User guide: UWCSEA student application system

Step 1: Collect your documentation

Applications are submitted in English. Our holistic application process means the application form is designed to be completed by a parent or legal guardian. While we understand that non-English speaking parents might engage an agent or other third party to assist them, parents are responsible for ensuring that all information supplied (by themselves or by the third party) is complete and accurate.

We'd also like to highlight these key policies to help you gather the information needed to support your child's application:

Documents and formats

Reports: to complete an application, reports in English from the last two school years (including the most recently completed term) and any specialist reports need to be uploaded into the application system. If reports are not entirely in English, please provide a notarised translation. We are not able to assess or progress with the application without a complete set of reports, translated if necessary.
Photograph: JPEG only
All other documents: PDF only
File sizes: no one file can exceed 1MB except for reports where the maximum file size is 10MB

New applications

We require all applications to be completed in English, and that supporting documentation, if not entirely in English, be accompanied by a notarised translation.

your child’s birth certificate or, if born in Singapore, their Registration of Birth
a recent, passport-style photo of your child (JPEG format)
the picture page(s) of your child’s passport(s)
your child’s Immigration Pass (both sides), if residing in Singapore
a copy of the Immigration Pass card delivery letter indicating the issue and expiry dates of the card (newer cards do not include this detail), if residing in Singapore
if applicable, court-order or custody documents
full academic reports from the school(s) your child attended in the last two (2) years, including reports for the most recent term. Each set of reports should be uploaded as a single document rather than uploading each page separately
any specialist reports relating to your child’s learning, such as an assessment completed by an educational psychologist, occupational therapist or speech and language therapist
if your child is applying to join Grade 6 or above, their handwritten Student Statement. It must be completed by the applicant by hand, then scanned and uploaded with the rest of the required documentation
any awards or certificates your child has received that you would like us to be aware of

Student Statement Form

Re-applications

reports issued since the last application, including reports for the most recent term. We need a complete set of reports for the last two school years, in addition to any specialist reports
a revised (new) Student Statement if the child is applying to Grade 6 and above
If necessary, copies of documents that have changed since the last application i.e., new passport or immigration pass, new or revised court-order or custody documents

Student Statement Form

Step 2: Create (or retrieve) your user account for our online application system

You will need an account to login to our online application system, which is bespoke to UWCSEA and does not integrate with external student management systems.

Your account is linked to an email address, and can be used to manage applications for several children, and for managing re-applications should that be necessary.

Note that the email you use to create the account will be used for all correspondence regarding your child's application. We recommend using a primary email address which you regularly access, as there is sometimes a very short window for reply.

If your email address has changed since you previously applied, you can retrieve and reactivate your previous UWCSEA admissions account at this stage.

Sibling applications

If you have a child currently enrolled at the College, to submit an application for the sibling of a current student, you can login using your school-linked UWCSEA-issued parent account.

Re-applying

If you have previously submitted an application, whether for this child or another, and you do not have a child enrolled at the College, please use the User ID used in your previous application. Your username will be the email address you used to create the earlier application. This will allow us to retrieve previously submitted details for review and updating rather than having to start again.

You can retrieve a forgotten username or password/passphrase by selecting either ‘I have forgotten my username’ or ‘I have forgotten my passphrase’.

Access or retrieve your existing account (from 1 September)

New applications

If you do not have a child enrolled and have not previously submitted an application to UWCSEA, you will need to create an account.

To create a new account, you will need to provide an email address and a passphrase. The account activation email and all other communications will be sent to this email address.

After creating the account, you will receive an email with a link that will activate your account. Please activate your account in order to start your application.

Create your account (from 1 September)

Step 3: Complete (or update) and submit the application

To complete an application and successfully submit it for review, you will need:

a fully featured laptop or desktop computer (Windows or Apple) with the latest version of any major browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome or Safari); the system is browser-based but not designed for use on tablets or mobile devices.
a secure, fast and stable Internet connection (public wireless hotspots are not recommended)
all the supporting documents in the formats outlined in Step 1
online payment option, either via PayNow or using a major credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express) to pay the non-refundable application fee

System settings

ensure your browser settings allow pop-ups so as to access the payment gateway to process the application fee to submit your application
you can save an uncompleted form and return to it later by selecting ‘Save’ on the top right corner of any page only if all the fields on that page are fully completed
the system logs you out after 20 minutes of inactivity
there may be short delays as you move from page to page, particularly when you are uploading documents
we recommend you do not complete the application between 8am and 11am (GMT +8) on weekday mornings, as that is when UWCSEA systems experience the most traffic

New applications

The form will take about 60 minutes to complete in one sitting if you have gathered all the documents outlined in Step 1. You will be able to upload documents after you have completed the requested information fields.

Reapplications

You will be able to retrieve and update your previous application. This will take approximately 15–30 minutes depending upon the amount of new information you wish to add. There may be new fields for you to complete; these will be clearly marked, and you should upload new documents if available.

Guidelines for completing the form

This is an opportunity for you to tell us about your child and how you believe they will both benefit from and contribute to life at the College. In keeping with our mission and ethos, we seek to build a diverse student community that represents a variety of backgrounds and experiences. We believe that our students’ learning, interactions, and growth through the five elements of our learning programme is all the more exciting and enriching when they interact with peers who bring a diversity of backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives to campus.

All applications are reviewed to determine whether the applicant will be able to benefit fully from the opportunities offered by UWCSEA learning programme.

Paying the application fee

When you have completed the form and clicked ‘Submit,’ you will be directed to our online payment gateway to make payment of the application fee. We accept PayNow, or Visa, MasterCard or American Express credit cards.

Each application requires payment of an application fee, which is non-refundable whether or not we are able to offer your child a place. The costs are set out on our fee schedule.

Important note on successfully submitting your application

An application is not submitted for consideration until the application fee has been paid in full and all supporting documents we require to verify the application are uploaded in required formats.

Once your application has been verified, which includes confirming all the documents are in place, an email is sent to you within 10–15 days confirming the successful submission status. Once the application has been verified, your Admissions Officer will provide further details of the admissions process and timelines via email.

If we require additional documents, we will email to advise you of the information we require. The application will not be marked as successfully submitted until the missing documents have been received and verified by your Admissions Officer.

If you have not received an email communication from your Admissions Officer after 15 working days following the date you believe you submitted your application on, please contact us.

Step 4: Application acknowledgement

Our Admissions team will email you an acknowledgement within 10–15 days of submission, using the email you registered with in order to submit the application. This email address will be used for all correspondence regarding your child's application. Should your email address change during the application process, please login to your account to update your contact details.

Once your application has been verified, which includes confirming all the documents are in place, this acknowledgement email confirms the successful submission status of the application, and your Admissions Officer will provide further details of the admissions process and timelines in the email.

If the verification check at this point indicates we require additional documents or that other necessary information is missing, our email will advise you of the information we require before we can mark the application as successfully submitted and send you an acknowledgement email outlining next steps. Note that we do not mark the application as successfully submitted until all missing information is received and has been verified.

This is important if you are applying specifically for an application round, as the successful submission date is used to identify those applications that will progress to the next stage of the process in time to be considered for an upcoming offer round.

If you have not received an email communication from your Admissions Officer after 15 working days following the date you believe you submitted your application on, please contact us.

Further information on application timelines

Step 5: Application processing and timelines

All applications are reviewed against our entry criteria and eligibility is usually determined within a month of an application being submitted.

If additional information is needed, or we feel an assessment will help us to review the application more effectively, this initial eligibility review may take longer. Your Admissions Officer will advise you of this via email, and of arrangements for any assessments or interviews that may be required.

further information on application timelines