Our Most Frequently Asked Questions 

9:00am - 5:00pm, Monday through Friday

Yes, the American Academy of English is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant students. As a SEVP-certified school, AAE can issue the Form I-20 to students to study full-time in the United States.

Accreditation is an extensive process of evaluation of a school’s program of study by a recognized independent third party to ensure a high standard of quality and credibility of the institution. Prior to 2012, accreditation was voluntary for English language training programs. The American Academy of English has been accredited since 2001 to ensure that our staff, instructor, curriculum, and overall services are of the highest quality to provide exceptional service to our students and the ESL community.

The American Academy of English is accredited by ACCET, which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

One of the main features of our program is our modern facility. We have a student café that serves coffee, refreshing drinks, pastries, and various snacks. This is a popular common area for our students to meet, study, and relax. Our computer lab is available for our students, and we are also an official iBT TOEFL® test center.

Yes, you can observe a class for one day for free. To schedule a class observation, contact us at least a day in advance at info@aae.edu. Restrictions apply.

Having medical insurance to cover doctor’s fees and hospitalization is important, as the cost of medical care is relatively high in the United States. It is strongly recommended that you carry an international insurance policy. If you do not have one, you can pick up an international student and scholar medical insurance application at the front office, or visit the links below. Unless you have coverage already, expect to pay upwards of $60 a month for insurance coverage. For more information, contact these medical insurance carriers:

www.internationalstudentinsurance.com

www.betins.com

www.compassbenefit.com

Your tuition is due on or before your program start date.

If the primary purpose of your visit to the United States is to study, you must apply for an F1 classification student visa at your local U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate. The visa is required to enter the United States.

Before you schedule an appointment with the U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate for your visa interview, you must first apply to AAE to receive an acceptance packet. An acceptance packet includes your acceptance letter and I-20 form. These are some of the required documents to get your visa. After receiving this packet, you can make an appointment with the U.S. Embassy/Consulate for an interview. When you are approved, you will receive a visa affixed to your passport for entry into the United States.

Simply submit an application, online or paper , along with the necessary supporting documents: bank statement, passport copy, and $100 application fee. It is recommended that you apply about 2 months in advance before your anticipated entry into the U.S. to allow time for the visa interview at the U.S. Embassy/Consulate and arrange travel plans.

After we receive and review your application and supporting documents, you will be notified of our decision. If you are accepted, your admission packet will be prepared within 2-5 business days. There is no charge for standard mail, which takes up to 5 days for domestic delivery and up to 14 days for international delivery, depending on the destination country. If you need to receive your documents earlier, USPS Express Mail (7-10 day international delivery time) and FedEx/DHL are available for faster delivery service; additional fees apply.

Yes, as long as you are maintaining your student status at your previous/current school, you are eligible to transfer.

In addition to submitting application documents as described above, you will need to complete a Transfer Form. After you have applied and been accepted to our school, this form, along with your acceptance letter, will be sent to your previous/current school. Upon their consent, they will then release your SEVIS record to our school, at which time we will then be able to issue your new I-20 form.

Yes, you may apply to change your status by submitting an adjustment of status application to USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services). For more information, please  contact us.

SEVIS is the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a web-based database used by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to collect, track, and monitor information on international students, exchange visitors, and scholars in the United States.

SEVIS enables schools to transmit electronic information and event notifications via the web to DHS’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of State (DOS). The system will reflect all pertinent information relevant to international student status in the U.S.

The $350 SEVIS fee that is required for all visa and change of status applicants pays for the upkeep of the system. For more information or to make a fee payment, visit www.fmjfee.com. You will need the I-20 form to make this payment.

The SEVIS number is located on the upper left corner of your I-20 form. This is your unique number generated in SEVIS to identify you in the system.

If you intend to apply for an F-1 student visa at the U.S. Embassy/Consulate, you should apply well in advance to allow sufficient time for the procedures needed for your entry into the U.S. These procedures include, but are not limited to, submitting your application to AAE, receiving your acceptance packet, arranging your flight plans and housing accommodation, setting up your visa interview and waiting for your visa application response. Generally, applying at least 2 months in advance is sufficient.

For transfer students, it is recommended that you apply well before the last day at your current school to allow time for them to transfer/release your SEVIS record to our school. If you are applying after your last day, you should apply as soon as possible to ensure that you meet U.S. Immigration transfer eligibility requirements. Upon receiving your transfer application and the necessary documents, it usually takes 1 day for us to review your application. Upon acceptance, we will notify your current school of your intent to transfer.

Yes. If you are delayed or would like to start earlier, contact us to receive an updated I-20 with a new program start date at no additional charge.

We offer an “English as a Second Language” program for all levels: basic, beginning, intermediate and advanced. TOEFL® and TOEIC® Preparation courses are also available. Completion of our English as a Second Language for Academic Purposes Program (EAP) will meet the English proficiency requirement of our partner colleges and universities, so you do not need to take the TOEFL® for admission to these institutions. Please contact us for more details.

We also offer free afternoon workshops for our students. American Slang, Pronunciation and ESL through Music are some of our more popular workshops.

Visit: Course Schedule

Our main campus is in San Francisco with other locations in Oakland and San Mateo.

We offer open enrollment and you can choose any Monday for your program start date.

You will be given a placement exam on your registration date. The exam takes about one hour. There is no preparation required for this test.