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Everything your family needs to know about admissions, pathways, boarding, and life at Aiglon in the Swiss Alps
Quick Answer for Busy Parents
Aiglon College is a non-profit international boarding and day school in Chesières, Switzerland, with about 500 students from 65+ nationalities, classes of 12, and a 5:1 student-teacher ratio. It admits on a rolling basis with monthly enrollment decisions. Applicants submit two years of reports and two teacher contacts, then complete an interview and online assessments; Year 12 applicants must visit in person and take a math test. Aiglon’s IB Diploma average is 36.6.
Why Do Families Choose Aiglon College?
John Corlette, who had taught at Gordonstoun, founded Aiglon in 1949 on the balanced development of mind, body, and spirit. That ethos still defines the school. Families choose it for strong academics (a 36.6 IB Diploma average, classes of 12, and a 5:1 ratio), for a boarding school community where 76% of students live on campus, and for an education that uses the Alps as a classroom. Aiglon is also not-for-profit and community-owned, with no private shareholders, and describes its defining traits as a strong family spirit, motivational educators, a truly diverse student body, a unique alpine location, and non-profit independence.
Aiglon College Fast Facts
| Category | Details |
| School type | Private, non-denominational, non-profit international boarding and day school |
| Location | Avenue Centrale 61, 1885 Chesières, Switzerland |
| Grades | Junior School, Years 2–8 (ages 6–13); Senior School, Years 9–13 (ages 14–18) |
| Enrollment | About 500 (about 400 Senior, 100 Junior) |
| Average class size | 12 |
| Student-teacher ratio | 5:1 |
| Pathways | IGCSE, IB Foundation, IB Diploma, or High School Diploma |
| IB Diploma average | 36.6 out of 45 |
| Student body | 65+ nationalities; 51% boys, 49% girls; 76% boarding |
| Boarding houses | 10 (junior, senior girls, senior boys) |
| Admissions | Rolling, with monthly decisions and a waiting list |
| Transit | Public bus stop beside campus; about 1.5 hours from Geneva Airport |
University Advising and Outcomes
Aiglon’s University Advising Department uses a team model and recently added Associate Director Flora Meng. Aiglon doesn’t publish average SAT or ACT scores, but it is an official SAT test site and offers on-campus AlphaPrep SAT prep for U.S.-bound students. Its 2022 acceptance data shows these destinations.
| Destination (2022 acceptances) | Share |
| United States | 47% |
| United Kingdom | 28% |
| Worldwide (other) | 17% |
| Gap year | 8% |
How Hard Is It to Get Into Aiglon College?
Aiglon doesn’t publish an acceptance rate, and it doesn’t set a fixed number of new places each year. It describes its process as “selective, yet untraditional.” With monthly enrollment decisions, admission isn’t a single-day test. Each applicant is weighed against the school’s Guiding Principles and pathways of challenge, respect, responsibility, diversity, and service, and against whether they can access the curriculum, excel in a mountain environment, and flourish in an international boarding community. A place can also depend on space in a specific year group, pathway, or boarding house, which is why the waiting list matters.
Top Tips for Applying
- Help your child understand Aiglon’s Guiding Principles and reflect on how they connect.
- Apply as early as possible, since availability varies by year group, pathway, and house.
- Prepare for an interview about character, friendships, and boarding, not just grades.
- Practice reasoning and literacy skills ahead of the online assessments.
Best Practices for Families
- Visit Aiglon before applying to see mountain and boarding life firsthand.
- Choose recommending teachers who know your child’s character well.
- Discuss pathway choices with university goals in mind.
- Be open about any learning or wellbeing support your child may need.
Is Aiglon College a Good Fit for Every Student?
Not necessarily, and Aiglon says so. Its process tests whether a student will excel in a mountain environment and flourish in a diverse boarding community. Students who enjoy challenge, the outdoors, and independence tend to thrive.
The Aiglon College Admissions Process
- Enquire: Submit a short enquiry, and an admissions team member will contact you to discuss your family’s needs and goals.
- Visit: Choose a 1.5-hour Initial Enquiry Visit or a 3- to 4-hour Full Admissions Visit that includes assessments and an interview.
- Apply: Submit reports from the last two years, two teacher contacts, and a passport scan through the admissions portal.
- Interview and assess: Complete an interview and online assessments, in person or online depending on year group.
- Decision: The enrollment committee communicates decisions monthly: accept, waiting list, or decline.
Aiglon College Admissions Calendar
| Event | Timing | Notes |
| Enquiry | Any time | Opens the conversation with admissions |
| Initial Enquiry Visit | By arrangement | About 1.5 hours |
| Full Admissions Visit | After a full application | About 3–4 hours; required for Year 12 |
| Decisions | Monthly | Waitlisted applicants reviewed monthly |
Aiglon College Application Requirements
School Reports
Families submit school reports for at least the last two academic years.
Teacher Recommendations
You provide contact details for two teachers at your child’s current school, and Aiglon arranges confidential academic and character recommendations.
Passport
A color scan of your child’s passport is required with the application.
Interview
The interview asks about your child’s character, academics, interests, friendships, and the boarding community, and explores where their enthusiasm lies.
Assessments by Year Group
| Applying For | What to Expect |
| Years 3–4 | A Wonder Years experience on campus (a lesson, play, writing, reading, and a math quiz) or, if visiting isn’t possible, an online chat and quizzes |
| Years 5–11 | Interview plus online assessments in problem solving, mathematical reasoning, logical thinking, and literacy, in person or online |
| Year 12 | In-person Full Admissions Visit with a tour, interview, online assessments, and a general math test |
Preparing for Aiglon’s Interview and Assessments?
We help students show up confident, curious, and genuinely themselves.
Can My Child Interview With Aiglon Online?
Yes, for most year groups. Applicants for Years 5–11 can complete the interview and assessments in person or online. Year 12 applicants must attend an in-person Full Admissions Visit.
Student Life at Aiglon College
Academics
Senior School students follow IGCSE in Years 10–11, then the IB Foundation, the full two-year IB Diploma Programme, or the High School Diploma. Aiglon runs the IB and IGCSE system rather than the U.S. Advanced Placement model. Junior School students move through Wonder and Discovery stages, and Senior students through Exploration and Inspiration. Robotics happens in the Applied Innovation and Robotics Lab, and world languages include French, German, and Spanish, among others. Aiglon is also an official SAT test site.
Activities
Expeditions are central to Aiglon’s activities. Every student takes part regularly, with about three expedition experiences per term, from mountaineering and ski touring to rock climbing. Students can also pursue the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. Ten boarding houses anchor house life for juniors, senior girls, and senior boys.
Athletics
Aiglon fields 12+ competitive teams across athletics, badminton, basketball, climbing, cross country, football (soccer), golf, mountain biking, netball, skiing, tennis, and volleyball, plus non-competitive winter sports including alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and ski touring. It partners with the Manchester City Football School and ski ambassador Lindsey Vonn.
Arts
Creative arts are part of Aiglon’s core academic program, and the school runs the Aiglon Society of the Arts within its community.
Summer Programs
Aiglon runs a Summer Camp listed within its admissions pages; families should check current dates and age ranges directly with the school.
Notable Aiglon College Alumni
- Allen Kurzweil: American novelist and journalist, author of A Case of Curiosities.
- Dean Young: American cartoonist known for the Blondie comic strip.
- Ben Freeth: Zimbabwean farmer and human rights campaigner.
Is Aiglon Right for Your Child?
Aiglon rewards students who want more than a transcript: independence, adventure, and a truly international community. We help families decide whether that fits their child, then build an application that shows who their child really is.
Let’s Talk About Aiglon
From pathways to the interview, we’ll help your family navigate Aiglon admissions with clarity.
Related Articles:
Aiglon College’s Expeditions Program: What Mountain Education Means for Your Child
Applying to Aiglon College for Year 12: The Full Admissions Visit and IB Diploma Entry