2020-2021 Application Requirements for Merrimack Valley-Area High Schools Testing Application Application Financial Aid Additional Application Interview Shadow Day School Name Required Used Deadline Deadline Requirements or Notes Requirements Requirements Live- Online N/A Short Answer/Essay N/A Complete proctored School Questions shadow form remote Application Transcripts online exam Form Teacher Recommendations Abbott Lawrence (writing, (STEM and Humanities Academy – Lawrence, STEM) in teachers) MA lieu of ISEE SSAT, ISEE, Online December December Inquiry form completed School Visit Optional or HSPT School 15 15 first for New Application Transcripts Applicants Form Teacher Recommendations Austin Preparatory SAO also School – Reading, MA accepted SSAT (note: GPS or January 15 January 15 Inquiry form completed Required Optional; applications SAO first (done opportunity to for 2021-22 Transcripts virtually); take a virtual school year: Teacher Recommendations contact school tour with test to set up current optional, no appointment: student penalty for (978) 725- Brooks School – North opting out of 6271 or (978) Andover, MA testing) 725-6272 HSPT Online December 7 December 7 Inquiry Form N/A Virtual tour and/or SSAT school Transcripts Central Catholic High application Teacher recommendations School – Lawrence, or SAO Virtual Open House MA https://www.andover.edu/pals Testing Application Application Financial Aid Additional Application Interview Shadow Day School Name Required Used Deadline Deadline Requirements or Notes Requirements Requirements SSAT or SAO, January 15 First form Inquiry Form Required Virtual tour ISEE; test Gateway, A (day); due Transcripts (done optional for Better January 31 December Teacher recommendations virtually); applicants to Chance (boarding) 31 Personal recommendations contact Office The Governor’s 2021-22 (ABC), or Manager to Academy – Newbury, school year school set up MA application appointment N/A Online or February 1 N/A Documentation of grades, N/A Virtual tour paper (by discipline, attendance) available Greater Lawrence request) Counselor recommendation Technical School – school Andover, MA application SSAT is Gateway January 15 January 15 Inquiry form Contact Virtual tour preferred, Candidate profile admissions available but ISEE is Candidate statement office accepted; Parent statement Test optional School report for Transcripts applicants to Teacher recommendations 2021-22 (English, Math) school year; Personal recommendation all Graded writing sample applicants Graded math sample must provide sample of recent work Groton School – in Groton, MA mathematics Testing Application Application Financial Aid Additional Application Interview Shadow Day School Name Required Used Deadline Deadline Requirements or Notes Requirements Requirements SSAT SAO or January 15 January 31 Inquiry form completed Required; held Encouraged to optional for Gateway first via Zoom virtually tour applicants to Transcripts campus the 2021-22 Teacher recommendations before Lawrence Academy – school year Counselor or principal interview Groton, MA recommendation Lawrence High School N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 9th Grade Academy – Lawrence, MA Testing Gateway or January 15 January 31 Inquiry form Required (and Virtual tour optional for SSAT Parent statement via Zoom); 2021-22 standard Writing sample contact school applications; application Teacher and administrator set up SSAT and recommendations appointment Milton Academy – ISEE Transcripts Milton, MA accepted SSAT; due to Ravenna January 15 January 15 Student statement Required; Virtual tour COVID-19, Extracurricular activities register online both at- statement home Parent statement and/or Teacher recommendations remote Transcripts Noble and Greenough testing are School – Dedham, MA accepted High School Online December December Income tax documents Virtual (Shadow days Placement school 11 (priority 11 (priority Teacher recommendations interviews previously Notre Dame Cristo Test application applications) applications) (English, Math) (take place in held; unclear Rey High School – January) if currently Lawrence, MA being held) https://www.andover.edu/pals Testing Application Application Financial Aid Additional Application Interview Shadow Day School Name Required Used Deadline Deadline Requirements or Notes Requirements Requirements SSAT or Gateway February 1 February 1 Join mailing list Schedule Schedule tour ISEE (test Transcripts interview online optional) Recent writing assignment online; must Parent statement request Teacher recommendations interview time (English, Math) through self- Personal recommendation service portal Phillips Academy – Counselor recommendation by January 15 Andover, MA Test optional Gateway January 15 January 31 Request information / Required; in 2021-22; online inquiry form must be SSAT or Principal / counselor scheduled by ISEE recommendation February 1 Teacher recommendations Phillips Exeter (English, Math) Academy – Exeter, NH Personal recommendation SSAT or SAO January 15 January 15 Inquiry form Required Tour prior to Pingree School – ISEE Transcripts interview Hamilton, MA Recommendation forms HSPT, SSAT, SAO January 4 January 4 Virtual information session Optional Virtual tours or ISEE (all (priority (priority Inquiry form and webinars optional for deadline) deadline) Parent statement St. John’s Prep – 2021-22 Teacher recommendations Danvers, MA applicants) (English, Math) Glossary of Terms Online Applications: GPS – Gateway to Prep Schools online application: https://www.gatewaytoprepschools.com/ Online School Application – a school’s own online application form found on their Admissions website Printed School Application -a school’s own paper application form SAO – Standard Application Online: https://ssat.org/sao Ravenna – Ravenna Online Application: https://www.ravenna-hub.com/login High School Application Exams: HSPT – High School Placement Test (often used by Catholic high schools): https://stsusers.com/stsusers/registration/static/boston.php ISEE – Independent School Entrance Exam: https://www.erblearn.org/parents/isee-overview SSAT – Secondary School Admission Test: https://ssat.org/ Other Requirements: Inquiry Form – an online form on the school’s Admission website that allows applicants to express interest in applying Transcripts – an official record of grades from an applicant’s middle school Teacher Recommendation – a letter from a teacher expressing an applicant’s academic ability and work habits Personal Recommendation – a letter from someone who knows the applicant well (not a relative) that can speak to their qualities and characteristics outside of the classroom; could be a coach, mentor, family friend, etc. The Character Skills Snapshot – an online assessment that measures different qualities: https://ssat.org/snapshot (a student SSAT account must be created to register for this assessment) Interviews: An interview is usually conducted by a member of the Admissions Office, an alumni (graduate) of the school, or a faculty or staff member of the school. They will ask the applicant questions about many topics, including their family and background, their academic and extracurricular interests, and why they are applying to the school. It is also an opportunity for the applicant to ask questions about the school and what it is like to be a student there. Tours and Shadow Days: These on-campus experiences allow an applicant to see and explore the campus in different ways. Tours, typically conducted by a student trained to work in the Admissions Office, will walk an applicant and their family around the campus and point out specific aspects of the school’s facilities and features. Shadow Days allow an applicant to spend time following a student through their daily schedule and experience classes and free time alongside that person. https://www.andover.edu/pals .