Private high school admissions usually starts in the spring or summer of seventh grade with research, moves to tours, testing and applications in the fall of eighth grade, and ends with decisions in late winter or early spring. Every school sets its own dates, so build one family calendar early and let your student own a real piece of the process.
Seventh grade: research and early planning
- Make a starting list. Include independent, religious and, if you are open to it, boarding schools. Our guides to independent schools, parochial schools and boarding vs day school can help you sort them.
- Note each school’s requirements. Which entrance exam it accepts, whether it interviews, and whether it offers shadow days.
- Ask about financial aid early. Aid usually has its own application and deadline, often close to the admission deadline.
- Keep grades steady. Schools often ask for seventh grade report cards and fall grades from eighth grade.
- Talk about why. What does your student hope will be different? That answer will shape the list and the essays.
Fall of eighth grade: tours, testing and applications
- September to November: open houses and tours. Go with your student and write down impressions the same day.
- Register for the entrance exam. Many students test in the fall or early winter. Practice with the format once or twice so nothing is a surprise.
- Ask for recommendations early. Schools commonly want letters from current English and math teachers, plus a form from the school counselor or principal.
- Write the student parts. Short essays or questions should sound like your student, not like a parent.
- Finish the parent statement and aid forms. Deadlines commonly fall between December and February.
What entrance exams, interviews and shadow days involve
Entrance exams
Most private school entrance exams cover verbal reasoning, reading, math and often a writing sample. Schools look at scores alongside grades and recommendations. If your student has a documented disability, ask the testing organization about accommodations well before test day. Our guide to test anxiety in teens has ideas for nervous test takers.
Interviews
Usually a friendly conversation about interests, school and what the student is curious about. One practice conversation at home helps; a memorized script does not.
Shadow days
The student spends part of a day attending classes with a current student. It is a chance for the school to meet your child and, just as much, for your child to judge whether the place feels right.
Keeping an eighth grader calm and organized
- Keep one shared calendar and one folder, paper or digital, for every school.
- Hold a 15-minute weekly check-in instead of daily reminders.
- Give your student ownership of specific tasks: essays, practice tests and thank-you notes after interviews.
- Keep the list manageable. More applications means more essays, fees and stress.
- Protect normal life. Sports, friends and sleep still matter in eighth grade.
- Talk about possible outcomes ahead of time, including a strong plan at your local public school, so no single letter feels like everything.
Decisions, waitlists and next steps
In many areas, schools release decisions around the same date in late winter or spring and give families a few weeks to reply. If your student is waitlisted:
- Reply right away to confirm interest, if the school is still a top choice.
- Send a short, sincere update on anything new, such as grades or an accomplishment.
- Secure a backup by accepting another offer or confirming your public school enrollment.
- Know that waitlist movement can happen through spring and even summer, and plan as if it may not.
Whatever the result, the next job is the same: a strong start to ninth grade. See the summer before high school and the middle to high school transition.
Where a mentor helps
Our mentoring begins in high school, and mentors are not admissions counselors. For guidance on schools and applications, talk with your current school counselor or an independent consultant; see educational consultant vs school counselor. Where we come in is next: many families arrange a mentor over the summer so their student starts ninth grade, at a new school or the local one, with a weekly plan and someone to check in with. Parents join the intro call and get regular updates. Read more about how we work with families.
Related
- Types of schools: a guide for families
- Eighth grade parent guide
- Public vs private school
- STEM and specialized high schools
- Homeschooling High School: Credits, Records and Structure
Common questions
When should we start the private high school process?
Many families start researching in the spring or summer of seventh grade, then tour, test and apply in the fall and winter of eighth grade. Check each school’s dates, since they vary.
How much do entrance exam scores matter?
They are one piece. Schools also weigh grades, recommendations, the interview and their sense of the student, and the balance differs from school to school.
What should my child do on a shadow day?
Be curious, ask questions in class if invited, and talk with the student host. Afterward, ask your child how the day felt rather than how it went.
What if my child is waitlisted everywhere?
Confirm interest where it is real, then commit to a solid backup, often your local public school. A strong freshman year matters far more than where it happens.
Get started
Planning ahead for ninth grade? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.