Pilgrim School - International Students

CHOOSE YOUR FUTURE

Pilgrim School, founded in 1958, is a college preparatory school in Los Angeles with an inclusive community serving students from 18-months through 12th Grade. We proudly offer an exceptional boarding program, with students attending from all over the world.

Pilgrim School’s purpose is to inspire and challenge students to better themselves and the world around them.

ENTER THE COURTYARD OF OUR CAMPUS AND YOU’LL BE GREETED BY LUSH GREENERY AND WELCOMING FACES.

OUR CAMPUS FEATURES THE LARGEST GREEN SPACE IN KOREATOWN, OUR AMAZING NEW FIELD WAS DEVELOPED WITH MULTI-PURPOSE OPPORTUNITIES IN MIND.

LOCATED IN THE HEART OF KOREATOWN, OUR SCHOOL IS CONVENIENTLY POSITIONED 3.5 MILES FROM DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES, 3.9 MILES FROM HOLLYWOOD AND 13 MILES FROM LAX AIRPORT.

OUR HEAD OF SCHOOL, PATRICIA KONG, IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO ENGAGE IN MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION WITH STUDENTS.

PILGRIM SCHOOL TAKES PRIDE IN HAVING A RIGOROUS TECH PROGRAM. WE OFFER ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) MATH AND SCIENCE COURSES. STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO SELECT FROM OVER 70 DIFFERENT COURSES.

IN SECONDARY SCHOOL, STUDENTS BUILD THEIR SKILLS IN NEW AND EXCITING WAYS, FROM TRADITIONAL BAND INSTRUMENTS TO MUSIC PRODUCTION.

WE TAKE THE SAFETY OF OUR STUDENTS VERY SERIOUSLY AND HAVE A TRAINED AND PREPARED SECURITY TEAM GUARDING CAMPUS AT ALL TIMES. OUR CAMPUS IS GATED AND ALL GUESTS ARE CAREFULLY CHECKED UPON ENTRY.

OUR DORMITORY IS LOCATED DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM CAMPUS AND HOLDS 20 STUDENTS, WITH THREE DORM PARENTS ON-SITE.

EACH ROOM ACCOMMODATES TWO STUDENTS, WITH GENEROUS SPACE TO STUDY AND REST.

OUR STUDENTS HAVE 24-HOUR CARE FROM OUR DORM PARENTS. BOARDING STUDENTS ARE COOKED HEALTHY AND DELICIOUS MEALS DAILY AND RECEIVE HELP WITH HOMEWORK. OUR DORM PARENTS ENJOY TAKING STUDENTS OUT ON WEEKEND EXCURSIONS TO EXPLORE THE BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDINGS.

OUR SCHOOL PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH DELICIOUS AND NUTRITIOUS LUNCHES IN OUR CAFETERIA. IN ADDITION TO A HEALTHY SALAD BAR OFFERED DAILY, THE SELECTION OF HOT ENTREES CHANGES EACH DAY, INCORPORATING CUISINES FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

TESTIMONIALS FROM INTERNATIONAL AND DORM STUDENTS

“ I LOVE LIVING IN THE DORM BECAUSE I GET TO LEARN ABOUT AMERICAN CULTURE AND I GET TO SOCIALIZE WITH THE COMMUNITY. I LOVE THE FOOD AT THE DORM BUT MOST OF ALL I LOVE THE SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT AT THE SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY THE SUPPORT FROM THE TEACHERS.” JAEYOUNG, JUNIOR CLASS “ I LIKE THE SMALLER SETTINGS SO THE TEACHERS KNOW YOU AND CAN REALLY HELP YOU WHEN YOU NEED IT. I LIKE LIVING WITH MY FRIENDS AT THE DORM ALSO, I ENJOY THAT A LOT.” XING, SENIOR CLASS “ I LIKE THAT I GET MY OWN SPACE AT THE DORM. I REALLY LIKE THE CLASSES I GET TO CHOOSE. THEY ARE REALLY FUN. YOU DON’T JUST READ A BOOK, THE CLASSES ARE DESIGNED FOR DIFFERENT STYLES OF LEARNING AND IT IS INTERESTING.” ZHI, SENIOR CLASS “TEACHERS HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR THE STUDENTS. YOU ARE TREATED FAIRLY. IT IS A GOOD SCHOOL, CLEAN AND NEAT. I PLAY VOLLEYBALL AND I LOVE IT” SOFIA, 8TH GRADE

PATRICIA KONG, M.A., ED. HEAD OF SCHOOL (2020-PRESENT) ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL AND DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS (2000-2020) 24 YEARS TEACHING MA. EDUCATION, CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY - NORTHRIDGE FIRST KOREAN-AMERICAN FEMALE HEAD OF SCHOOL

“HAVING WORKED AT PILGRIM FOR OVER 20 YEARS, I STRONGLY BELIEVE IN A PILGRIM EDUCATION AND ITS PHILOSOPHY: WHERE MORALS AND VALUES OF EXCELLENCE, RESPECT, COMPASSION, INTEGRITY, AND PERSEVERANCE ARE EMPHASIZED DAILY AND WHERE EACH STUDENT IS SEEN, KNOWN AND CELEBRATED. OUR APPROACH TO THE WHOLE CHILD ENSURES THAT A PILGRIM GRADUATE IS AN ACCOMPLISHED SCHOLAR, A CREATIVE AND INDEPENDENT THINKER, AND AN AGENT FOR CREATING A BETTER WORLD. PILGRIM’S WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY IS DESIGNED TO ENRICH AND SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS’ LEARNING AND GROWTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM.”

KELSEY HAMMER REGISTERED NURSE

NURSE KELSEY IS OUR ON-STAFF NURSE WHO TAKES CARE OF THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ALL PILGRIM STUDENTS. AT THE TIME OF A STUDENT’S ENROLLMENT, NURSE KELSEY HELPS YOU ARRANGE INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL INSURANCE. AT THE TIME OF ARRIVAL, SHE ARRANGES A FULL PHYSICAL FOR THE STUDENT. KELSEY IS ADORED BY ALL OF OUR STUDENTS. SHE IS ON-CALL FOR ANY INJURIES OR HEALTH CONCERNS. IN ADDITION, NURSE KELSEY TEACHES HEALTH STUDIES TO STUDENTS IN OUR HIGH SCHOOL.

MICHELLE TABRIZI-ORTIZ ASSOCIATES DEGREE IN HUMANITIES A BACHELORS IN LIBERAL STUDIES MASTERS IN TESOL FROM PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY.

MICHELLE TABRIZI-ORTIZ COMES TO PILGRIM SCHOOL WITH OVER SIXTEEN YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENT TEACHING AND RECRUITMENT EXPERIENCE. MICHELLE BEGAN HER CAREER IN 2006, HOSTING HER FIRST SUMMER CAMP WITH CHINA. SHE WENT ON TO CREATE HER OWN BUSINESS WHERE SHE TRAVELED EXTENSIVELY IN CHINA, AND THE UAE, TEACHING, SPEAKING AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS FOR RECRUITMENT. MICHELLE BUILT ENGLISH LANGUAGE CAMPS WITH THE NHL AND THE NBA TO FACILITATE SPORTS CAMPS IN THE UNITED STATES AND HAS WORKED WITH DISNEYLAND AND UNIVERSAL STUDIOS CREATING ENGLISH LANGUAGE CURRICULUM BASED ON THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE.

FACULTY STATISTICS

49% OF TEACHERS HAVE BACHELOR’S DEGREES 46% OF TEACHERS HAVE MASTER'S DEGREE 3% OF TEACHERS HAVE DOCTORATE DEGREES 2% OF TEACHERS HAVE ASSOCIATE’S DEGREES

SOME UNIVERSITIES ATTENDED BY OUR FACULTY: AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO CAL POLY POMONA DARTMOUTH UNIVERSITY LOYOLA MARYMOUNT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY

TUFTS UNIVERSITY UC BERKELEY UC IRVINE UC SANTA BARBARA UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA VASSAR UNIVERSITY YALE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE PLANNING

MS. ROBIN LAU, DIRECTOR OF ACHIEVEMENT BACHELORS IN HISTORY, UNIVERSITY PENNSYLVANIA JD JURIS DOCTORATE, AKRON UNIVERSITY Robin has 15 years of experience supporting high school students navigate college planning, academic planning, and personal development across multiple sectors. At Pilgrim School, Robin serves as Director of Achievement and College Planning and works closely with all high school students to develop individual plans for academic and personal achievement in preparation for competitive, fit-based college admissions.

Prior to Pilgrim School, Robin was the Associate Director of College Counseling at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, where she led the college counseling program serving over 1,200 high school students. There she was also the Director of the International Program and oversaw the admissions, enrollment, and direct support of the school's ~50 international students. Robin has also worked in the private sector as the Consulting Lead in an educational consulting group with over 30 consultants serving students from schools across the Bay Area. On the college side, Robin has been a freshman admissions reader for both UC Berkeley and UC San Diego.

MATRICULATION

BELOW ARE SOME OF OUR RECENT GRADUATES’ ACCEPTANCES: ART CENTER COLLEGE OF DESIGN CALIFORNIA COLLEGE OF THE ARTS CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY (POMONA) CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY (LONG BEACH) CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY (LOS ANGELES) CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY (NORTHRIDGE) CLARK UNIVERSITY CORNELL UNIVERSITY DREXEL UNIVERSITY EMERSON COLLEGE EMORY UNIVERSITY FORDHAM UNIVERSITY GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ITHACA COLLEGE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY MACALESTER COLLEGE MERRIMACK COLLEGE MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE THE NEW SCHOOL NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN AT THE NEW SCHOOL PENN STATE UNIVERSITY PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY PURDUE UNIVERSITY REED COLLEGE RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN THE ROYAL CENTRAL SCHOOL OF SPEECH AND DRAMA SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY STANFORD UNIVERSITY SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY TUFTS UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (BERKELEY) UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (DAVIS) UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (IRVINE) UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (LOS ANGELES) UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (RIVERSIDE) UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (SAN DIEGO) UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (SANTA CRUZ) UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA UNIVERSITY OF MACAU UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND UNIVERSITY OF OREGON UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON (SEATTLE CAMPUS) UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN (MADISON) UNIVERSITY OF YORK VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY VASSAR COLLEGE WHITTIER COLLEGE

PLEASE CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXCEPTIONAL INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PROGRAM.

Samantha Powell Director of Enrollment Management and Community Outreach Email: spowell@pilgrim-school.org Direct: (213) 355-5204