Introduction
Shenzhen Academy of International Education (SAIE; 深圳市博纳学校) is opening its English and Math entrance exam to international students worldwide. Score well, and you can win a full or partial tuition scholarship to SAIE’s 4-year American high school program. That’s a complete Grades 9–12 curriculum with 30 AP courses, taught entirely in Shenzhen, China.
You don’t need to live in China to apply. You don’t need to speak Chinese. You just need to sit one online test.
Key Takeaways
The scholarship plan covers full or partial tuition to SAIE’s 4-year (Grades 9–12) American high school program.
The test: English and Math, 100% online, sat from anywhere in the world.
The cost: a $150 USD fee covering the Math and English MAP assessments plus an online interview with SAIE’s principal.
Who can apply: students from any country. No Chinese-language background needed.
Why SAIE specifically: four international accreditations and one of Shenzhen’s few AP Capstone programs.
Why SAIE
SAIE has been WASC-accredited since 2019, one of the first international schools in Shenzhen to earn that distinction. It was reaccredited in 2025 for a further six years. Three more accreditations round out the school’s profile. It’s an official ACT GAC-authorized school and ACT test center, so students sit the ACT on campus rather than traveling elsewhere. It’s College Board-authorized (Authorization Code: 694141) to teach AP courses. The school is a Pearson Edexcel-authorized exam center with centre code 94558, supporting A-Level and HKDSE-adjacent offerings. Few schools in Shenzhen can deliver international examinations across all four of these frameworks.
SAIE is also one of the few schools in the city offering the demanding AP Capstone program. In 2025, two SAIE students became among Shenzhen’s first AP Capstone Diploma recipients.
Admission results speak for themselves. SAIE alumni have earned places at Ivy League and equivalent universities worldwide. A 2023 graduate was admitted to Oxford. That same year, another SAIE graduate won an 85% scholarship to Amherst College.
In 2024, Alex Bai became SAIE’s first student admitted to Cambridge. He got into its history department — the only offer from that department nationwide that year. His profile: a 1590 SAT, a 118 TOEFL, and five 5s across seven AP exams. SAIE now describes itself as having placed students at both Oxford and Cambridge. It’s a distinction the school says fewer than 40 schools nationwide can claim.
SAIE students had their creative writing added to the British Library’s permanent collection. This happened after they won a UK youth poetry competition in 2016.
The Program: 4 Years, 30 AP Courses
This is the core of what you’d be winning: a full four academic years, Grades 9–12 American-style high school program, taught entirely on SAIE’s Shenzhen campus.
SAIE offers multiple AP pathways across close to 30 AP courses, spanning areas that include the following:
That last one is the standout. AP Capstone — built from AP Seminar and AP Research — is the College Board’s most research-intensive credential. SAIE is one of the few Shenzhen schools offering it at all.
Who Can Apply
Students from any country are welcome to sit the entrance exam. Students do not need a Chinese-language foundation. You need solid English and math skills — that’s the whole bar.
How to Win Your Scholarship
Admissions Overview
Registration and Testing
| Registration Deadline | None — enrollment is rolling and open now |
| Test Date(s) | None fixed — book your own online MAP test and principal interview slots after payment |
| Entrance Exam Fee | $150 USD — covers the Math and English MAP assessments plus an online interview with SAIE’s principal. Wire transfer charges are the payer’s responsibility. |
| Format | 100% online — English and Math (MAP), plus a principal interview |
| Register Through | Alifa Education Services |
There’s no cohort to wait for and no deadline to beat. Register, pay the $150 USD fee, then book your own test and interview slots online whenever you’re ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
Alifa Education Services
Want the full picture on SAIE before you commit to the exam?
Read the complete guide to Shenzhen Academy of International Education — accreditation, curriculum, fees, and admissions eligibility for international families. Register through Alifa Education Services.
📅 Book a Free Consultation Today →Disclosure: Alifa Education Services is an independent education placement consultancy. We may earn a referral fee from partner schools when families enroll, at no extra cost to the family. Our recommendations are based on fit, not fee structure.
Sourcing note: Accreditation details and the AP Capstone program are confirmed via SAIE’s official website (usapschool.com). A Yuanbao verification pass completed July 2026 confirmed three more details, each sourced to the school’s own WeChat announcements:
- The 2023 Oxford and Amherst outcomes
- The 2024 Cambridge admission
- The British Library detail
The “fewer than 40 schools” Oxbridge claim is the school’s own characterisation; no independent list publisher was found.
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