German + Boarding School

Preparatory German courses

In order to be admitted to a German boarding school, international students must demonstrate generally above-average academic performance, as well as sufficient knowledge of the German language. This is why our students are asked first of all to attend an intensive German language course with 30 lessons of 45 minutes in Bad Schussenried or Lindenberg.

In both schools, we offer our students ideal conditions to feel at ease and get used to life in Germany. Through lessons in small classes, they learn the German language quickly and thoroughly. Outside the classroom, the students will receive optimal support and will become acquainted with living in a boarding school community.

Finding the right boarding school

Having successfully completed the German language course, students are then transferred to one of 40 boarding schools in Germany and integrated into a class according to their age and performance level.

Depending on their prior skill level, students will need from two to eight months to reach the required level of German (at least completion of Humboldt level B2).

The Humboldt-Institut cooperates with highly respected boarding schools throughout Germany and will gladly help students to find the school that is right for them.

The Humboldt-Institut divides its German courses into six levels based on the Common European Framework for Languages. This graphic shows you the sequence and the levels of the German courses at the Humboldt-Institut:

The course durations are valid for an intensive course 30 with 30 lessons per week.

Additional offer: School transition course

This course can be booked on a voluntary basis. At some boarding schools, however, successful attendance of the school transition course is a prerequisite for admission.

Please find more information on the School Transition Courses page.

Partner schools

Information about our partner schools as well as a complete overview of the “Secondary Education in Germany” program can be found in the brochure “Secondary Education in Germany” (PDF, ~ 18 MB) as well as on our website “Boarding Schools in Germany”.

In addition, this website provides more information about the German school and education system, the application process to attend school in Germany, as well as other special programs offered by the Humboldt-Institut, such as the “Boarding School Experience” program.

We’ll gladly assist you in finding the right boarding school in Germany. Please contact us!

Program Schedule

This specially designed experience program will allow international students to collect their first impressions of living and studying at a German school. Not only will they be able to improve their active German language knowledge during their stay, they will also be introduced to German culture, landmarks and traditions. While school grades are not in the foreground of this program, students shall have a high motivation to make the most of their experience – including an improvement of their overall academic skills.

Prerequisites

Students are between 14 and 17 years old and their passport qualifies them to travel to and stay in Germany visa-free. In addition, applicants should have previous knowledge of German and completed at least B1 level. Furthermore, students should be willing to spend at least two to three months in Germany and are highly motivated to integrate themselves into a boarding school community and become an active part of daily life.