers University, NJ
  • Saint Louis University, MO
  • Santa Clara University, CA
  • Sarah Lawrence College, NY
  • School of the Art Institute Chicago, IL
  • School of Visual Arts, NY
  • Seattle University, WA
  • Seton Hall University, NJ
  • Siena College, NY – Presidential Scholarship
  • St. John’s University, NY
  • St. Michael’s College, VT
  • State University of New York (SUNY)
    • Albany
    • Alfred State College
    • Buffalo State
    • Empire State College
    • Fredonia
    • Ithaca College
    • New Paltz
    • Old Westbury
    • Oneonta
    • Purchase College
    • Stony Brook University
    • University of Binghamton
    • University of Buffalo
  • Stevens Institute of Technology, NJ
  • Texas Tech University, TX
  • Trinity College, CT
  • University of Alabama, AL
  • University of California, CA
    • Berkeley
    • Davis
    • Irvine
    • Los Angeles
    • Merced
    • Riverside
    • San Diego
    • Santa Cruz
  • University of Connecticut, CT
  • University of Hartford, CT
  • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL
  • University of Massachusetts, MA
    • Boston – Dean’s Scholarship
    • Lowell
  • University of Miami, FL
  • University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), NC
  • University of San Francisco, CA
  • University of Tampa, FL
  • University of Texas (Austin), TX
  • University of Wisconsin (Madison), WI
  • Vassar College, NY
  • Wentworth Institute of Technology, MA
  • Wesleyan University, CT
  • Wheaton College, MA

Canada

  • McGill University, Quebec – Entrance Scholarship
  • McMaster University, Ontario
  • University of New Brunswick
  • University of Ottawa

Questions & School Profile. For more information on the process for college placement please contact us, and to access the school profile, please click here.

Beyond the classroom

Where they lead

Leadership that is real

House Captains, peer mentoring and student leadership roles, from Grade 9.

Model UN, DECA and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award

Debate global issues, build a business case and earn an award for service, skill and expedition.

Robotics, LAMDA and the stage

VEX competitions, public speaking qualifications and productions the older students run.

BISNY Upper School students walking and talking with a teacher on campus

A small school in a big city

Upper School students wear a dress code, travel on their own with a free OMNY card, and can work in the Upper School hub until 5:30. The school day runs from 8:45 to 3:30.

The BISNY campus at Waterside Plaza on the East River, with the Manhattan skyline
International with Intention

Qualifications universities everywhere understand, in a city that welcomes everyone

Families arrive from across the world, often mid-way through high school. IGCSE and A Levels are understood by universities everywhere.

  • The same admissions process for families abroad, with video calls in place of visits.
  • We sponsor F-1 student visas.
  • 20 Waterside Plaza, at 23rd Street. The M15 stops a short walk away and the M34A stops right at campus.
Admissions for Upper School

Joining BISNY starts with a conversation

  1. Introductions

    A short online form, then a call from our admissions team to get to know your family.

  2. Tour BISNY

    A visit on a typical school day. Your child is welcome to join.

  3. Application

    Online, with two years of reports, a recent essay and three teacher recommendations; ISEE scores if taken. $125 fee.

  4. School visit

    Time in class with BISNY students, and an interview with our Admissions Team and the Head of Upper Years Programme.

  5. The offer

    A formal offer, and our help settling in once you accept.

Students in our Middle School move into Grade 9 without applying again. Grade 11 applicants add a recommendation for each chosen A Level. Inquiring is free and commits you to nothing, and we accept applications all year.

Questions families ask

Upper School, in four answers

What grades are in Upper School?

Grades 9 to 12, ages 14 to 18, called Year 10 to Year 13 in British terms. Grades 9 and 10 lead to IGCSE exams at 16; Grades 11 and 12, the Sixth Form, lead to A Levels at 18.

Do A Levels work for American universities?

Yes. More than 880 US universities accept A Levels for admission, every Ivy League school included, and strong grades can earn up to a year of course credit. Our graduates have gone on to Cornell, Northwestern, UC Berkeley and Vassar, as well as Imperial, UCL and McGill.

How much is Upper School tuition?

Full year tuition for 2026-27 is $67,800 for Grades 9 to 12, with lunch and snacks included. See tuition and fees, including the deposit and payment options.

Can my child join from another country, or mid-year?

Yes. Families arrive from across the world to an international high school on the East River in Manhattan, often mid-way through high school. The admissions process is the same, with video calls in place of visits, we sponsor F-1 student visas, and we accept applications all year when places are available.

Leave at 18 knowing where they are going, and why

Tell us about your child and we will take it from there: a call, a visit, and an Upper School that takes them from Grade 9 to a university place that fits.

Where our graduates go: the full list of university destinations