High School Germany - going to school in Germany
GLS Berlin is an international exchange organisation: since 1983 we´ve been sending German high school students abroad, and we also place international students at German high schools. GLS is a member of the DFH German High School Association.
Prices please find here.
3 months? Or a whole year?
How long do you want your high school program in Germany to last? At private schools the minimum stay is 5 months, a state schools shorter stays of 2 or 3 months are possible as well. More further down on this site
How good is your German?
You can test it right now, using our online test - what you need for an exchange program in Germany is German on level B1. If you do not speak German, you can attend one of the nternational schools in Germany. More about the requirements further down
We place international students in Germany at
- state schools in Germany
- private schools (some of them bilingual: deutsch/englisch)
Requirements for a high school progam in Germany
- Age between 15 and 18 (11 to 18 at private schools)
- grade point average of minimum 3 (in Germany grades go from 1, the best, to 6, the worst)
- knowledge of German, documented either by 3 years of German at your home school or ZD Zertifikat Deutsch
- willingness to adapt to a different culture, flexibility
Location of the German high schools:
If you go to a private school, you can select a specific school and its location using these school profiles.
If you go to a state school, your options are limited: you can select a region, but not a specific school. Regions we can guarantee you - at no additional costs - are Berlin and Bavaria (cities Bayreuth, Kulmbach, Bamberg).
Duration of the high school program:
- at state schools: 2, 3, 4, 5 or max. 11 months - no prolongation possible after 11 months, i.e. ABITUR is not possible as you need at least 2 years to do that
- at private schools: 5 or 11 months - prolongation possible: if you want to do ABITUR, you need at least 2 years
Starting dates:
Stays of 5 or 11 months - February and August/September
Shorter stays - anytime all year
Application:
6 months prior to arrival in Germany
Accommodation:
- state schools: Homestay, single or double room, full board
- private schools: Boarding with full board OR Homestay, single or double room, full board
Visa:
Not necessary, if you are a EU citizen. If you need a visa, we send the invitation you need in order to apply for it. We make sure that you get all the necessary documents that the German embassy in your country wants.
If you want to do Abitur:
not possible at a state school - only at a private school:
Condition is, that you spend at least the final 2 years before Abitur at a German private school