How to Get Into ACS International School Cobham: A Complete Admissions Guide for Parents

Everything your family needs to know about rolling admissions, the IB, AP, and US diploma pathways, boarding, and life at ACS Cobham in Surrey

Quick Answer for Busy Parents

ACS International School Cobham is a co-educational international day and boarding school for ages 2 to 18 on a 128-acre campus in Surrey, near London. It admits students year-round through rolling admissions and doesn’t use an entrance exam. Instead, the admissions team reviews school records, references, a student questionnaire, and standardized test scores. High School students choose among the IB Diploma, Advanced Placement courses, and an accredited US High School Diploma, and boarding is available from age 13.

Why Do Families Choose ACS Cobham?

ACS International Schools was founded in 1967 to serve both global and local families, and today it runs three non-sectarian, co-educational schools in Greater London. Cobham is the largest and the only one with boarding. Families tend to choose it for three reasons. The first is choice: few schools in England let a student pick among the IB, AP, and an American diploma under one roof. The second is community, with more than 70 nationalities and a stated core value of welcoming everyone. The third is results. In 2025, ACS Cobham’s IB Diploma students averaged 35 points against a world average of 30, with a 97% pass rate, and 91% of its 208 AP students scored 3 or higher.

ACS Cobham Fast Facts

Student Body and Academic Results

Nationality Mix

2025 Exam Results

University Destinations

Most ACS Cobham graduates go on to UK universities. Roughly a third enroll at colleges in the United States, and others study across Europe and the rest of the world.

Accreditations and Memberships

ACS Cobham’s accreditations and memberships include: IB World School; College Board; ECIS; CIS; NEASC; HMC; BSA; ISA; Good Future Foundation AI Quality Mark; Eco-Schools Award; Apple Distinguished School; reviewed in the Good Schools Guide.

How Hard Is It to Get Into ACS Cobham?

ACS Cobham doesn’t publish an acceptance rate, and the UK Department for Education’s school register lists its admissions policy as non-selective. That doesn’t mean admission is automatic. Places are offered grade by grade, so a popular grade can fill and send admitted students to a waitlist, and entry to Grades 8–12 depends on English proficiency for students who aren’t native speakers. The school also supports mild to moderate learning needs but can’t serve severe behavioral, emotional, or learning difficulties.

What the admissions team weighs is the whole file: previous school records, references, the student questionnaire, standardized test scores, and any supporting reports. Families comparing options in the area often look at ACS Cobham alongside its sister schools, ACS Egham and ACS Hillingdon, and other American and international schools around London such as TASIS England and the American School in London. Within the ACS group, Cobham is the largest school and the only one that offers boarding.

Top Tips for Applying

• Apply as soon as your start date is clear, because capacity, not a cutoff score, is usually the real constraint.
• Treat the student questionnaire as the heart of the application; it’s where your child’s curiosity and character show.
• Choose references from teachers who know your child well and can speak to how they learn.
• If your child is entering Grades 8–12 and English isn’t their first language, prepare for the EAL assessment.

Best Practices for Families

• Visit through the Open Day, a personal tour, or a Taster Morning before applying.
• Confirm grade placement with the school’s grade equivalents chart, especially if you’re coming from the British system.
• Send complete documentation, including any IEPs or assessments, with the first submission.
• Raise boarding and Child Student visa questions with Admissions early.

Is ACS Cobham a Selective School?

Not in the traditional sense. There’s no entrance exam and the UK government lists the school as non-selective. Still, admission isn’t guaranteed: the school assesses each applicant holistically, places depend on grade-level availability, and English proficiency matters for older non-native speakers.

The ACS International School Cobham Admissions Process, Step by Step

1. Inquiry: Learn about the curriculum and facilities, and visit through an Open Day or personal tour to meet staff and discuss admissions.
2. Application: Apply online at any time of year, provided your child has the right to study in the UK.
3. Review: The Admissions team assesses the completed file and contacts you if any further documents are needed.
4. Admission: Successful applicants receive an offer and secure the place with an enrollment deposit; if the grade is full, the student is waitlisted.
5. Welcome: Before the first day, the school shares practical information on transport, school platforms, subject selection, and visa compliance.

ACS Cobham Admissions Calendar and Key Events

ACS Cobham Application Requirements

Online Application and Student Questionnaire

The process runs online. Alongside the family’s application, students answer a questionnaire about their interests and how they learn. There’s no admissions essay or interview requirement published by the school, so this questionnaire does a lot of work.

Transcripts and School Records

Previous school records anchor the review. For students arriving from overseas, complete reports with any grading scale explained make the file easier to assess.

References

Teacher references help the school understand how your child engages in class. Ask early, and choose teachers who can describe your child specifically.

Standardized Testing and English Assessment

ACS Cobham considers standardized test scores your child already has but doesn’t set its own exam. English support and assessment vary by age, as shown below.

Supporting Documents

Families share any Individual Education Plans, psychological or educational assessments, occupational therapy, language, or medical reports.

Want a Second Set of Eyes on Your Application?

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Can Students With Learning Differences Apply to ACS Cobham?

Yes. ACS Cobham welcomes students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and serves mild to moderate learning needs at every grade, subject to admission requirements and available space, through inclusive classrooms and specialist teaching environments. It isn’t able to support severe behavioral, emotional, or learning difficulties, so sharing assessments up front helps everyone plan.

Student Life at ACS Cobham

Academics

Middle School students (Grades 5–8) study English, Mathematics, Languages, Science, Social Studies, Physical Education, PSHE, Visual and Performing Arts, and Digital Skills. In Grades 9 and 10, every student takes eight subjects: English, Mathematics, Languages, Science, Social Studies, Physical Education and Health, and two electives. Electives range widely, from creative writing and media, graphic design, film, jazz band, and textiles and fashion to ecology, geography, global studies, sports science, introduction to engineering, computer science, and genetic engineering. Grades 11 and 12 bring the big choice among the IB Diploma Programme, Advanced Placement (more than 20 courses plus AP Capstone), and the US High School Diploma. For reference, the Lower School (Grades 1–4) focuses on literacy, mathematics, science and technology, and social studies.

Activities

Upper and High School students run more than 30 clubs. Published offerings include Model United Nations, coding, a law society, a medics club, theatre, conservation, student council, and karate, with additional externally run options such as fencing, archery, fashion, and eSports. Students whose first language isn’t English can also join Home Language Enrichment classes in Grades 6–10, in languages including Mandarin, Japanese, Hindi, Arabic, French, German, and Spanish.

Athletics

Competing as the ACS Cobham Cougars, students field 57 competitive teams across 13 sports: basketball, tennis, football (soccer), swimming, rugby sevens, golf, indoor volleyball, beach volleyball, cross country, baseball and softball, dance, track and field, and e-sports. Facilities include a swimming pool and extensive playing fields on the 128-acre campus.

Arts

A Performing Arts Centre hosts drama productions, and visual and performing arts are part of the core Middle School curriculum. In the upper grades, electives such as film, graphic design, jazz band, textiles and fashion, and creative writing and media let students go deeper.

Boarding

Boarding is available from age 13, with five-day or seven-day options. Boarders live in two modern houses in twin en-suite rooms, with single en-suite rooms reserved for senior students, plus study zones, cinema rooms, 24/7 medical care, and weekend trips. A team of 27 residential staff looks after pastoral care, and the school can sponsor Child Student visas for boarders who need one.

Summer Programs

ACS Cobham doesn’t currently publish its own academic summer program for enrolled students, so check with Admissions for anything new. For incoming boarders still building English fluency, ask about the school’s English preparation options before arrival.

Notable ACS Cobham Alumni

1. Alex Corbisiero: England and British & Irish Lions rugby prop who graduated from ACS Cobham in 2006, where he captained the Cougars rugby team.
2. Aaron Eckhart: American actor known for The Dark Knight and Erin Brockovich, who attended the American Community School while his family lived in Cobham and first discovered acting in a school production.
3. Omar Biroud: Disney+ actor and former ACS Cobham student who returned as a keynote speaker at the school’s 2024 graduation.

Is ACS Cobham Right for Your Child?

ACS Cobham rewards families who think ahead. There’s no test to cram for, but there is a real decision coming in Grade 10, and the right pathway depends on where your child wants to be at 18, in the UK, the U.S., or somewhere else entirely. We help families get that choice right, and build an application that shows who their child is.

Let’s Map Your Child’s Path to ACS Cobham

From grade placement to the IB, AP, or US diploma decision, we’ll help you plan with clarity.

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Related Articles:
IB, AP, or US Diploma? How to Choose Your Child’s Pathway at ACS International School Cobham
Moving to London? How Rolling and Mid-Year Admissions Work at ACS International School Cobham

Frequently Asked Questions