Prep School Admissions

The journey to finding the right prep school can be a pivotal step in a student’s academic career. We offer comprehensive guidance to help families navigate the competitive admissions processes for top-tier prep schools in both Canada and the United States. Our services are tailored to each student’s unique strengths, aspirations, and learning style, ensuring they find a school where they will thrive.

Canadian Prep School Admissions

Canadian prep schools offer a range of educational philosophies and environments, from traditional boarding schools to urban day programs. While each school has its own specific requirements, the application process generally includes:

School Selection and Research: Identifying schools that align with the student’s academic interests, extracurricular passions, and overall goals. Factors to consider include school size, location, boarding/day options, academic focus, and extracurricular offerings.
Application Submission: Completing the school’s application form, often requiring detailed student and family information, academic transcripts, and supporting documents.
Standardized Testing: Some Canadian prep schools may require standardized tests, though this is less common than in the US. However, schools will carefully review the student’s academic record.
Student and Parent Statements: Crafting compelling essays or statements that articulate the student’s strengths, interests, and reasons for seeking a prep school education, as well as the parents’ perspective on their child’s educational needs and goals.
Interviews: Participating in interviews with admissions officers to assess the student’s personality, communication skills, and overall fit with the school’s community.
Recommendations: Securing strong letters of recommendation from teachers or other educational professionals who can speak to the student’s academic abilities, character, and potential.
School Visits: Visiting prospective schools to experience the campus environment, meet faculty and students, and determine if the school is a good fit.

US Prep School Admissions

The US prep school admissions process is highly competitive, with many schools utilizing centralized application platforms. Key elements of the process include:

School Selection and Research: Identifying schools that align with the student’s academic profile, interests, and aspirations. Consideration is given to factors such as boarding/day options, academic rigor, extracurricular opportunities, school culture, and location.
Standardized Testing: Submitting scores from standardized tests such as the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) or the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE). These tests assess the student’s verbal, quantitative, and reading comprehension skills.
Application Submission: Completing applications through platforms such as the Standard Application Online (SAO) or the Gateway to Prep Schools.
- Standard Application Online (SAO): The SAO is a centralized application system used by many US prep schools. It streamlines the application process by allowing students to complete a single application that can be submitted to multiple schools. The SAO typically includes sections for student and family information, academic transcripts, essays, and recommendations.
- Gateway to Prep Schools: Gateway to Prep Schools is another online application system used by a consortium of boarding and day schools, primarily in the US. Similar to the SAO, Gateway allows students to manage and submit applications to multiple member schools through a single platform.
Essays: Writing compelling essays, including a personal statement and supplemental essays for individual schools. These essays provide an opportunity for the student to showcase their personality, experiences, and aspirations.
Interviews: Participating in interviews with admissions officers, either in person or virtually, to assess the student’s character, interests, and fit with the school’s community.
Recommendations: Obtaining strong letters of recommendation from teachers, counselors, and other individuals who can speak to the student’s academic abilities, character, and potential.
Transcripts: Submitting official academic transcripts from the student’s current and previous schools.
School Visits: Visiting prospective schools to tour the campus, meet with faculty and students, and get a feel for the school’s culture and environment.

Our expert advisors provide personalized guidance and support throughout the entire prep school admissions process, from initial school selection to application submission and interview preparation. We help students craft compelling applications that highlight their unique strengths and potential, maximizing their chances of acceptance into their top-choice schools.