Graded - The American School of Sao Paulo

Bridging Worlds: Graded's Signature Scholarship Programs

Among the many features that distinguish Graded from a typical fee-paying international school, its scholarship programs — particularly the Hitoshi Castro Outreach Program and the Graded Scholar Program — stand out as a remarkable expression of the school's commitment to community and equity.

The Hitoshi Castro Outreach Program

The Hitoshi Castro Outreach Program is a two-year English immersion scholarship initiative designed for outstanding students from Brazilian public schools. Selected students — typically those completing Grade 5 in the public system — are invited to join Graded's community for Grades 6 and 7, receiving full tuition scholarships and dedicated English language support. The program is named in honor of a longstanding supporter of the school and reflects Graded's belief that talented young Brazilians should have access to world-class education regardless of their financial background.

Participants in the Outreach Program experience life in an internationally diverse school environment, gaining English proficiency and academic skills. Those who complete the program successfully and demonstrate continued academic excellence may be nominated for the Graded Scholar Program.

The Graded Scholar Program

The Graded Scholar Program provides full-tuition scholarships for Outreach Program graduates to continue their education at Graded from Grade 7 through graduation. Scholars have the opportunity to earn both the US High School Diploma and the IB Diploma — credentials that open doors to universities around the world. This pathway from a São Paulo public school to a bilingual international education and potential IB qualification is genuinely rare and reflects a meaningful institutional investment in social mobility.

The Janet Sallouti Financial Aid Award

For families of Graded alumni who face financial challenges but wish to enroll their children, the Janet Sallouti Financial Aid Endowment (established in 2019) provides tuition assistance, with preference given to students demonstrating excellence in academics, arts, or sports. This named endowment honors a staff member who served the school for 19 years.

Financial Hardship Assistance

Beyond formal scholarship programs, Graded also provides financial hardship assistance to currently enrolled families who face unexpected economic difficulties. This non-repayable tuition subsidy helps ensure that students already in the community are not forced to leave due to temporary financial hardship.

Together, these programs reflect an institutional identity that goes beyond serving the expatriate elite — Graded positions itself as a school with genuine roots in, and responsibility to, the broader São Paulo community.

A Century of International Education in São Paulo

Graded – The American School of São Paulo has a history stretching back to August 1, 1920, making it one of the oldest continuously operating international schools in Latin America. The school was established through a collaboration between the American Chamber of Commerce in Brazil and a group of prominent US corporations then establishing operations in São Paulo, including Citibank, Dow Chemical, General Motors, Ford, and Goodyear. Their shared motivation was straightforward: expatriate American families needed a quality English-medium school for their children in Brazil's rapidly industrializing economic capital.

The school began humbly — a founding class of just 11 families. Over the following decades, as São Paulo grew into one of the world's largest cities and a major hub for multinational business, Graded grew alongside it. By the mid-20th century the school had established itself as the reference institution for international families in the region.

A major milestone came in April 1985, when Graded became an authorized IB World School, offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. This development reflected the school's evolution from serving primarily American expatriates to welcoming families from across the globe. Today, students from 48 nationalities are enrolled, representing a genuinely diverse community.

The school also secured accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and the Council of International Schools (CIS), alongside recognition by the São Paulo State Secretariat of Education (SEDUC-SP), ensuring graduates receive credentials recognized both in Brazil and internationally.

In 2025, Graded celebrated its 105th anniversary — a milestone marking over a century of providing an American-style, English-medium education in the heart of Brazil. The school's campus in the Vila Andrade neighborhood of São Paulo has grown considerably over the decades and now encompasses extensive academic, athletic, and arts facilities serving approximately 1,329 students across three school divisions.

Academic Breadth: Three Pathways in One School

One of Graded's most distinctive academic features is its ability to offer students three recognized credentials within a single coherent educational programme. Every student at Graded pursues the American High School Diploma, which forms the backbone of the curriculum from PK3 through Grade 12. For motivated students in Grades 11 and 12, the IB Diploma Programme is available as an additional rigorous qualification. Meanwhile, through Graded's recognition by the São Paulo State Secretariat of Education (SEDUC-SP), students also receive the Brazilian High School (Ensino Médio) diploma upon graduation, giving them eligibility to apply to Brazilian universities.

This tri-credential approach sets Graded apart from many international schools that focus exclusively on one pathway. Students graduating from Graded are thus uniquely positioned to apply to universities in the United States, across the IB-accepting world (over 5,000 institutions globally), and within Brazil's highly competitive higher education system.

IB Programme

Graded has offered the IB Diploma Programme since 1985, making it one of the longer-established IB schools in South America. The IB programme at Graded offers a wide range of subjects across all six groups, including sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Systems & Societies, Computer Science), mathematics (Analysis & Approaches and Applications & Interpretation at both HL and SL), humanities (History, Economics, Psychology, Business Management), and a rich variety of languages (English A, Portuguese A/B, Spanish A/B/Ab Initio, French A/B/Ab Initio, Italian A, German A, Japanese A). Results from 2022 showed a 100% IB pass rate, with 16.5% of candidates scoring 40 or above — well above the global average.

Assessment and Support

The school uses a range of assessment tools: standardized MAP tests track academic growth across the Lower and Middle School, while WIDA screening ensures appropriate English language support is in place. The school's MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) framework provides Tier 1, 2, and 3 interventions for students with varying learning needs. An English Language Learner (ELL) program supports students developing English proficiency.

Class Environment

With approximately 1,329 students and 177 faculty, Graded maintains a 7.5:1 student-to-teacher ratio and average class sizes of around 20 students — figures that support meaningful teacher-student relationships and individualized attention within a full-service international school setting.

Community Diversity at Graded

Graded's community is one of the most internationally diverse in Brazil. With students from 48 different countries enrolled simultaneously, the school has built a genuinely multicultural environment that reflects São Paulo's role as one of Latin America's most cosmopolitan cities.

Approximately 52% of students are Brazilian nationals, while the remaining 48% come from families representing countries across North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. This balance between local and international students is relatively unusual among international schools globally, where the local cohort is often a small minority. At Graded, Brazilian students bring deep roots in local culture while international families contribute global perspectives — a dynamic the school actively cultivates.

Who Attends Graded?

Graded's community draws primarily from expatriate families posted to São Paulo for business or diplomatic reasons, as well as internationally-minded Brazilian families who want their children educated in English. The school's founding in 1920 by the American Chamber of Commerce and US multinationals established an early association with the corporate expatriate community, and this connection continues today. Families from major US, European, and Asian companies operating in Brazil are well-represented.

Community Culture

The school describes its diversity as 'unmatched' in São Paulo and sees it as a key feature of the educational experience — not just a demographic statistic. Students regularly interact with peers from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, which the school views as preparation for living and working in a globalized world. The school's values of Respect and Kindness are understood partly in this multicultural context.

The alumni network further reflects this diversity. Notable alumni include Daniela Jorge '90 (Chief Design Officer at Capital One), Garam Um '09 (World Barista Champion and entrepreneur), Alina Dumas '11 (Paralympic swimmer and researcher), and Katia Vieira de Moraes LaCasse '97 (humanitarian doctor with MSF) — graduates who have gone on to make contributions in business, sports, medicine, and the arts across multiple countries.

Admissions at Graded: Competitive but Holistic

Graded is transparent about the fact that it receives significantly more applications each year than it has places to fill. The school's admissions committee makes clear in its FAQ that demand consistently exceeds supply, and that a waitlist is common. This makes Graded one of the more selective international schools in São Paulo.

Application Process

The admissions process varies by division:

Early Years (PK3–Kindergarten): Families submit an application and supporting documentation (birth certificate, immunization records). Young children are assessed through an age-appropriate in-person evaluation, and parent meetings or interviews may be arranged. English proficiency at this stage is not a barrier, as ELL support is available from the youngest grades.

Primary (Grades 1–5): Required materials include prior school transcripts, teacher recommendations, a parent statement, and supporting documentation. The focus is on the child's learning disposition and prior academic record rather than formal testing. English ability is assessed using WIDA screening tools.

Middle School (Grades 6–8): The process becomes more rigorous. Applicants submit full academic records, teacher recommendations, personal statements, MAP test results, and WIDA English screening. Student interviews may be requested.

High School (Grades 9–12): The most comprehensive process. Applicants provide complete transcripts, multiple teacher recommendations, a personal essay, MAP test results, and WIDA screening. Students applying to the IB Diploma track should demonstrate strong academic foundations across all subjects.

English Language Support

Graded explicitly supports students who are still developing English proficiency through its English Language Learner (ELL) program, staffed by dedicated ELL teachers. Students entering Grades K3–Grade 1 undergo an in-person language evaluation; those entering Grade 2 and above complete MAP and WIDA Screener assessments. This means English non-native speakers are not automatically excluded — but families should expect some level of English proficiency to be evaluated.

Entry Points and Timing

Graded accepts students twice yearly: in August (start of the academic year) and in January (mid-year entry). Application deadlines vary: for January 2025 entry the deadline was October 31, 2025; for August 2026 entry the application window opened October 3, 2025 with a deadline of February 2, 2026.

After Acceptance

Families who receive an offer must confirm their place by paying a deposit equal to 40% of one month's July tuition (approximately R$5,127 for Lower School; R$6,362 for Upper School) by a specified deadline. Failure to meet this deadline may result in the place being offered to a waitlisted family.